[OSGeo-Edu] Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Training and certification

[Seven (aka Arnulf)]

Cahrlie, Phillip and all who have contributed,
this is really good feedback, thanks a lot. I think we are getting 
somewhere with these latest ideas. I cannot see OSGeo put up an effort 
to offer training on it's own, and I can absolutely follow Paolo's and 
Cameron's arguments. Neither can I see that a traditional franchise 
business works for OSGeo. A franchise around "how-to Open Source Geo" 
would be a great idea (and I am kind of expecting something along that 
line to take off somewhere soon), but in my opinion it does not go along 
well with an honest not-for-profit organization. But for regular, long 
term training it makes a lot of sense to tie in much closer with 
educational institutions, universities.

Looking forward to talk to you in September. We can continue this 
specific line of thought on the Edu list to be prepared for meeting at 
FOSS4G.


Marketing:
One additional incentive to universities who are not aware of Open 
Source (and I know there are lots out there who are a lot less educated 
than you on this list) could be an OSGeo site wide enterprise 
<s>license</s> "something" to counter the kind offers of our proprietary 
competitors. It would have an estimated value of US$ 250,000 and any 
university and educational center can apply for it. To us this must 
sound like a weird idea but one major argument is still "oh, we have the 
enterprise site license for XY and need no Open Source" (and thinking in 
their ignorant mindes "we do not need this free-of-cost stuff"). It is a 
no-brainer for us to package and market this. Nice shiny box around the 
OSGeo Live DVD and that's about it.

This type of activity can be executed by OSGeo without the need to start 
a new branch of activity or a full fledged new business model. It just 
needs to get some support and the will to get done.

Best regards,
Arnulf

On 06/10/2011 04:13 PM, Phillip Davis wrote:
> Charles, the GeoTech Center will be at FOSS4G this September offering
> the following workshops:
>
> 1. FOSS4G for Educators (Monday) 2. GTCM Course Development
> (Tuesday) 3. Remote Sensing DACUM (Wednesday-Thursday)
>
> to promote two goals: a) FOSS4G for higher ed and b) alignment of
> geospatial industry needs and academic GIS program curriculum.  Our
> ongoing effort is the help higher education better align with the new
> Dept. of Labor's Geospaital Technology Competency Model (GTCM).  You
> can see our work on building SCORM-compliant, GTCM-aligned course
> packs with curriculum modules here:
> http://www.geotechcenter.org/Education-Training/GTCM-Faculty-Development-Workshop-Summer-2011.
>
>  In regards to certification, we fully support the GISCI's effort in
> improve their GISP certification with a competency-based exam,
> something they've committed to doing last week, over the next three
> years.  Researchers with GeoTech assisted the GISCI working group
> that investigated the question over the past 18 months, offering our
> extensive research into the precise skills required by GIS
> technicians (and now Remote Sensing Specialist).   You can view this
> research here: http://www.geotechcenter.org/Resources/Publications.
>
> Finally, we would like to offer our SCORM-compliant, GTCM-aligned
> course packs for OSGeo to help us vet and eventually disseminate
> beginning next May, 2012 when the results of our 2011 workshops have
> been properly vetted and created.  The Center would offer to sit with
> yourself and the OSGeo board at the forthcoming FOSS4G to discuss
> collaboration.
>
> Phil Davis Director and PI
>
> ________________________________________ From:
> edu_discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> [edu_discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Charlie Schweik
> [cschweik at pubpol.umass.edu] Sent: Friday, June 10, 2011 8:31 AM To:
> discuss at lists.osgeo.org Cc: OSGeo-edu Subject: [OSGeo-Edu] Re:
> [OSGeo-Discuss] Training and certification
>
> I'm not going to weigh in on the certification question -- I don't
> understand the companies out there doing training and the issues
> raised by Cameron and others. Apologies in advance for a long
> posting.
>
> But I find myself puzzling about how this is linked to universities
> (our edu group) and the discussions about more formal relationships
> with universities. I teach in an Environmental Conservation
> department and also in a Public Policy and Administration program. I
> sometimes have undergrad and grad students interested in going beyond
> the traditional "Intro to GIS" course, and would love to be able to
> somehow offer a more advanced course that would utilize open source
> technologies and especially training on web-based GIS (currently we
> have none in our curriculum). Or "enterprise-level" desktop GIS that
> might be utilized in small local government settings (that often do
> not have GIS because of a lack of staffing) -- like small "hilltowns"
> in Western Massachusetts, or local governments in developing world
> contexts. Right now we offer both Intro to GIS courses using ArcGIS
> and also desktop open source, but we don't have the ability to teach
> the next level -- an enterprise GIS or web-based GIS.
>
> The other thing I am seeing is a movement away from standard lecture
> format to one where the prof might use YouTube videos or other open
> access content outside of class and then use class time to be more
> hands-on. Also there is a push at our university to try and use more
> open access educational material to help reduce the costs of
> textbooks and coursepacks on students.
>
> This leads me to my questions regarding training and this
> discussion.
>
> 1) How can we collectively act and utilize the expertise within
> OSGeo software groups and other affiliates to develop a set of
> training material that could be connected to university classes?
> Could people on this list with expertise develop "modules"? Could we
> develop, collectively, workbooks along with data and exercises that
> we instructors could use? If there are people out there willing to
> contribute to this idea, who are you and what kind of material would
> you be willing to contribute? For example, I would love to get some
> students learning how to use technology like OpenLayers or other
> web-based GIS technologies, but I don't have those skills so would
> want to offer a "group independent study" under my direction, where
> students could try and learn these kinds of technologies on their own
> and together, under my direction and with the support of this OSGeo
> network.
>
> 2) Would it be possible to develop a network of classes in
> affiliated institutions that are all teaching the same content in
> parallel, and perhaps all using one Moodle course hosted by OSGeo?
> In other words, have face-to-face classes running in parallel on
> several universities during the same time frame (e.g., Sept-December
> or January-May) where these classes are meeting face-to-face but then
> we have the ability to tie expertise and he classes together via
> Moodle or maybe hold some webinars by technical experts that all
> classes in all universities (timezones will be an issue here)?
>
> This would at least work for universities in locations where they
> have decent Internet connection. But the idea might be the start of
> the content for a proposal to educational funding agencies or
> foundations.... and I greatly appreciate the approach Cameron has
> done for the Free DVD in terms of having an editor who coordinates
> these things. Some proposal for funding would need to put forth that
> model.
>
> I hope these ideas are helpful and not noise....
>
> Cheers Charlie Schweik UMass Amherst
>
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