Special Interest Group in Open Source Software for Education in Europe (SIGOSSEE) has been established to investigate, inform, and advise the education community on the uses and benefits of Open Source Software and Open Content. Open Source is of growing interest to the education and training sectors for a number of reasons :

• Often specific versions of educational software will be required to reflect particular course content or pedagogical approaches.
• A loose "community" of educational institutes already exists which supports the exchange of ideas and concepts. Thus, the basis of an OSS community is already in place.
• In many cases, larger institutes already have the human resources capacity in-house to perform the necessary software and content modifications, testing and deployment.
• Educational institutes are under increasing pressure to find the lowest-cost solutions for effective learning provision.
• Learners can be involved in improving OSS software and content making it possible to take an approach which sees education as the process of supporting learners in joining a community of practice.
• More generally, the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) in education provision is being recognised and explored.

However, despite much interest from the educational software community and from individual education institutes and providers, there is a lack of clear and unbiased advice and information over the advantages and disadvantages of OSS and how appropriate the adoption of OSS is for education and training and of policy advice and direction on the subject.
The SIG is supported by the European Commission sponsored SIGOSEE and JOIN! projects, whose partners will form a steering group for the SIG in its initial period.\

The activities and services for the SIG include :

• The organisation of regional ‘open door’ days providing advice and guidance on open source
• Undertaking research into key issues impacting on the development and implementation of Open Source Software in education
• The organisation of national and regional seminars
• The development of a catalogue of Open Source developments and software for education
• The development of a catalogue of examples of good practice
• The sharing of news and information about Open Source for education
• The management of a web space for discourse and exchange on Open Source and its uses in education.

Who is SIGOSSEE for?

The SIG is for anyone interested in the use of Open Source software and contents in education. This includes:

• Teachers and trainers
• Policy and decision makers
• Institutional managers
• Software and content developers
• Researchers and project developers
  

Whilst the SIG is supported by two European projects it is open to members from any part of the world.

What can members do?

• Attend the Open Days, seminars and project meetings and conferences
• Contribute to on-line discussions
• Access news and information
• Join in the research activities
• Contribute to the Resource catalogues
• Build SIGOSSEE

What are our hopes? We intend that The SIG becomes an sustainable organising centre for Open Source in education. Ultimately that depends on its members – in contributing and supporting activities and helping to shape the future direction and activities.

To join the Special Interest Group on Open Source Software in Education, please fill the registration form.