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Sciences laboratory with free software

Dunkerque, the 12 of March 2008 - OFSET, the organisation for free software in education and teaching, has initiated a project aimed to identify the needs for using free-libre programs and affordable hardware in order to make education labs for teaching experimental science.

Currently working solutions have been identified: one set of solutions is based on using acquisition interfaces with a kernel module able to drive them under GNU/Linux (200 possibilities, some of them are cheap), another set of solutions is based on using very simple acquisition interfaces built with a cheap micro-controller, and driven by a library in Python language (two very cheap solutions).

These solutions have been used in a real environment, involving several classes of young students, and various teachers, whose knowledge of IT range from beginner to expert. The solution tested is based on a derivative of the project LTSP: one middle-sized computer is necessary for the class, student groups are given each one low-end computer and an acquisition interface. This solution allows to minimize efficiently the cost of ownership: most computers are low-end computers, the software needs to be maintained in one disk for the whole class. It has proved to work correctly for four years, and is well understood even by beginner teachers.

How to join the project: drop an e-mail about to the mailing list ofset@ofset.org (free subscription at http://lists.ofset.org/subscribe/ofset). Describe in a few words your current needs and wishes about your science lab.

Some links about this project:

About OFSET

OFSET is an organisation dedicated to the development of free software for education and teaching. To do so, it develops free software for education and also documentation for the development and the use of free software. To know more about its projects visit http://www.ofset.org/projects