Re: Your Mission (should you choose to accept it)

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

marshal@marshal.co.uk said:
> I think that the basic premise that there can be some identifiable
> educational purpose (from a pedagogical pov) to using Linux rather
> than W98, RISC OS, System 8 orwhatever is flawed. [...] Their attitudes
> towards these machines is not overtly based on the OS, but on the software
> available.

I understand what you're saying, and to some extent you're right.  I
think Ian and Georges did mention some ways in which Linux has some
identifiable benefit over other OSs.  To those I'll add that Linux can
often be made to run acceptably on hardware that can no longer support
the various commercial OSs, and that Linux can be a way to deploy
essentially the _same_ (not merely similar) programs onto the many
disparate systems that a lot of schools gradually acquire, since there
are Linux ports for so many different platforms.

The real point I want to make is that we're not looking for an
educational reason to choose Linux over the other OSs, but for
applications for Linux that will allow it to be considered at the same
level as the others.  Linux may be the greatest thing since sliced
bread, but if there aren't any pedagogical programs for it, it isn't
appropriate for school use.  Once we can point to and demonstrate the
same capabilities on Linux that can be demonstrated on the other OSs, we
think the benefits of using Linux will speak for themselves.  Oh, and
when it comes to teaching _about_ computers and programming, Linux is in
a class by itself.

-- 
Doug Loss                 The difference between the right word and
Data Network Coordinator  the almost right word is the difference
Bloomsburg University     between lightning and a lightning bug.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain