Global Education offers students to experience competencies such as knowledge, skills, and dispositions that help them to develop, understand, and function in communities which are increasingly interdependent with other communities around the world. By providing these competencies, compromises a foundation for lifelong learning of what they need to participate, at high levels of functioning, in environments in continuous change because of increasing global transformation.
Global education encompasses both theory and practice. Students are guided by a set of purposes and approaches intentionally created to provide opportunities to develop global competencies, and the theories that explain and inform those practices and their effects. In this conversation, math plays an important role when measuring the impact of the competences of knowledge, skills, attitudes in a particular context. For example, when they interact with a professor or students abroad through a presentation, discussion, or a collaborative project, we, as instructors, have the challenge to measure their ability to communicate effectively their competency of knowledge of math definitions and rules, practical math skills, and attitudes towards those with whom they are communicating.
In addition, when reasoning with the current climate challenges, students will realize the need of advancing knowledge and creating technologies that can help transform humans' interactions with the environment. In this effort, Open Sources are valuable resources to explore for increasing engagement and academic development.
This academic year, I teamed up with two professors: Gerald Maki, Coordinator of Global Education Program in campus Indianapolis, and Jumana Shahin, Math Instructor, to develop some ideas about Math Open Sources and Global Education. The intention is to connect open sources and global education to provide students with some opportunities to explore and connect ideas that will be included in this page.
Professor Maki collaborated with Indiana University, Indianapolis via a Fulbright Outreach Visiting Lecturer Fund. Dr. Chien-Yao Sun from Taiwan gave a talk to Ivy Tech students and shared his career experiences in health sciences and the importance of international collaboration.
In addition, I shared my experiences as a Fulbright Scholar as part of a panel discussion with Dr. Sun hosted by the Indiana Chapter of the Fulbright Association. Some of Dr. Sun’s and the Fullbright panel highlights will be translated into future discussions with my students.
Open Sources are openly licensed, freely available materials that can be modified and redistributed by users. They include any type of educational resource, from syllabi to full courses. Some of the benefits are listed below:
•No Licensing Fees: Unlike proprietary software, open-source software is available without the need to purchase licenses, significantly reducing upfront costs.
•Community Support: A large community of developers contributes to open-source projects, often providing free support and troubleshooting assistance.
•Flexibility to Modify: Access to the source code allows developers to customize features and functionalities to fit specific needs, avoiding the need to pay for custom development in many cases.
•Reliable: Open sources produced by credible institutions, recognized experts, or established organizations tend to be trustworthy. Find below a reference for Math Open Sources.
These are freely accessible teaching and learning materials like textbooks, course modules, videos, and interactive exercises that can be used, adapted, and shared by educators and learners without copyright restrictions.
Online platforms designed to facilitate collaboration on projects, where users can contribute, edit, and discuss information together, often with open-source codebases.
OpenStax: openstax.org is a sample and provides the following advantages.
LibreTexts: libretexts.org
papers, and other academic outputs.
•Zenodo: A free repository developed by CERN, where researchers can upload and share datasets, publications, and software.
Open-source programs like SageMath, Maxima, Octave, and R provide tools for mathematical calculations, analysis, and visualization, allowing researchers and students to perform complex computations without the need for expensive commercial software.
•Scilab. A software platform for numerical computations similar to MATLAB. It provides capabilities for engineering, scientific, and applied mathematics computations.
•GNU Octave. A high-level interpreted language, primarily for numerical computations. It’s largely compatible with MATLAB, which makes it popular for numerical simulations, linear algebra, optimization, and more.
•SciPy A Python-based library that builds on NumPy and provides a collection of mathematical algorithms and functions, including optimization, integration, interpolation, eigenvalue problems, and more.
GeoGebra is a dynamic geometry, algebra, statistics, and calculus in one platform. Available as desktop software, web-based app, and mobile application. Easily integrates with learning management system (LMS). Exports files in multiple formats, including PNG, PDF, and SVG for graphics or dynamics HTML for web-based resources.
D2L - Brightspace is a learning innovation platform that has evolved as purposefully as educational content.
Open edX is an open-source platform used for online learning. It's used by institutions like Harvard, MIT, and others to deliver massive open online courses (MOOCs). Open edX is also highly scalable. Offers course authoring and management, advanced analytics and reporting, andiInteractive learning tools (video, quizzes) and is a mobile-friendly.
Chamilo is a user-friendly, open-source LMS designed for small to medium-sized organizations and educational institutions. This LMS offers course creation and management, video and content delivery, and social collaboration tools.
ILIAS is controlled by the international ILIAS community and coordinated by the ILIAS Association. A professional network of service providers adjusts for you and offers hosting and training. ILIAS is versatile open-source LMS used for both academic and corporate learning. It offers a wide range of features for content management, course delivery, and reporting. Also, course and content management, advanced assessment options, social Learning Tools and mobile compatibility.
Sakai is an open-source LMS used primarily in higher education. It supports collaborative tools for students and instructors, including forums, assignments, and grading. This LMS offers customizable interface, group collaboration features, gradebook, assignments, and quizzes and mobile compatibility.
Moodle is one of the most widely used open-source LMS platforms. It is highly customizable and supports a range of educational activities, including quizzes, assignments, and course management. Moodle offers courses in creation and management, discussion forums, grading systems, mobile app for learning on the go, and extensive plugins and integrations.
Totara is based on Moodle, Totara provides extended functionality specifically tailored for corporate training environments. Totara monitors employee performance tracking, competency-based learning, customizable course management, and reporting and analytics.
