Conflicting landscapes

Musing on the implementation of an open source collaboration environment

Abstract

This discussion of the implementation of an open source collaborative environment (MUSE) in a traditional institution during a period of upheaval not only explores the details of the evaluation of the first year of operation, but also the tensions around ownership, control and power. The paper reports on the implementation and seeks to address some of these questions: Can open source initiatives make a difference to the fundamental pedagogy of educational institutions? Can a modest change in IT solutions enable users to create their own learning and research spaces effectively? What factors would we do differently? In what ways does supplementing an existing large integrated system with another involve innovation in educational technology?