educationaLinux 2003 Tuesday 14:00 session

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Tuesday 14:00 – Teaching Linux

Teaching Linux at the Canberra Institute of Technology
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) is the largest provider of vocational educational in the ACT. The Department of Information Technology currently trains several hundred people every year in a Diploma of Systems Administration and a Diploma of Network Engineering. Linux is playing an increasingly important role in the curriculum of these qualificatons with several subjects focussing solely on developing students skills in implementing and managing linux based networks as well as linux gradually being introduced into several other subjects.

This paper will outline:

  • The rationale for teaching linux.
  • How linux was introduced into the courses.
  • A description of what is currently taught and teaching strategies used.
  • Plans for expanding linux content in other subjects.
  • Managing bias in the curriculum.
  • Exciting plans for the future including the strengthening of industry alliances and the development of commercial opportunities for students using linux.

    • Staff who are involved in teaching linux hope to introduce several exciting initiatives in the future with the aim of making Canberra Institute of Technology one of the leading trainining institutes for linux professionals in Australia.

    Judy Adams and James Hamilton are teaching staff in the department.

About Judy Adams

I have been working in IT for over 30 years - back to before PCs even existed. started life as a main frame programmer and after having a family decided to blend the IT knowledge with teaching and was lucky enough to end up teaching IT at Canberra Institute of Technology. I originally used to teach DOS and some programming and then became intested in UNIX as this was the stage 2 command line subject after DOS. Became fascinated with UNIX and expanded out to Linux, which I've campaigned to be introduced into the CIT courses. Am happy to be labelled with the term "nerd" by most of the non-UNIX/Linux members of staff and defend the "X" world in our many friendly "X" vs "the rest" (ie Microsoft) discussions.

About James Hamilton

I began my interest in both adult education and IT whilst training long term unemployed people in for a trade union. From there I moved into developing educational websites in the private sector. This led to a late apprenticeship as a technical lead at a standards compliant web development company who were also great open source advocates, especially in relation to open GIS and webmapping. Now new at CIT, I have been lucky to join a small team keen on developing linux education. My (as yet) unfulfilled ambition is to have enough time to order one of those giant vi mugs.

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