The SOSS (Student-centered Open Source Software) Community

Jackson State University, Jackson MS

Investigators

Abstract

The project entitled: The SOSS (Student-centered Open Source Software) Community at Jackson State University seeks to establish an Open Source Software (OSS) community run by Computer Science majors. It will enhance students' knowledge and skills in problem solving analysis, solution design, software development, and teamwork and communication. The goal is to educate Computer Science majors through real-world software development activities and produce a well-educated and well-trained workforce. The project will result in a repository and knowledge base of student development projects; workspaces and opportunities for real-world software development in a healthy educational environment; a virtual classroom for students; and the development of an educational model utilizing OSS products and the OSS community. This project educates African American Computer Science majors and prepares them for graduate school and the workforce. The educational model is transparent and thus can be used and adapted to incubate OSS communities in other disciplines and at other institutions.