Instant access to open source software is FREE to academic staff

March 23, 2011 - PRLog -- London, UK
Hughes Bennett Education, a studio in London which produces tools and materials for higher education, announces the availability of FREE subscriptions for academic staff to use Bamboo Toolbox, which provides instant access to open source software for higher education. The software works in web browsers without downloads or installations. Software in the collection includes R Project for statistical analysis, GNU Octave for numerical computations, Maxima for manipulation of symbolic and algebraic expressions, Graphviz for visualization of graphs, object oriented programming using Objective-C or C++ and Erlang for concurrent programming. Consistent with the open source philosophy, Bamboo Toolbox is free to use. Optional subscriptions provide Personal Notebooks to save work and review changes.

A difficult question in education is why has computer technology failed to radically improve education? Researchers such as Anne Jorunn Berg in 1994 developed a compelling explanation through a concept called technology-as-process. In 2003, Julianne Lynch published a research paper to further develop this concept, in which she wrote, "If we see technology as process, it is only when it is put to use that this configuration becomes technology". Chi Nguyen, Editor of Hughes Bennett Education, commented that, "The function of open source software is unknown until it is adopted within a specific learning process. Bamboo Toolbox provides quick and no risk opportunities for academic staff to experiment with software that could lead to innovative learning and teaching methods. A significant weakness of expensive proprietary software is that colleges and universities have to restrict the number of computers on campus with licensed software. Bamboo Toolbox encourages learning and teaching innovations by making open source academic software accessible to staff and students anytime in classrooms, computer labs, libraries or off-campus."

Anytime and anywhere access to open source academic software has immediate potential benefits for colleges and universities looking to reach a wider range of students. Government initiatives such as Widening Participation in England and the Pell Grant programme in America bring more students to higher education and increase the demand and use of academic software. Chi Nguyen, Editor of Hughes Bennett Education, commented that, "The success of the Internet means that the current generation of students are most comfortable using the web browser as the primary interface to software. Bamboo Toolbox extends the web browser to deliver open source academic software in a manner that is easier to use for students and at no cost to colleges and universities."


PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
Bamboo Toolbox, http://hughesbennett.co.uk, is available and free to use. Optional subscriptions, starting at £2 per month, provide Personal Notebooks to save work and review changes.


ABOUT HUGHES BENNETT EDUCATION
Hughes Bennett Education is a studio which produces tools and materials for higher education. Our team is passionate about teaching and our work is influenced by research into the role of mental models in the learning process, adult education and classroom assessment techniques and different types of learning objectives.

Bamboo Toolbox is a collection of online software for higher education. The software works in web browsers without downloads or installations. Optional subscriptions provide Personal Notebooks to save work and review changes. Software in the collection includes R Project for statistical analysis, GNU Octave for numerical computations, Maxima for manipulation of symbolic and algebraic expressions, Graphviz for visualization of graphs, object oriented programming using Objective-C or C++ and Erlang for concurrent programming.


MEDIA CONTACT
Marcia Nguyen
Hughes Bennett Education
Production Manager
+44 20 7119 8148
mn(at)hughesbennett(dot)co(dot)uk
http://hughesbennett.co.uk

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Hughes Bennett Education is a studio which produces tools and materials for higher education. Bamboo Toolbox is a collection of online software for higher education. The software works in web browsers without downloads or installations.