Abstract:

The paper highlights the essence of using free and open-source software (FOSS) and data in the teaching of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In the light of our experience, it is very practical to use free software and data in online learning systems, especially for educational subjects related to environmental sciences. The contribution was made at a time when many universities and schools in Slovakia and several other countries were closed due to security measures aimed at slowing the spread of the pandemic. Nowadays, using electronic support in education is quite common and it is one of the options, how to continue teaching despite the sudden ban on full-time education, respecting student-centered learning paradigm. Hassle-free licenses for software and data in such a scenario play a special role in helping to overcome many of the barriers related to the spread of resources. The paper evaluates selected specifics of FOSS in the environment of the education system in Slovakia, especially from the perspective of barriers that prevent its wider deployment and in terms of its potential for the future. The aim of the paper is to point out that FOSS is a fully usable alternative for educational purposes, which is in line with the main aims of the European Higher Education Area. This is demonstrated by the concrete implementation of FOSS and data at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences (Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra) and its usability in a wide variety of deployments. As the main source of relevant data protocols, we used two educational subjects from e-learning between 2014 and 2019 on a sample of 461 students. FOSS and data can be ideal solution not only for the higher education, but also for research activities within the university. It can be used in a wide range of applications from basic ecological and landscape-ecological research to publishing scientific results in the form of a map server or databases. Students can also be actively involved in the creation or completion of educational content under supervision of a tutor from the comfort of their home and as a rule, without any additional costs.

Keywords:

Free and Open Source Software, Environmental Sciences, Higher Education.