Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Survey of Learning Methods in Open Source Software

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Formal Methods. FM 2019 International Workshops (FM 2019)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 12233))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 359 Accesses

Abstract

Open source software (OSS) is usually developed by heterogeneous groups of people, each with their own interests, motivations and abilities. Therefore, it is important to establish the best software development and contributing practices early in the life-time of the project. Such practices should foster the contributors’ involvement in the OSS project as quickly as possible. The sustainability of an OSS project is heavily based on the underlying community of contributors and on the knowledge and skills they bring to the project and they acquire and develop through their participation in the project and interaction with the project community. Therefore, identifying and investigating contributors’ learning processes is an important research area in OSS.

This survey paper presents an overview of open source learning methods in order to explore how community interaction impacts the development and application of OSS learning processes in other areas, especially in education. It is argued that collaboration with peers and consistent code contributions result in learning progress in OSS. Typical research in this area is based on case by case analysis, whereas this survey tries to highlight and combine the outcomes of several research contributions from the literature.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Ghosh, R.A., Glott, R., Krieger, B., Robles, G.: Free/Libre and Open Source Software: Survey and Study, January 2002

    Google Scholar 

  2. van der Aalst, W.: Process Mining. Data Science in Action, 2nd edn. Springer, Heidelberg (2016)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Androutsellis-Theotokis, S., Spinellis, D., Kechagia, M., Gousios, G.: Open source software: a survey from 10,000 feet. Found. Trends Technol. Inf. Oper. Manage. 4(3–4), 187–347 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Au, Y.A., Carpenter, D., Chen, X., Clark, J.G.: Virtual Organizational Learning in Open Source Software Development Projects (0013), May 2007. https://ideas.repec.org/p/tsa/wpaper/0041is.html

  5. Barcomb, A., Grottke, M., Stauffert, J.-P., Riehle, D., Jahn, S.: How developers acquire FLOSS skills. In: Damiani, E., Frati, F., Riehle, D., Wasserman, A.I. (eds.) OSS 2015. IAICT, vol. 451, pp. 23–32. Springer, Cham (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-17837-0_3

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  6. Cerone, A.: Learning and activity patterns in OSS communities and their impact on software quality. In: Proceedings of OpenCert 2011, Electronic Communications of the EASST, vol. 48 (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Cerone, A., Sowe, S.K.: Using free/libre open source software projects as e-learning tools. In: Proceedings of OpenCert 2010, Electronic Communications of the EASST, vol. 33 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Edwards, K.: Epistemic communities, situated learning and open source software development. In: Proceedings from the conference on Epistemic Cultures and the Practice of Interdisciplinarity (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Fernandes, S., Martinho, M.H., Cerone, A., Barbosa, L.S.: Integrating formal and informal learning through a FLOSS-based innovative approach. In: Antunes, P., Gerosa, M.A., Sylvester, A., Vassileva, J., de Vreede, G.-J. (eds.) CRIWG 2013. LNCS, vol. 8224, pp. 208–214. Springer, Heidelberg (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41347-6_15

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  10. Hemetsberger, A., Reinhardt, C.: Learning and knowledge-building in open-source communities: a social-experiential approach. Manage. Learn. 37(2), 187–214 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507606063442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Huntley, C.L.: Organizational learning in open-source software projects: an analysis of debugging data. IEEE Trans. Eng. Manage. 50(4), 485–493 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Jaccheri, L., Osterlie, T.: Open source software: a source of possibilities for software engineering education and empirical software engineering. In: First International Workshop on Emerging Trends in FLOSS Research and Development (FLOSS 2007: ICSE Workshops 2007), p. 5, May 2007. https://doi.org/10.1109/FLOSS.2007.12

  13. Kim, Y., Jiang, L.: The learning curves in open-source software (OSS) development network. In: Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Conference on Electronic Commerce (ICEC 2014), pp. 41–48. ACM (2014). https://doi.org/10.1145/2617848.2617857

  14. Kuk, G.: Strategic interaction and knowledge sharing in the KDE developer mailing list. Manage. Sci. 52(7), 1031–1042 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1060.0551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Livingstone, D.W.: Informal learning: conceptual distinctions and preliminary findings. Counterpoints 249, 203–227 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Lundell, B., Persson, A., Lings, B.: Learning through practical involvement in the OSS ecosystem: experiences from a masters assignment. In: Feller, J., Fitzgerald, B., Scacchi, W., Sillitti, A. (eds.) OSS 2007. ITIFIP, vol. 234, pp. 289–294. Springer, Boston, MA (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-72486-7_30

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Marsick, V.J., Watkins, K.E.: Informal and incidental learning. New Dir. Adult Continuing Educ. 89, 25–34 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Meiszner, A., Glott, R., Sowe, S.K.: Free/libre open source software (FLOSS) communities as an example of successful open participatory learning ecosystems. UPGRADE Eur. J. Inform. Profess. 9(3), 62–68 (2008). http://oro.open.ac.uk/16852/

    Google Scholar 

  19. Meiszner, A., Glott, R., Sowe, S.K.: Preparing the Ne(x)t Generation: Lessons Learnt from Free/libre Open Source Software Why Free and Open are Pre-conditions and Not Options for Higher Education (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Merriam, S.B., Cafarella, R.S., Baumgartner, L.M.: Learning in Adulthood : A Comprehensive Guide, 3rd edn. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Muffatto, M.: Open Source: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Series on Technology Management). Imperial College Press, London (2006)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  22. Mukala, P., Cerone, A., Turini, F.: An empirical verification of a-priori learning models on mailing archives in the context of online learning activities of participants in free/libre open source software (floss) communities. Educ. Inf. Technol. 22(6), 3207–3229 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Overwien, B.: Informal learning and the role of social movements. Int. Rev. Educ. 46(6), 621–640 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Papadopoulos, P.M., Stamelos, I.G., Meiszner, A.: Enhancing software engineering education through open source projects: four years of students’ perspectives. Educ. Inf. Technol. 18(2), 381–397 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Posnett, D., Warburg, E., Devanbu, P., Filkov, V.: Mining stack exchange: expertise is evident from initial contributions. In: 2012 International Conference on Social Informatics, pp. 199–204, December 2012. https://doi.org/10.1109/SocialInformatics.2012.67

  26. Riehle, D.: The economic motivation of open source software: stakeholder perspectives. Computer 40, 25–32 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1109/MC.2007.147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Roberts, J., Hann, I., Slaughter, S.: Understanding the motivations, participation, and performance of open source software developers: a longitudinal study of the apache projects. Manage. Sci. 52(7), 984–999 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Singh, P.V., Youn, N., Tan, Y.: Developer Learning Dynamics in Open Source Software Projects : A Hidden Markov Model Analysis (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Sowe, S.K., Stamelos, I.: Reflection on knowledge sharing in F/OSS projects. In: Russo, B., Damiani, E., Hissam, S., Lundell, B., Succi, G. (eds.) OSS 2008. ITIFIP, vol. 275, pp. 351–358. Springer, Boston, MA (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09684-1_32

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  30. Vonkrogh, G., Spaeth, S., Lakhani, K.: Community, joining and specialization in open source software innovation: a case study, July 2003. https://www.alexandria.unisg.ch/30623/

  31. Weller, M., Meiszner, A.: Flosscom phase 2: Report on the effectiveness of a floss-like learning community in formal educational settings. FLOSSCom Project (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Wen, S.F.: An empirical study on security knowledge sharing and learning in open source software communities. Computers 7(4) (2018). http://www.mdpi.com/2073-431X/7/4/49

  33. Xuan, Q., Filkov, V.: Building it together: synchronous development in OSS. In: Proceedings of the 36th International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE 2014), pp. 222–233. ACM (2014). https://doi.org/10.1145/2568225.2568238

  34. Ye, Y., Kishida, K.: Toward an Understanding of the Motivation of Open Source Software Developers, pp. 419–429, June 2003. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICSE.2003.1201220

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

    Aidarbek Suleimenov, Assiya Khuzyakhmetova & Antonio Cerone

Authors
  1. Aidarbek Suleimenov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Assiya Khuzyakhmetova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Antonio Cerone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Cerone .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Emil Sekerinski

  2. University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Nelma Moreira

  3. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    José N. Oliveira

  4. Argo Ai, Munich, Germany

    Daniel Ratiu

  5. University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Riccardo Guidotti

  6. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Marie Farrell

  7. University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Matt Luckcuck

  8. University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Diego Marmsoler

  9. University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    José Campos

  10. University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Troy Astarte

  11. Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France

    Laure Gonnord

  12. Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan

    Antonio Cerone

  13. University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Luis Couto

  14. University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Brijesh Dongol

  15. University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany

    Martin Kutrib

  16. University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

    Pedro Monteiro

  17. Airbus Operations S.A.S., Toulouse, France

    David Delmas

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Suleimenov, A., Khuzyakhmetova, A., Cerone, A. (2020). A Survey of Learning Methods in Open Source Software. In: Sekerinski, E., et al. Formal Methods. FM 2019 International Workshops. FM 2019. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 12233. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54997-8_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54997-8_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-54996-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-54997-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation