Why a micro-course on open source communities can strengthen your collaborative skills
May 18, 2020
Technology and collaboration have gone hand-in-hand in breaking down the barriers of isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Professionals in all industries are utilizing innovative technology as a way to collaborate remotely. In fact, organizations have started leveraging open source software to foster innovation and efficiencies. Employers need talent well-versed in the dedicated policies and programs required to ensure that the investments in open source projects produce the desired benefits while still aligning with the values of the open source communities.
Cultivate an Open Source Community, a micro-course offered by Brandeis University and the Open Source Initiative, starts June 1, 2020. Registration is currently open. Through this four-week survey course, you will explore the array of active open source communities to distill patterns and best practices. You’ll discover the reasons that people join communities; compare how collaboration tools influence how communities achieve their goals; and, define management and governance structures for communities. Coursework prepares you to identify and join projects that you’re interested in, select projects for your company, and improve projects that you rely on as either an individual or a company.
About the course
On a weekly basis, you can expect to:
- Work with a small team on a project to identify patterns and best practices in open source communities.
- Attend a live virtual hour-long interactive lecture with the instructor.
- Watch interviews with open source experts and leaders recorded specifically for this course.
- Use open source collaboration tools to talk with other course participants and build your network.
- Receive guidance and feedback from the expert course instructor on your team project and on open source communities.
About the instructor
Georg Link, PhD is an Open Source Strategist. He co-founded the Linux Foundation CHAOSS Project to advance analytics and metrics for open source project health. Georg has 15 years of experience as an active contributor to several open source projects and has presented on open source topics at 20+ conferences. As the Director of Sales at Bitergia, Georg helps organizations and communities with adopting CHAOSS metrics and technology.
Brandeis University and the Open Source Initiative offer other micro-courses, digital badges, and a certificate program in Open Source Technology Management. If you have any questions about registering for the Cultivate an Open Source Community, please contact Christie Barone at cbarone@brandeis.edu.