--- Paul Taylor
and offer a Linux unit in their optional choices. I was prepared to write something up (with the approval and support of this community) and even support it with moderating and exam papers if necessary.
I think the reason why exam boards are afraid to offer such options is that it is new -- it has not been tried and tested. Now I realise this is paradoxical, but perhaps the other main reason is that there are a lack of qualified people to actually *teach* the proposed module. Indeed, given the vast area that Linux focuses, where do you draw the line? ICT for windows is fine -- you can concentrate on simple web design (why some students/teachers enforce the use of FrontPage is beyond me!), spreadsheet, word processing, etc... You *could* do this under Linux, but that wouldn't be introducing anything new that the student wouldn't encounter under Windows Of course it is not just about looking at similarities or differences. What is it about Linux though that is different from Windows? If you want to introduce them to Linux, they're going to have to be made aware of very very very basic programming, for the shell (unless you try and stick to an all GUI environment, but that is both hard, and very restrictive to its capabilities). But what would you draft up? Setting up a webserver? Installing Apache?
tell you that Linux is not some backwater freak show. All of the big players are adopting it in some form and even Microsoft take it seriously enough to try to rubbish it in adverts. When will the exam boards reflect
Yes, but just because something is popular, that doesn't mean much. I've said this here before, and I'll say it again. When I was at school (~6 years ago now) Linux was just hitting the acknowledgement level. Forward to today when I am now at University, and not even *I* get to use it at Uni. It's all still very much windows-based. (there are exceptions to this, that I am changing). Why is this? Well, most of the idi^H^H^J~H lecturers either don't know much about it, have never used it, or are forced by way of policy to use it. Bugger the students, it would seem.... -- Thomas Adam ===== "The Linux Weekend Mechanic" -- http://linuxgazette.net "TAG Editor" -- http://linuxgazette.net "<shrug> We'll just save up your sins, Thomas, and punish you for all of them at once when you get better. The experience will probably kill you. :)" -- Benjamin A. Okopnik (Linux Gazette Technical Editor) ___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW Yahoo! Messenger - sooooo many all-new ways to express yourself http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com