Abstract
It can be argued that participating in Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects can have a positive effect in the contributor's learning process. The need to collaborate with other contributors and to contribute to a project can motivate and implicitly foster learning. In order to validate such statements, it is necessary to (1) study the interactions between FLOSS projects' participants, and (2) explore the didactical value of participating in FLOSS projects, designing an appropriate questionnaire asking FLOSS contributors about their experience in FLOSS projects. In this paper, we illustrate how this questionnaire was designed and disseminated. We conclude the paper with results from 27 FLOSS projects contributors, determining that, not only they contribute and collaborate to the project and its community, but also that FLOSS contributors see that this type of activity can be regarded as a complement to formal education.

Abstract
Applications developed over the cloud coordinate several, often anonymous, computational resources, distributed over different execution nodes, within flexible architectures. Coordination models able to represent quantitative data provide a powerful basis for their analysis and validation. This paper extends IMCReo, a semantic model for Stochastic Reo based on interactive Markov chains, to enhance its scalability, by regarding each channel and node, as well as interface components, as independent stochastic processes that may (or may not) synchronise with the rest of the coordination circuit.

Abstract

Abstract

Abstract
This poster presents a pilot project on non-conventional learning strategies based on students' active participation in real-life FLOSS projects. The aim of the project is to validate the hypothesis that the peer-production model, which underlies most FLOSS projects, can enhance the learning-teaching process based on extensive and systematic collaborative practices. Consisting of a semester-long experiment with a class of 23 Master Information and Technology (MSc IT) students, organized in small groups, this pilot project aims at exploiting FLOSS communities and the respective FLOSS projects as learning opportunities. This pilot project is part of a course assignment on Teaching Software Engineering in the Master in Informatics taking place during the spring semester of 2013, at the University of Minho, in Portugal. The students participate in real FLOSS projects by choosing one of the following roles: 1) requirement analyst, writing software requirements; 2) programmer, developing source code; or 3) tester, writing bug reports. As a real-life experience conducted with students in Portugal, the project enables the systematic study of the dynamics of peer-to-peer learning and assessment of the didactic value and potential of this kind of non-standard learning experiences. Moreover, as a beneficial side effect, students have the opportunity to experience full immersion in a real FLOSS community and learn about project management and organized participation.

Abstract