Harnessing the Power of Open Source Research and Teaching to Transform Education | Duke Today

"When Carter Zenke observed that computer science students have very few opportunities to gain real-world experience with the concepts they’re learning in the classroom, he decided to do something about it. Through partnerships at Duke and off campus, Zenke worked to create a program providing real-world learning experiences for computer science students by connecting them with non-profits in need of technical help. While that might seem ambitious enough for a second-year college student, Zenke also plans to create an open source curriculum to expose more children to computer science, especially those students who are underrepresented in the field. Zenke’s goals get to the heart of what Aria Chernik envisioned when she founded OSPRI (Open Source Pedagogy, Research + Innovation) at Duke in 2016. Through funding from Red Hat, OSPRI is upending traditional models of higher education, and working to create a collaborative, student-centered environment where content is shared, and students are empowered to pursue their interests and develop a lifelong love of learning...."