This paper, titled Open Content and Source: European Schoolnet Riding the Wave introduces actions that European Schoolnet and its members have taken in the area of open content, and free and open source software (FOSS) development in the field of ICT and education. The paper has four main focuses. First, it will describe European Schoolnet's recent development in the field of content provision focusing in promoting a rightful use and re-use of educational content

The second main section of the paper looks at emerging campaigns lead by a number of EUN's members, which amounts to 28% of EU member states (7/25). This section describes the feasibility studies and promotion of the use of open source software in Belgium's Flemish Community, in the Netherlands, in Estonia, in the UK, Slovenia, Ireland and Lithuania.

The third section presents the Xplora- project that promotes science education in European schools. Xplora takes a stance towards the true nature of science - sharing open source educational software for science.

Finally, the paper draws an outline of EUN's Special Reports service where policy briefs can be found on the issues dealing with open source and content in education.

A small summary:

The area of open content seems to be rather well accepted concept among EUN's partners. Thus, creating infrastructure and facilitating the content exchange of learning resources in schools is one of EUN's core areas where significant work is conducted to facilitate the co-existence of open and “closed” content. For example, the implementation of Digital Rights Management Framework is a step towards the co-existence of multiple stakeholders in the field of educational content. Also, some important work will be carried out in the context of CALIBRATE where the development and implementation of an open source collaborative 'learning toolbox' for schools is being done.

What comes to actions taken by European Ministries of Education and other national educational authorities, it seems like they are keen to explore the advantages that open source software and content can offer to education. According to the desk research done for this paper, it can be stated that 28% of EU member states (7/25) have taken actions in some sector related to the use of FOSS in education. Interestingly, many have already moved from pilot phases to large-scale implementation. It seems that it would be important to bring these somewhat disparate, but very pertinent national and regional initiatives into the European level to better help the transfer of good practices and to learn from one and other. Furthermore, peer-learning possibilities on the policy level should be better exploited in this area, as have been done in other areas of ICT implementations.

Xplora carries out important work promoting science in education in European schools. The multiple ways to distribute software that is suitable for scientific studies allows schools a better access to the core of science, participate by practicing it.

Finally, the work EUN has carried out in publishing the Insight Special Reports has given a more prominent voice for FOSS in education and been an important source of information for EUN's members and audiences on national levels.

The report Open Content and Source: European Schoolnet Riding the Wave written by Riina Vuorikari and Karl Sarnow is available at:

http://www.eun.org/insight-pdf/Full_Paper_vuorikari_sarnow_OSS_Europe_final.pdf