%0	Journal Article
%A	Pan, Guohua
%A	Bonk, Curtis
%C	China, Asia
%D	2007
%E	McGreal, Rory
%E	Conrad, Dianne
%J	The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
%K	open-source software
%K	online learning
%K	online communities
%K	China
%N	1
%P	1-18
%T	The emergence of open-source software in China
%U	http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/331
%V	8
%X	The open-source software movement is gaining increasing momentum in China. Of the limited numbers of open-source software in China, Red Flag Linux stands out most strikingly, commanding 30 percent share of Chinese software market. Unlike the spontaneity of open-source movement in North America, open-source software development in China, such as Red Flag Linux, is an orchestrated activity wherein different levels of government play a vital role in sponsoring, incubating, and using open-source software, most conspicuously, Red Flag Linux. While there are no reports on open-source course management system in China, there are reports on the study and use of Western open-source course management systems for instruction and learning in Chinese higher education institutions. This paper discusses the current status of open-source software in China, including open-source course management software and associated tools and resources. Importantly, it describes the development model of Red Flag Linux, the most successful open-source software initiative in China. In addition, it explores the possibility of Chinese higher education institutions joining efforts to develop China’s own open-source course management system using the open-source development model established in North America. A timeline of major open-source projects of significance underway in China is provided. The paper concludes with a discussion of the potential for applying the open-source software development model to open and distance education in China.
%8	03/2007
%@	1492-3831
%(	International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
%*	yes
%>	http://www.oerknowledgecloud.org/archive/331-2625-2-PB.pdf