PSPP Inferential Statistics Tutorial

Marble Vertigo by fdecomite / CC BY-SA

Click HERE to view the PSPP Inferential Statistics Tutorial

PSPP Descriptive Statistics II Tutorial

Tape library, CERN, Geneva 2 by Cory Doctorow / CC BY-SA

Click HERE to view the PSPP Descriptives II Tutorial

Open Source Digital Repository Software

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library by David Sky / CC BY-NC SA

DSpace is a digital asset repository intended for organizations to store all manner of digital content, but individual users can use the software, too. Although originally built by MIT and Hewlett-Packard (HP), the software is now supported by DuraSpace and is available for open use and modification. I discovered this resource through Source Forge where organizations and individuals can download the software. Users can store many types of digital assets, from books, journals, and articles to photographs, videos, and webpages.

The programmers of DSpace recommend keeping a backup of all materials, but that is a good practice with any repository, not just open source ones; as is common with OSS, this software is free to use. The FAQ page can answer technical questions. However there are three other highly-useful resources for new users as well: the DSpace Course, DSpace Resources Wiki Page, and Community Presentations. A low level of technical support is a common misconception made by those unfamiliar with OSS; DSpace is an excellent example of a vast and thriving community which supports users. This high level of support may be one of the reasons so many universities and organizations use this resource. From Belgium alone, DSpace is used by 16 organizations including the European Commission JRC Publications Repository, ULB, and KU-Leuven.

Source Links:
http://www.dspace.org/
http://www.duraspace.org/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dspace/?source=directory
https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSPACE/EndUserFaq#EndUserFaq-IsDSpacefree
https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSPACE/TechnicalFaq
http://www.dspace.org/index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=9&catid=40&id=3616&view=article
http://www.dspace.org/index.php?option=com_content&Itemid=9&catid=35&id=126&view=article
https://wiki.duraspace.org/display/DSPACE/DSpaceResources
http://www.dspace.org/user-group-meetings
http://www.dspace.org/index.php?option=com_formdashboard&orderby=CountryASC&page=1&Itemid=151

Household Management

Duel at Goodrich Castle © Copyright Ian Mcnab / CC BY-SA

Is your flat a mess? Your office a wreck? Are dishes, clothes, and food detritus littering your environs? Are you and your office- or flat-mates unmotivated to do anything about the situation? You need Chore Wars which gamifies tidying! This clever and free online tool allows users to define chores and achieve experience points (XP) for completing them, which makes the effort translatable to real life. For example, among a group using Chore Wars, the person with the most XP for the week can be rewarded by getting to choose the group’s movie or some other such pre-determined reward. 

Although Chore Wars is not an open source software in the strictest sense of the phrase, it does boast an active community forum where suggestions are made for new additions to the programmer and users communicate with each other. There has been considerable talk among users in the forum about making Chore Wars open source or alternatively a for-pay site. Unfortunately, the main programmer has been largely absent from the forums of late. However, this does not diminish the functionality, usefulness, and fun of this resource!

Source links:
http://www.chorewars.com/
http://www.chorewars.com/help.php#why

Time and Project Management

what’s the time mr. wolf? by monkeyc.net / CC BY- NC SA

Although Source Forge, a vast repository of open source softwares, designers, and users, offers numerous time management softwares, my favorite is Task Coach built by Frank Niessink, Jérôme Laheurte, and Aaron Wolf, who are known on Source Forge, respectively as fniessink, fraca7, and wolftune. Task Coach allows the user to define and set timelines for tasks and allows for prioritization among tasks and the addition of calendar or budgetary features. By design it is meant to meet the user’s specific to general needs in time management. Despite the assumption of some that open source software does not offer technical support like proprietary softwares, Task Coach offers a range of support features from a FAQ page to a user manual. I highly recommend Task Coach to make your life simpler.

Time to Meet is handy online tool useful for both school and personal life; this calendar synchronizer and appointment finder allows groups of two or more to quickly and conveniently find a time to meet or make important calls locally or across timezones. By allowing the parties involved to share their availability online, the time-wasting back-and-forth over email or in-person that usually precedes interactions among large groups or busy people is eliminated. Although the use of this service is free for basic accounts, premium services like calendar synchronization and a personal link others can use to make appointments with you cost $5 for 6 months, after the first month in which all services are free. Although the source code for this service is not open and editable to users’ needs, there is no cost to use the basic service.

Between home and school life, my memory is taxed to the max. Making lists is essential to remember my homework and Remember the Milk! An online, but not open source to-do list application, Remember the Milk eliminates the need for little scraps of paper, sticky notes, and back-of-envelope lists to help you remember what you’re doing or need to do at no cost for basic use. Originally only a web-based platform, the site has now expanded to support applications for many devices to keep your lists mobile and on-the-go. Similar to Chore Wars, there is a large forum associated with the service where thousands of help topics are covered and discovered by programmers and users alike.

Source links:
http://sourceforge.net
http://taskcoach.org/
http://sourceforge.net/users/fniessink
http://sourceforge.net/users/fraca7
http://sourceforge.net/users/wolftune
http://taskcoach.org/getsupport.html
http://www.timetomeet.info/
http://www.timetomeet.info/terms.html
https://getsatisfaction.com/chorewars
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
http://www.rememberthemilk.com/forums/

PSPP Descriptive Statistics I Tutorial

Higher Math by Brandon Doran  / CC BY-SA

Click HERE to view the Descriptives I Tutorial

Open source statistical analysis software specifically for MES students

Studies to become an educational scientist necessitate the use of statistical analysis software. The VUB’s course Introduction to Statistics is taught using a proprietary software called SPSS. Although many computer labs in the B Building offer free access to the software during the week, it isn't always convenient to complete homework on-campus. Often busy or working students need to finish tasks during late evening hours or on the free days of the weekend. Students have access to SPSS, but not always with the greatest degree of freedom, particularly if the labs are full. 

Alternatively, students can use a free, open source software for all of their statistical analysis needs; the software, named PSPP, is nearly identical in functionality to the proprietary SPSS with the other added benefits inherent with OSS. PSPP is available at no cost, features open source code for easy editing to the user’s needs, and an online support community of users and programmers.

SPSS vs. PSPP
Licenses for the download of the student version of the proprietary statistical analysis software, SPSS, are available to VUB students at a cost of about 20 euro for one year of use. VUBtiek offers the license key necessary to unlock a download of the software.

You need not purchase this software, however. Download PSPP by GNU, a nearly-identical variant for free! By opting for PSPP, you never have to worry that your ability to use the software will end at some point in the future. Unlike the proprietary software, PSPP offers all capabilities to users in one download. The proprietary software has tiered usage, which separates students from those the company deems higher-level users. There is one important drawback of the open source software users should know about. PSPP cannot open .spv files, the output documents, originally generated from proprietary SPSS. 

Please consult the PSPP Tutorials for a collection of step-by-step instructions for the statistical analysis processes most often needed by education scientists.

Source links:
http://softweb.vub.ac.be/spss.php
http://www.vub.ac.be/infovoor/toekomstigestudenten/cursusdienst.html
http://www.gnu.org/software/pspp/
http://course-software.blogspot.be/p/pspp-step-by-step-tutorials.html