The open source movement has made many different educational programs freely available to schools, teachers, and students. Many of these software programs are designed to work across multiple platforms and include directions for use and installation. Here are 10 educational software products that can be downloaded or used online for free.
ATutor - Similar to Moodle, ATutor is an open source web-based learning content management system (LCMS/LMS). It provides students with a social learning network and allows teachers to conduct courses online.
SugarLabs - SugarLabs offers an award-winning learning platform for children. The free platform allows children to collaborate, communicate, write, and make music together in a safe environment. SugarLabs’ software is available in 25 languages and is used by more than one million students around the world.
MediaWiki - Originally written for use on Wikipedia, this free wiki software works well for classroom wikis. The software includes full installation instructions and allows users to restrict anonymous editing, reading, and account registration.
Elgg - This open source program can be used to create social networks for education and other school-related projects. Elgg provides everything needed to build a site or application from the ground up and offers frequently updated patches, plugins, and themes.
Anki - Anki is a free and open source spaced repetition system (SRS) that can be used to create smart flashcards and scheduled study periods. The software works online, on computers, on cell phones, and with several different portable devices.
Pauker - Pauker is an open source learning application that is available in multiple languages, including English, Esperanto, Dutch, German, French, Polish, Spanish, Slovak, and Vietnamese. The application is flashcard-based and meant to help people memorize everything from abbreviations to state capitals.
StarDict - StarDict is a free international dictionary and translator that works across multiple platforms. You can use the online version or download the StarDict software to your computer for free.
Tux Paint - Designed for children age three and up, this award-winning open source drawing program offers a friendly user interface and a wide range of drawing tools. Children can get creative with a paint brush, line tools, shape tools, text and label tools, rubber stamps, and many other easy-to-use special effects.
VoiceThread - VoiceThread is a web-based application that allows multiple people to collaborate on a slide show presentation. Users can comment together on images, documents, and videos. Several versions of VoiceThread are available; the free version allows unlimited voice threads and 2GB of storage.
Google Wave - Google Wave is a new Google tool that can be used to communicate and collaborate online in real-time. The software isn’t freely available yet, but you can request a special invitation to try out Google Wave with students or colleagues.
Guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degree programs for OnlineDegreePrograms.org.