OpenICDL

As you probably know ICDL and ECDL is managed by the ECDL Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping to raise the general level of computer skills in society and providing access for all to the Information Society.

• The scheme is known as ECDL in Europe (European Computer Driving Licence)
• The scheme is known as ICDL outside Europe (International Computer driving Licence)

Aside from the name, the curriculum is exactly the same (the two were aligned with the release of Syllabus 5 in 2008).

ICDL requires learners to pass seven modules:

• Concepts of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Using the Computer and Managing Files
• Word Processing
• Spreadsheets
• Using Databases
• Presentation
• Web Browsing and Communication
  

Traditionally, students have prepared for ICDL and taken the exams using Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, and Microsoft Internet Explorer and Microsoft Outlook. In fact, the ECDL Foundation have tied-in testing centres (and therefore providers) to Microsoft products by only providing exam software suitable for use with Microsoft products. This is a very bad things for two reasons:

• It forces ICDL courseware vendors to focus solely on Microsoft products when it is supposed to be a vendor and software neutral certification
  
• Why do this? People who specifically want to certifiy using Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office can in fact gain the Microsoft User Certificate!
• However, the ICDL Foundation Syllabus 5 specifically refers to Microsoft Office technology as evidence, for example, by Task Item 7.6.3.5 in the Web Browsing and Communication module:
  
  
• 7.6.3.5 Display, hide built-in toolbars. Restore, minimize the ribbon.
  
  
• This terminology is specific to Microsoft products, and in fact specific to certain versions of Microsoft products.
• It's inclusion in Syllabus 5 which took a long time to develop suggests the development team did not know this was a Microsoft Office specific term, or did not care.
  
  We are in communication with the ECDL Foundation and trying to exert pressure to change any examples of this in Syllabus 5, and to commit to a truly generic vendor-neutral approach.
  

Currently many organisations and individuals are using Free and Open Source Software applications or 'FOSS'. Cost-effectiveness is a major reason. But also the maturity of office productivity suites such as Open Office, or the stability and speed of Firefox, and the easy of installation of Ubuntu.

The time for considering ICDL using FOSS is upon us.

OpenICDL materials will focus on the concepts underlying computer operation - e.g. it's not that Ctrl+S saves a document, but rather "If you want to know a quick way to save a document (in almost any application) look at the File menu for a shortcut."

This OpenICDL is a project that mirrors the ICDL/ECDL scheme, but does not base any of the materials on closed-source proprietory (private) Microsoft products that cost money. Instead, OpenICDL follows exactly the same curriculum but uses FOSS, namely:

• Ubuntu Operating System - a free linux operating system that can be used instead of MS Windows
  
  
• Open Office - a free desktop office suite that replaces MS Office
• Writer (a word processor that replaces Microsoft Word)
• Calc (a spreadsheet that replaced Microsoft Excel)
• Impress (a presentation application that replaces Microsoft PowerPoint)
  
• Base (a database that replaces Microsoft Access)
  
  
• Firefox internet browser a free web browser (that replaces Microsoft Internet Explorer)
  
  
• Thunderbird email client (that replaces Microsoft Outlook)
  
  Some discussion is still taking place regarding Thunderbird.
  An equally popular option may be Evolution (the default email application with Ubuntu).
  However, Evolution is only available on linux.
  Whereas Thunderbird, or perhaps Gmail(?) could be used.
  This module has not been finalise at this stage!
  What is your opinion?