FRODO: An Open-Source Architecture for Instruction IP

The conventional education paradigm consists of a craftsman-like delivery model. This model suffers from variable quality, system level inefficiency, high costs, and lack of scalability. Online and blended solutions can significantly address these issues, but at the expense of significant R&D-like expenses. Currently, these costs are product-like in nature, and do not fit into the fundamental financial structure of most institutions. This paper presents FRODO, an open-source architecture for instruction IP that has the potential to reduce R&D-like costs, crowd-sourced pedagogical innovation, and build an ongoing active maintenance structure. Though patterned on successful open-source software IP such as Linux or Canvas, Instruction IP has unique requirements, governance needs, and participating actors. This paper proposes a specific architecture for Open-Source Instruction IP accounts for these differences, and further outlines a pilot for a critical STEM class to test these ideas.