The Semester of Code initiative organised virtual placements for university students around Europe, working on authentic business problems using open source software. The project was welcomed by stakeholders, and many companies and open source foundations became involved. However, the response from students was disappointing. In this paper we examine the reasons for this, discussing the results of the evaluation work carried out. Finally, we consider the implications of our work for student placements and the Knowledge Alliance European Union programme.
The Semester of Code initiative organised virtual placements for university students around Europe, working on authentic business problems using open source software. The project was welcomed by stakeholders, and many companies and open source foundations became involved. However, the response from students was disappointing. In this paper we examine the reasons for this, discussing the results of the evaluation work carried out. Finally, we consider the implications of our work for student placements and the Knowledge Alliance European Union programme. ; La iniciativa Semester of Code organiza prácticas virtuales para estudiantes universitarios de toda Europa, trabajando en problemas reales de empresas que emplean software de código abierto en sus procesos de negocio. El proyecto fue bienvenido por todos actores involucrados, entre los que se encuentran varias empresas y fundaciones relacionadas con el software libre. Sin embargo, la respuesta por parte de los estudiantes fue menor de lo esperado. En este artículo se examinan las razones de ello, se discuten los resultados de la evaluación que se ha llevado a cabo. Finalmente, se reflexiona sobre las implicaciones del trabajo realizado para las prácticas en empresas de los estudiantes y el Programa Knowledge Alliance de la Unión Europea.
