Open Source Hardware Association Education Survey #1

2012 09 15

Purpose and Method

SUMMARY OF RESULTSOSHWA Education Survey #1 2012 09 15

Total Respondents = 44

• Egypt• India• Ukraine• Switzerland• USA• Ireland• New Zealand• USA• France• Mexico USA• USA• New Zealand• USA• Australia & China• Canada• France• Usa• USA• Portugal• USA• Chile• USA• Canada• UK• United Kingdom• USA• USA• United States• USA• USA• Usa• Australia & China• USA• USA• Australia

Countries of Respondents

Cities of Respondents• Giza• BANGALORE• Kiev• Little Ferry NJ• Miltown Malbay• Wellington• Athens, GA• Juarez / El Paso• Boston, MA• Columbia, S.C.• Canberra & Shanghai• Toronto• Paris• Portland, or• Port Matilda• Lisbon• Hanover, NH

• Viña del Mar• Boulder• Ottawa, Ontario• Cambridge• Liverpool• Austin, TX• Houston• Fort Wayne, IN• Milwaukee• Seattle• Pasadena• Canberra & Shanghai• Somerville• Hollis, NH• Perth• Colorado

Only Half of Respondents ‘Totally Agree’ an Education Program would add important membership value

The total number of survey respondents (44) also seems low when measured against previous surveys and conference registration and attendance

The Top 10 ‘Very Important’ Topic Responses Focus on Arranging for Manufacturing, and Commercialization of Finished Products

Starting A Business Design Manufacturing Commercialization Topic

31 Arranging Manufacturing for a complete product from 3d models, board designs, and parts lists

26 what are the laws and regulations around importing products for sale? (in country y...)

26 testing of manufactured product prototypes

24 How do I organize a distribution channel? (in country x...)

24 How do I set up an efficient customer support channel?

23 How do I organize a sales channel? (in country b...) 23 Designing packaging prototyping in 3d tools 21 How do I handle product returns and warranties?

19 what are Hardware-oriented Incubators like Haxel8or and Lemnos and how do they work?

19 submission of Eagle Board Designs to manufacturing

Commercialization topics comprise 50% of top 10 topics, outweighing topics concerning Manufacturing, Design, or Starting a Business

Total respondents = 44

• Showing 10 text responses• recorded webinars• maybe video tutos...• IRC• Didn't know about Udemy, looks really

nice; have you checked Udacity?• I've never used Udemy but I like the

idea on an online learning environment; Wiki would never work for a kinesthetic learner like me :(

• Normal websites and onine video I can consume whenever is convenient. Maybe find a way for hackspaces to run learning groups?

• Have these classes quarterly in different cities that are not expensive to get to or stay in.

• The more ways the better... However initially we might run pilots in a more controlled environment and post media online that is accessible to everyone. Aka: could run it in a classroom and document via video that is then posted to a learning center online.

• This is one of the reasons I think this is a bad idea.

• khan academy (or maybe at least it learning tree representation)

Content Delivery Via Wiki is Favored in Survey Question Responses

Mentor Programs and Member <-> Member activities are favoured in the extended comments (see response data)

Hypothesis based on Survey Results

• Education programs are a concern for a minority of those interested in OSHWA

• Information regarding commercialization challenges:– reliable suppliers, – import and commercial regulations, and – business operations such as supply chain management and customer

relationship management,

are most relevant to the members interested in education• Some members are concerned about the tension between

commercialization interests and ‘free and open’ philosophy • Members seek credible information from other members who

have already encountered and overcome these challenges

RESPONSE DATAOSHWA Education Survey #1 2012 09 15

Topics Ranked by ‘Very Important’ Responses

• Egypt• India• Ukraine• Switzerland• USA• Ireland• New Zealand• USA• France• Mexico USA• USA• New Zealand• USA• Australia & China• Canada• France• Usa• USA• Portugal• USA• Chile• USA• Canada• UK• United Kingdom• USA• USA• United States• USA• USA• Usa• Australia & China• USA• USA• Australia

Countries of Respondents

Cities of Respondents• Giza• BANGALORE• Kiev• Little Ferry NJ• Miltown Malbay• Wellington• Athens, GA• Juarez / El Paso• Boston, MA• Columbia, S.C.• Canberra & Shanghai• Toronto• Paris• Portland, or• Port Matilda• Lisbon• Hanover, NH

• Viña del Mar• Boulder• Ottawa, Ontario• Cambridge• Liverpool• Austin, TX• Houston• Fort Wayne, IN• Milwaukee• Seattle• Pasadena• Canberra & Shanghai• Somerville• Hollis, NH• Perth• Colorado

Text Responses to Question #2

• Showing 12 text responses• Modern desing practice like Matlab-

>HDL synthesis• Less interested in Eagle than in geda

and KiCad• KICAD KICAD KICAD :)• using open tools instead of eagle.• Sorry my opinion is here very

specifically useless :)• Mining expired patents for open

source hardware ideas.• I think it's important to focus on

training which is relevant to the Open hardware goals. Bear in mind there will be better/other training opportunities available in other specialist areas! I come to OSHWA for open hardware, not for business advice, etc.

• Printing external packaging prototypes using 3D printers. Seriously? Why only Makerbot there?

• Mechanical Design - 3D CAD, Machine Design, Torque, Gearging, Welding, etc... more ME stuff and less EE stuff

• Kicad• Eagle is being replaced by Kicad -

time to switch!!!• you need to have a column "I

already know this”

• Showing 5 text responses• greate themes• I swear I'm not just checking

them off - they really are all important

• Certification - what are the different types, which do I need, how do I get it?

• How to minimize manufacturing costs and run lean without compromising quality

• Way too much focus on venture/angel funding, must increase emphasis on OTHER funding sources - eg loans, crowdsourced (and the MANY ways (ways are not all commercial web based) to crowd source

• Showing 10 text responses• recorded webinars• maybe video tutos...• IRC• Didn't know about Udemy, looks really

nice; have you checked Udacity?• I've never used Udemy but I like the

idea on an online learning environment; Wiki would never work for a kinesthetic learner like me :(

• Normal websites and onine video I can consume whenever is convenient. Maybe find a way for hackspaces to run learning groups?

• Have these classes quarterly in different cities that are not expensive to get to or stay in.

• The more ways the better... However initially we might run pilots in a more controlled environment and post media online that is accessible to everyone. Aka: could run it in a classroom and document via video that is then posted to a learning center online.

• This is one of the reasons I think this is a bad idea.

• khan academy (or maybe at least it learning tree representation)

• Showing 7 text responses• as many as possible!• English is necessary, other languages

would be a great addition, but I can't really answer this question in an objective way… I'd just say Spanish because it's my native language and Japanese because I'm currently learning it, see? too subjective for my taste.

• the more the merrier but from personal experience - it's hard to juggle a lot of translations

• check languages of actual interested parties nearer the time. probably many learners won't be on the list yet because they will be NEW to OSHWA!

• Klingon• as many as possible!• Well, I only speak English, but obviously

as many as possible would be great.

Additional Comments• Showing 23 text responses• Delivering trainings/sessions on OSHW would help spreading the making culture and the OSWH across the Middle East.• Very interesting project. Can help in local country - Ukraine. Most important things, imho: International themes with

practice background. Examples of masterpices from working specialists. Practice work in classrooms. Friendship creative hackspace.

• Try a mentor program to connect experience with enthusiasm• We are based in New Zealand and UK, so online resources would be of the most value to us. I am mostly interested in

gaining the industry knowledge that is less accessible to the average maker/tinkerer - ie: understanding venture capital/angle investment, and laws and regulations. I'm especially interested in learning more about licensing, trademarks, and patents, especially within the scope of open hardware projects. Also, perhaps less more off-topic, the networking opportunities offered by oshwa memberships would be especially interesting to me - for example, the ability to find potential business partners or mentors. Thanks for this survey! - tiago. diatom.cc

• The questions above seem to be focused on money (e.g. "lean" startups... whatever that means) and proprietary EDA programs (e.g. eagle). I think that's the wrong direction. It should be focused on FREEDOM, community, and sharing. Educational programs should include using open source EDA software (gEDA, Kicad, etc) to create, share, and improve designs.

• Make a magazine like publications!• Formal training would be nice to have, but interacting directly with other people who have experience would be far more

useful for me.• Having workshops dealing with the technical and administrative processes dealing with open-source ideas would be

beneficial. Either host these by varying members or have them integrated into existing conferences/trade shows, e.g., maker faire, sxsw, etc...

• There needs to be quite a bit on sourcing (it's hard), plus good to discuss all the different ways to do fullfullment, and decisions about making it yourself, with friends or going comemrcial AS well as steps to do differently as you scale (and designing your approach to scaling). There is already lots of stuff about funding/startups, but far less about mass production for makers - concentrate on that!

• VHDL courses!

Additional Comments Continued…• Infortunately, my opinion should not be very interesting, although I very much like OSHW, it is just as a spectator ...• Do not depend on Google services for an infrastructure.• I'll just tell about myself. I wouldn't call myself a 'maker.' I work as a mechanical engineer for a design consultancy, and I want to direct

my work and efforts towards eliminating barriers faced by makers and user innovators. I want to learn as much as possible about the community: who they are, what they do, and what I can do to help.

• Drop the lean startup stuff. There's already way too much content on those topics out there, and there is a high likelihood that you would be terrible at simplifying it. You should focus on open source hardware, open source hardware collaboration, how to collaborate on existing open source projects (RepRap, etc), and how that works.

• Thanks for all this hard work• This may be covered in one of the over-arching topics above but going through example financials (not a company's actual values)

would be really helpful. I think it's hard to grasp how much money is spent on things like payroll, overhead expenses, etc. I know it helped me when Susan did this as a Lunch&Learn.

• I know they're intended to be tongue-in-cheek options, but next time you do a survey please word the "Not Important/Interesting/Interested" options as such. You aren't kidding, you haven't lost me, and they certainly wouldn't be a waste of my time. They simply aren't important or not of interest to me right now; I have interpreted them as such instead of picking the middle options.

• Focus on what's special about OSHWA. There may be value in training/education in peripheral areas but people will come to OSHWA for open hardware first and foremost. Without good training in key open hw areas, there's no point in trying to offer other things. Other and better providers will exist for those, so until there's a key open hw offering, stick with making that good. Then add other courses later on if there's demand. (Note that I am suggesting this from a community point of view. If you are trying to run paid courses to earn money to generate surplus for OSHWA activities things are a little different of course, but then if that's the case the survey should go to potential fee paying course takers, which probably isn't the OSHWA list :) Also if you are serious about going into online courses, think about partnering with existing providers - whether that's coursera or udacity, or P2PU, or whatever.

• For many of us, the classes suggested aren't needed - I have filled out what I think others would need. Of particular concern is the heavy focus on the "Lean Startup" specific ideology, having been through a few startups that follow this, similar, or other ideologies and patterns, it would be more valuable to educate on the many different forms of startups, rather than inculcating one particular one. I have selected classes based on what I think others would appreciate, not necessarily based on what I would like to attend.

• I have trouble taking this survey very serious with the way it is put together. It also feels like someone is pursuing an agenda instead of legitimately looking for answers.

• I love where the idea for an education program is going. Focusing on blending "How to Make it" and "Achieving Entrepreneurial Pursuits" is a powerful combination. Perhaps even more value can be added by creating a way for members to more efficiently network with one another and understand each other. Universities garner a lot of value based on the network that you gain as an student/alumni, OSHWA should be striving for the same.

• I think there are already a LOT of resources about funding and electronics and microcontrollers etc. To me, the BIG gaps are in how to source, manufacture and how to scale, support, disribute, support. How to find and manage your partner companies and sourcing are really big challenges and need a lot of effort. Even just creating lists of companies used by/supportive of manufacturing and fullfilment etc would be a HUGE step! The other big gap is consolidating all of those educational resources. Of course all the above are my own hobby horses and one core part of what I am supposed to be doing on my web site (see http://usabledevices.com/category/about/) - there is a bit there, I really need to get back into that!

• I think educational programs are a pretty bad idea for a small, resource-strapped organization like OSHWA. I don't think we have the resources to offer educational programs of decent quality. For comparison: we don't have enough money for a professionally-designed website or logo. Why would we be able to provide educational programs?

Additional Comments Continued…