{"id":77542,"date":"2026-04-06T10:38:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:38:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77542"},"modified":"2026-04-06T13:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T20:17:24","slug":"oss-doorway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/oss-doorway\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning open-source contribution into a quest-based learning experience\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

A recent project from Northern Arizona University\u00a0demonstrates\u00a0that, if you can make learning how to contribute to real-world open-source projects fun, students will learn more effectively.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

OSS-Doorway\u00a0is\u00a0a platform aimed at helping students\u00a0learn to\u00a0how to contribute to open-source projects using GitHub workflows\u00a0through quests,\u00a0tutorials\u00a0and\u00a0structured\u00a0tasks, all done at their own pace.\u00a0Northern Arizona University professors and students created the platform, which is funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant, with the goal of lowering the barrier to open-source participation, especially for beginners and students from groups who are historically underrepresented in tech fields.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe aim to help newcomers understand the OSS contribution model step by step, starting with non-code contributions and progressing toward more technical ones,\u201d\u00a0<\/span>said Igor Steinmacher<\/span><\/b>, associate professor in the School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems\u00a0(SICCS)\u00a0and co-principal investigator on the project. \u201cWe want to increase students\u2019 confidence, sense of belonging and self-efficacy in collaborative software environments.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What is\u00a0OSS-Doorway?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"The
The student dashboard of OSS-Doorway. Top image: GitHub logo by Claudio B\u00f3rquez.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

OSS is short for open-source software, which means source code is publicly\u00a0available\u00a0and anyone can change and distribute it.\u00a0<\/span>\u200b<\/span>OSS-Doorway is a GitHub-native learning environment that guides users through \u201cquests,\u201d allowing them to practice key contribution activities such as navigating repositories,\u00a0<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/span>posting issues, setting up\u00a0environments,\u00a0interacting\u00a0and\u00a0submit<\/span>\u200b<\/span>ting<\/span>\u200b<\/span><\/span>\u00a0contributions to the site in a real-world environment. The system is self-paced and feedback-ready; the quests teach real skills and provide education while being interactive and fun.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The platform also integrates AI-based feedback to generate contextual hints and guidance in real time, allowing students to\u00a0iterate\u00a0on their work and better understand the contribution process without leaving GitHub<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This platform helps, Steinmacher said, because a lot of people\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0know where to start or what resources to use to learn coding or GitHub itself. OSS Doorway\u00a0keeps all the activity inside GitHub, breaks complex workflow into manageable\u00a0tasks\u00a0and provides immediate feedback.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It provides a guided pathway through real GitHub workflows, as\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0in two different classrooms; students reported more engagement, more familiarity with\u00a0GitHub\u00a0and greater confidence in their ability to work with and contribute to OSS.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGamification in OSS-Doorway supports pacing, orientation and motivation through unlocking levels, cooperative tasks and timely clues,\u201d Steinmacher said. \u201cThe goal is engagement and persistence, not competition.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to\u00a0Steinmacher\u00a0and\u00a0co-PI and SICCS professor\u00a0<\/span>Marco Gerosa<\/span><\/b>, the team includes\u00a0current and former students:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n