Building on shifting sands: Examining learner utilisation of OER in an African university [1097] Members : #OER16

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Wed, Apr 20 2016, 10:30am – 11:30am

Authors: Samuel Siminyu, and Michael Watts

Room: Pentland (East)

Theme: Converging or diverging cultures of openness

Type: Presentation

Description

This paper is based on an ongoing doctoral research project. Given the resource scarcity evident in higher education systems across the globe, one expects the emergence of Open Educational Practices (OEP) in general and Open Educational Resources (OER) in particular (Schaffert and Geser, 2008, Ehlers, 2011) to benefit higher education, especially in Africa. Available evidence however contradicts this expectation (de los Arcos et al., 2014), thus raising the question: What drives or hinders OER utilisation by learners in an African university? The study employed communities of practice (Lave and Wenger, 1991), a social theory of learning, as a framework linking learner utilisation of OER to personal agency, group dynamics, and institutional policies, structures and practices. Using a mixed methods, multi-level, two-stage case study approach (Yin, 2011), a survey of 366 students and follow-up interviews with 22 key informants in one of the constituent colleges of Makerere University were carried out in the second and third quarters of 2015. The resultant quantitative data were analysed using SPSS software to derive simple descriptive statistics indicating the extent of OER use by learners. The qualitative data from the interviews were subjected to thematic analysis using Altlas.ti software. The study established that motivation for engagement, awareness of OER, frequent engagement with OER, the influence of teachers, and the social capital accessible to learners enabled OER uptake. Access to Internet, linkages with supportive local, regional and global communities of practice, and a supportive policy environment also help. Hindrances relate to the missing culture of openness evident in the institutional policies and practices, the poor Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, deficient ICT and information literacy skills in the target population, and lack of clarity on copyright issues. While many good policies and plans remain on paper, the cut-and-paste syndrome entailed in implementation with donor support breeds discontinuity and a fractured institutional culture. The Continuous Professional Development (CPD) required to keep staff abreast with developments in OEP is lacking. Communities of learning are not supported. The study recommends the development of OEP in the strategic and operational plans of the university and its constituent colleges. Strategy should guide investment decisions. CPD should become an ongoing concern of the institution with tools and resources for the development of an open culture contributing a major component.

Keywords: Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Educational Practices (OEP), Higher Education, Social Theory of Learning.

References

DE LOS ARCOS, B., FARROW, R., PERRYMAN, L.-A., PITT, R. & WELLER, M. 2014. OER Evidence Report 2013-2014: Building understanding of Open Education [Online]. OER Research Hub. Available: http://oerresearchhub.org/about-2/reports/.

EHLERS, U.-D. 2011. Extending the territory: From open educational resources to open educational practices. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 15, 1-10.

LAVE, J. & WENGER, E. 1991. Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Cambridge University Press.

SCHAFFERT, S. & GESER, G. 2008. Open educational resources and practices. eLearning Papers, 7.

YIN, R. K. 2011. Applications of case study research, Sage.

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