Adoption and use of Open Educational Resources by University Academics at the University of Zambia

Abstract

Open educational resources (OERs) are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise made available for free, and with no or only limited restrictions, to support access to knowledge. By integrating OERs into education, and especially distance education, educators can ensure that learners have the opportunity to learn and succeed. As local research on OERs is limited, this prompted an investigation to gauge the adoption of OER by lecturers, with the aim of institutional information gathering for decision making and planning purposes. This study explored OERs adoption practices in the context of the Institute of Distance Education (IDE) at the University of Zambia (UNZA) with a view to determining the stage at which the institution is in terms of adopting and engaging with the OERs initiative. The study focused on four variables: awareness, access, usage, and barriers. The OERs Adoption Pyramid of Trotter & Cox (2017) was used as a theoretical framework. The study was a survey in nature and involved a sample of 30 participants who were purposively selected. Questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data which was analysed via the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data from open ended questions. The results revealed that although there is knowledge of OERs, this has not been converted into active participation. It further highlighted the barriers that are prohibiting the adoption of OERs and resulted in recommendations for planning and activities in respect of OERs. The study while undertaken within a particular context has relevance to institutions in other contexts and the broader higher education sector generally.