Abstract
The study was undertaken to understand the propensity for increased engagement with open educational practices (OEP), to include methods prioritizing student-centered teaching & learning, and awareness, use, and development of open educational resources (OER) among higher education faculty in Kyrgyzstan. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 35 faculty, librarians, and administrators in institutions of higher education in Kyrgyzstan. This study aimed to identify current teaching practices and learning resource usage practices, gauge levels of knowledge regarding Kyrgyzstan’s Copyright law, Creative Commons licenses, and Open Educational Resources, and investigate perceptions regarding potential roles for libraries in enabling others’ learning regarding Copyright and Creative Commons, and open educational resources. Analysis of the results revealed a higher than expected gravitation toward student-centered pedagogy than previously assumed. The study also identified broad use of digital downloads as learning materials, conflation of open educational resources with free online resources, and positive perceptions of libraries’ potential to instruct regarding Kyrgyz copyright, Creative Commons, and open educational resources, and needs for further professional development training for librarians.
Highlights
The higher education system of Kyrgyz Republic has been going through multiple transformations at structural and institutional levels since the country gained its independence in 1991
The open educational resources (OER) initiative launched by the Ministry of Education and Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation has reached many partners across educational institutions
Many of the projects are implemented at institutional level and aim to educate people on OER and to provide training on OER adoption and implementation
Summary
The higher education system of Kyrgyz Republic has been going through multiple transformations at structural and institutional levels since the country gained its independence in 1991. Many of the projects are implemented at institutional level and aim to educate people on OER and to provide training on OER adoption and implementation. OER and other open educational practices (OEP), open pedagogy in particular, show promise in addressing shortages and aging of educational materials and in the transition from teacher/expert Soviet-era style pedagogy to deeper and more open learning practices. We undertook this research in part to determine to what degree Soviet-era teaching practices are still prevalent in higher education, with the understanding that current practices may assist or work against implementation of open educational practices in Kyrgyzstan. The survey aimed to assess the potential for further adoption of open educational practices within higher education and focused on identifying baseline information regarding aspirational and reported teaching styles and practices, curriculum materials currently in use and their origin, level of awareness regarding Open
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
