Open Educational Resources Research Articles

Design Considerations for Implicit Bias Training

This paper identifies the issues with implicit bias training (IBT) and its ineffectiveness to reduce biased behavior. We seek to transform implicit bias training from introductory and reactive information sessions to training that supports students in obtaining fundamental skills that promote behavior change. We seek to design and develop a professional open educational resource (OER) instruction to support IBT for cross-disciplinary organizations that incorporate more behavior-focused implicit bias training within their diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) initiatives.

Concerning some educational issues of forensic experts in the context of european integration

Ukraine’s European integration is taking place in the context of large-scale Russian intervention, which has posed many challenges to forensics. A modern forensic expert needs to have a high-quality education to quickly adapt and think critically and systematically to effectively solve the tasks assigned to him or her. The purpose of the article is to identify the main problems related to the educational issues of forensic experts and to find ways to solve them. It is proven that to ensure the solid systemic knowledge of a forensic expert, it is necessary to implement an integrated approach to the process of his/her training. It is determined that under today’s extreme conditions, such training requires expanding access to open educational Internet resources for forensic experts and persons intending to become them, which is one of the important factors affecting the quality of modern European education. Attention is paid to the need for the active involvement of forensic experts—practitioners, researchers and politicians—in cooperation with universities. It is pointed out that in the context of reforming forensic examination in Ukraine, it is necessary to take world experience in the form of international standards as a basis. Keywords: competence; education; forensic expert.

Rethinking the creation of open educational resources: a model for virtual learning platforms in higher education

Rethinking the creation of open educational resources: a model for virtual learning platforms in higher education

Designing agile pathways for climate adaptation skill development

Capacity building for advancing climate-change leadership has become a critical workforce development requirement for both professionals and front-line workers. As the World Economic Forum Jobs 2020 report noted, there is an increasing need to provide short-timeframe opportunities for reskilling and upskilling that will keep step with the increasing issues of the climate crisis. Micro-credentials have been proposed as a strategy to enable the ongoing development of knowledge and skills to address this workforce development requirement, which we examine in the context of a university initiative that has prototyped skill pathways to address key climate adaptation themes.We report and discuss the strategic use of the Climate Adaptation Competency Framework (2020)–a Creative Commons-licensed (CC) open competency framework–along with the use of open educational resources to create agile pathways to skill development for climate adaptation and action. The pathways we have designed and are testing combine self-directed learning resources, individual and group activities, and authentic assessment practices to validate skill development. Micro-credentials are awarded from a university continuing and professional studies division to learners from multiple practice domains for demonstrations of competence.

Виклики та перспективи забезпечення інформаційної прозорості в умовах цифровізації освіти та економіки

This article examines the challenges and prospects of ensuring information transparency in the context of digitalization of education and the economy. The paper explores key aspects of information transparency, its significance, and impact on the development of the educational sector and digital economy in modern conditions. The benefits of transparency in online education are analyzed, particularly in the development of learning materials, student assessment, and determination of teacher qualifications. Research demonstrating the positive impact of transparency on increasing student trust in the quality of online courses and ensuring fair treatment of all participants in the educational process is considered. Special attention is paid to issues of academic integrity in the digital age. Challenges related to preventing plagiarism, copyright infringement, and other violations of academic ethics are discussed. A comprehensive approach is proposed, combining technological solutions, educational measures, and clear procedures to ensure transparency and academic integrity in the digital educational environment. Problems of confidentiality and protection of student data as a key aspect of information transparency in education are examined. Challenges associated with balancing the need for transparency in educational processes and protecting students' personal data are analyzed. The importance of developing clear privacy policies, implementing data protection technologies, and raising awareness among all participants in the educational process about potential risks and security measures is emphasized. In the context of the digital economy, the advantages and challenges of ensuring transparency in the creation, dissemination, and use of open educational resources are considered. Necessary procedures for peer review, evaluation, and attribution of authorship to improve the quality and trust in open educational materials are discussed. Challenges related to data bias that can lead to inaccurate or false conclusions and decisions are analyzed. Sources and consequences of data bias, such as lack of representativeness, inaccuracies in data collection, and algorithmic biases, are examined. Approaches to detecting and minimizing bias are proposed, and the importance of transparency in data processing methods is emphasized. Significant attention is given to the role of digital literacy in ensuring information transparency. Aspects of user perception and interpretation of data, as well as information providers' understanding of audience needs and expectations, are considered. The need for continuous learning and skill enhancement to bridge the digital divide and ensure effective use of transparent information is emphasized. The article also analyzes successful initiatives in ensuring information transparency in various fields, including public administration, the corporate sector, and education. Success factors such as political will, active civil society participation, and the use of innovative technologies are examined. The work emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach to ensuring information transparency that would consider issues of security, confidentiality, and data protection. The need to develop effective technological solutions and policies that would ensure proper data protection in combination with a high level of transparency is emphasized. The conclusions state that information transparency is an integral component of the effective functioning of educational processes and the digital economy. It contributes to improving quality, accountability, trust, and innovation, while requiring a balanced approach and consideration of security and privacy issues. Ensuring an appropriate level of transparency requires close cooperation among all stakeholders, implementation of advanced technological solutions, and improvement of the regulatory framework.

Parecer A de “Opening the horizons for education: reflections on repositories of open educational resources in higher education”

Parecer A de “Opening the horizons for education: reflections on repositories of open educational resources in higher education”

Equipping African Teachers for Creation, Adaptation, and Utilization of Open Educational Resources

Equipping African Teachers for Creation, Adaptation, and Utilization of Open Educational Resources

Evaluation of a Virtual Reality-Based Open Educational Resource Software.

Virtual reality (VR) teaching methods have potential to support medical students acquire increasing amounts of knowledge. EVENT (Easy VR EducatioN Tool) is an open educational resource software for immersive VR environments, which is designed for use without programming skills. In this work, EVENT was used in a medical student VR course on pancreatic cancer. Medical students were invited to participate in the course. Before and after VR simulation, participants completed a multiple-choice knowledge assessment, with a maximum score of 10, and a VR experience questionnaire. The primary endpoint compared pre- and post-VR simulation test scores. Secondary endpoints included usability and factors that could affect learning growth and test results. Data from 117 of the 135 participating students was available for analysis. Student test scores improved by an average of 3.4 points (95% CI 3.1-3.7, P < 0.001) after VR course. The secondary endpoints of gender, age, prior knowledge regarding the medical subject, professional training completed in the medical field, video game play, three-dimensional imagination skills, or cyber-sickness had no major impact on test scores or final ranking (top or bottom 25%). The 27 students whose post-VR simulation test scores ranked in the top 25% had no prior experience with VR. The average System Usability Scale score was 86.1, which corresponds to an excellent outcome for user-friendliness. Questionnaire responses post-VR simulation show students (81.2% [95/117]) interest in more VR options in medical school. We present a freely available software that allows for the development of VR teaching lessons without programming skills.

Utilisation of Open Educational Resources by Academics and Students among Nursing College in Siliguri Subdivision

This study investigates the perspectives and utilization of Open Educational Resources (OER) among faculty members and students in five nursing colleges located in Siliguri sub-division. With a total sample population of 250, the research delves into the factors influencing OER adoption at macro, meso, and micro levels. Institutional policies, quality measures, licensing issues, and micro-level factors such as perceived usefulness and ease of use are analyzed. Additionally, the benefits of OER for academics, challenges in student efficacy, and pedagogical integration are explored. Recommendations are provided to maximize OER utilization through awareness promotion, professional development, and addressing adoption challenges, ultimately enhancing the quality and accessibility of education.

Faculty and Student Perceptions of Open Pedagogy: A Case Study From British Columbia, Canada

A transformation in teaching and learning happens when students move from being consumers to creators of knowledge. While there is a growing body of research available on the use of open education resources by faculty and students, there is comparatively little research available with regards to open pedagogy (OP) in higher education. The few studies that have explored the perceptions of OP have focused on one specific OP practice in a small context (one or two course sections). The present review study surveyed the perceptions of faculty and students at a Canadian university across several courses and a range of types of OP. Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed students and faculty alike were positive about the benefits and impacts of engaging in OP, but each expressed challenges with needing greater time for OP. Additionally, while students experienced challenges with process, faculty experienced challenges with supports. Recommendations are provided for ways faculty can support students when engaging in OP and ways institutions can support faculty who engage in OP. Ultimately, knowing more about the experiences and perspectives of students and faculty could help inform the development of best practices for faculty who wish to use OP with students.

A Quantitative Study on the Effectiveness of Open Educational Resources (OER) in Enhancing Creative Thinking Skills

This research aims to provide empirical evidence on the effectiveness of Open Educational Resources (OER) in facilitating transformative learning experiences that enhance students' creative thinking skills. A quantitative approach was employed for the study, wherein two groups, experimental and control, underwent pre-tests and post-tests to measure variables such as fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and evaluation of their creative thinking abilities. The study revealed significant differences between pre-test and post-test scores for both groups, particularly in the indicators of flexibility and evaluation. However, diverse outcomes were observed when examining n-gain scores across all indicators of creative thinking skills, suggesting that the effectiveness of OER in facilitating transformative learning varies depending on the specific creative thinking indicators measured. The research emphasizes that while OER can facilitate transformative learning processes, it may not yield uniform results across all dimensions of creative thinking. The obtained results indicate no significant difference in flexibility. Contradictory conditions can be observed in fluency, elaboration, and evaluation indicators, showing significant differences. Therefore, educators should adopt varied approaches when integrating OER into their curricula to maximize the potential benefits of enhancing students' creative thinking skills. For future research, it is highly recommended to focus on the effectiveness of OER based on the type of content or subject matter taught to identify the most effective sources. Further research is also needed to compare the effectiveness of OER with other teaching methods.

Mapping TPACK Components in Implementing Edupreneur-Profiled Curriculum at Teacher Training and Education Institutions in Aceh

This research aims to explore the mapping of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) components of instructors in implementing the Edupreneur-profiled curriculum in Islamic Higher Education Institutions (PTKI) in Aceh. The researchers employed interview methods, observations, and document reviews involving three heads of study programs and six instructors from three PTKIs (Islamic Higher Education Institutions) in Aceh, namely UIN Ar-Raniry, IAIN Lhokseumawe, and STAIN Teungku Dirundang Meulaboh. The data analysis was conducted interactively. Instructors teaching Edupreneurship-profiled courses have successfully integrated Content Knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), Technological Knowledge (TK), Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TCK), and Technological Content Knowledge (TPK) as components of TPACK in their teaching practices. This research contributes to mapping these components, thereby aiding instructors in effectively implementing the entrepreneurship-profiled curriculum. In conclusion, this research provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of Open Educational Resources (OER) on creative thinking within the context of science subjects, filling a notable gap in the existing literature and offering a foundation for further exploration in educational practices.

Assessing The Awareness and Perception of Open Educational Resources (OER) among Nigerian University Students: A Case Study

This study investigated Nigerian university students’ awareness and how this influences their perception and use of Open Educational Resources (OER). The study adopted a descriptive method of quantitative research. 4 research questions were developed and answered and a hypothesis was also tested to determine the relationship between students’ awareness of and their perceptions of OER. Percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation and t-test were used for the analysis. A correlation coefficient was employed to test the hypothesis. The findings of the study were: Nigeria university students have a high level of awareness of OER; the most popular OER among the Nigeria university students were Coursera, EdX, and OpenStax; OER are generally well-perceived by Nigerian university students; lack of digital literacy skills and lack of adequate knowledge to determine the quality assurance of OER are the only challenges hindering the effective use of OER among the students, and there is a significant relationship between awareness and the perception of OER by the students. The study concluded that the majority of Nigerian university students are familiar with OER and have positive perceptions of OER. The research recommends that educational institutions provide training on digital literacy skills for students to access and effectively use these OER. Also, efforts should be made to improve the quality assurance mechanisms for OER, including the involvement of educational experts in reviewing and curating OER materials. Lastly, universities, lecturers and librarians should continue to promote OER usage in teaching and learning activities to promote its adoption.

RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE USE OF OER IN DESIGNING A COURSE

The focus of this review paper is to provide data-based recommendations for the use of Open Educational Resources (OERs), which are customised by the lecturer and possibly curated by the students. The use of OER has been advocated mainly because of the cost savings to students, as they are a free or low-cost alternative to traditional textbooks. However, this article also uses students' responses to find new ways of using OERs to enhance student learning in the classroom. Strategies offered are encouraging the use of OERs and curating them to improve student networking through discussion as well as within a student team.

Framework for Evaluating the Creation and Adaptation of Open Textbooks

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in dramatic growth in the use of open education resources, such as open textbooks, as classes moved online around the world. This highlighted the importance of evaluating the creation and adaptation of open textbooks used in online courses. In reviewing the research literature, I found existing rubrics or frameworks were outdated and lacked criteria that are important in today’s digital age. Therefore, I synthesized the evaluation and quality criteria from 31 articles into a single framework, which online instructors can consider using as they create or adapt an open textbook. The criteria include content, accessibility, technology, open licenses, instructional design, and a new category I termed verification.

Open self-paced introductory course in nuclear engineering – How to guarantee student learning

Ease of access to various free educational resources on the internet has often the disadvantage of resulting in scattered and fragmented knowledge and skills. Students “pick and choose” what they believe to be relevant for their learning but lack the necessary overview of the field to select those resources adequately and properly. This also applies to nuclear engineering, for which educational materials can be found on the web. Although some Massive Open Online Courses exist in this area, access to those often requires registration, or those courses are given during limited times. Following the Open Educational Resources initiative, there was thus a need to develop educational materials that are truly open and freely accessible to all, while guaranteeing student learning. This paper reports on efforts along those lines, which resulted in the planning, development, implementation and offering of three self-paced open course modules in nuclear engineering. Through a careful course design and use of the various features of a specific educator-to-educator Learning Management System, the students are guided through highly structured course materials capitalizing on a diversity of activities proposed to the students. Through self-assessment competence tests, the students can measure their mastery of the field, ultimately resulting in the delivery of a certificate of successful completion of the modules. This paper also presents, from a teacher’s perspective, some lessons learnt that could benefit other teachers interested in embarking on similar endeavours.

Innovating students’ learning: A case study of university second language students’ uptake of open educational resources (OER) through self-assessment activities

Innovating students’ learning: A case study of university second language students’ uptake of open educational resources (OER) through self-assessment activities

The Information Literacy Class as Theatrical Performance: A Qualitative Study of Academic Librarians’ Understanding of Their Teacher Identity

This qualitative study examines how academic librarians understand, conceptualize, and describe their teacher identity. The role of the academic librarian has greatly changed due to the advent of information technology. Traditionally, they were generalists, who were responsible for selecting and maintaining library collections. Academic librarian roles have evolved into web developers, information literacy (IL) instructors, emerging technology innovators, marketing and outreach coordinators, open education resources (OER) advocates, and scholarly communication experts. This research investigates the academic librarian as teacher phenomenon, how they describe their professional identity as teachers, the skills, knowledge, and competencies they teach, and their beliefs of how they are perceived by faculty. The author conducted interviews with six participants via Zoom. Using in vivo and descriptive coding, the author analyzed the interview data and three broad themes emerged: philosophy, identity, and perception. This study contributes to the literature of the importance of IL as a key facet of academic librarians’ professional identity, their instructional role on campus, the increase in their teaching responsibilities, and how they describe their professional identity as teachers. Further, this research contributes to academic librarians’ teaching practices and may inform LIS program administrators to update their curriculum and offer more courses on instruction, pedagogy, and learning theories. The study also illustrates a disconnect between academic librarians’ lack of instructional preparedness and an increased demand for teaching among academic librarians.

Evaluation of University Websites in Nigeria using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Providing accessible open educational resources (OER) is essential for users with impairments to access university resources. To achieve this, web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG) have been developed. In this study, we used the AChecker web accessibility evaluation tool to assess the content of 42 federal university websites in Nigeria and recorded their conformance level to the WCAG. The findings show that at Level A (Minimal Compliance), there were 855 known problems, 55 likely problems, and 7536 potential problems. At Level AA (Acceptable Compliance), 2516 known problems, 58 likely problems, and 15537 potential problems were identified. At Level AAA (Optimal Compliance), 2679 known problems were found, while there were no likely problems, and 16772 potential problems. The results indicated that most websites did not conform to the accessibility guidelines, highlighting the need for educational institutions to comply with WCAG2.1 content standard. The study recommends introducing accessibility training courses in web design and development to ensure effective OER creation for people with diverse abilities. Furthermore, enforcing the implementation of these guidelines by flagging down non-compliant educational websites was suggested. There is a problem of lack of accessibility in federal university websites in Nigeria, leading to unequal access to web content for users with varying abilities. The study aimed to identify aspects of the websites where accessibility needs to be improved and promote diversity and inclusiveness for users with different abilities to have equal access to web content.

Recommender systems for teachers: The relation between social ties and the effectiveness of socially-based features

Open Educational Resources (OER) repositories provide teachers with a wide range of learning resources (LRs), enabling them to design various learning sequences. However, search & select in large OER repositories can be a daunting task for teachers. Incorporating peer recommendations, as is common in online marketplaces, is becoming a popular solution that seeks to exploit the wisdom of the crowd for this task. However, teachers are often reluctant to take a contributory role and provide social recommendations. In addition, little is known about the actual value of social recommendations as a search aid. In this research, we implemented a “light-weight” socially-based recommender system (RS) within a large OER repository that includes social network features. We examined two aspects of the socially-based recommendation mechanisms. First, their utility as search aids that assist teachers in searching and selecting suitable LRs, and second, their impact on teachers' incentives to share recommendations that can assist fellow teachers. To study these two aspects, we examined two science teacher communities using this repository. The results demonstrated the incentivising power of social rewards, and the value of social recommendations as means for search & select. However, we also observed a heterogeneous effect of social features on teachers' behaviour. To explore the factors that may explain these differences, we employed a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative, quantitative, and Social Network Analysis methods. Triangulation of the findings underline the relation between the strength of the social ties within the teachers’ community and the effectiveness of socially-based features.