What's in a Name: A comparative approach to understanding OERs

• In Event: Using the comparative method to study learning, design and technology

Proposal

The rapid growth of Internet and technology have created new education paradigms. Open educational resources (OERs) represent an example of a global phenomenon in innovative approaches to education, that promote unrestricted access as a possible solution for bridging the knowledge divide. OERs offer the prospect of an innovative approach to development, dissemination, and utilization of knowledge in teaching, learning, or researching. OERs are predicated on the

…the simple and powerful idea that the world’s knowledge [and education are] public good [or social goods] and that technology in general and the World Wide Web in particular provide an extraordinary opportunity for everyone to share, use, and reuse knowledge. OER are the parts of that knowledge that comprise the fundamental components of education – content and tools for teaching, learning, and research (Atkins, Brown, & Hammond, 2007, p. 5; The William & Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2005).
In this vision, OERs are perceived as important means to aligning with the “goal of developing together a universal educational resource available for the whole of humanity … hope that this open resource [support] for the future mobilizes the whole of the worldwide community of educators” (UNESCO, 2002). The universal access to high quality education and materials is a key to sustain education development. OER is a powerful driver and strong idea for innovation in education because it provides strategic opportunity for educational institutions to improve the quality of education and to connect knowledge sharing and capability building in both human capital and social capital for the global citizen (Arnold, 2012; Geser, 2007; OECD, 2007, UNSECO, 2012), and as a way to “leverage education and lifelong learning for the knowledge economy and society” (Geser, 2007, p. 12).
OERs represent examples of a global phenomenon in an innovative approach that promote unrestricted access as a possible solution for bridging the knowledge divide in education. A large number of OERs initiatives are currently distributed globally and are seen as a way to meet educational needs. Given the purported importance of OERs in the international arena, it is critical to examine the global understanding of OERs.

Purpose of study
Although OERs have successfully captured researchers and practitioner’s attention in promoting the knowledge as a public good, expanding understanding, awareness, utilization, and adoption from individual and institutions to publish is another challenge. It is our argument that addressing these challenges must involve examining the global understanding of OERs.

Research questions
This study is driven by the following three questions:
1. What are global understandings of OERs?
2. What are the awareness, perceived benefits and challenges of OER and how do they differ cross-culturally?
3. What are the current utilization and adoption of OERs in participating countries?

Method
This study employs in-depth survey research and interviews to investigate the understanding of OERs at universities in Botswana, China, Namibia, Taiwan, and Thailand. The authors developed a set of questionnaires and interview questions, with the intention of understanding the global perspective of open educational resources from participant countries.

Preliminary findings
Data collection for the present study is ongoing and will be completed by January 2019. Completed data from Taiwan and Thailand however indicate that there is a varied understating of what OERs are. Although the acronyms have become the terms dujor in academic discourses and international education it appear that there are varied definitions of the concepts which educators and researchers alike would be well served to be aware of and consider.

Authors

• Tutaleni I. Asino, Oklahoma State University

• Shu-Hsiang (Ava) Chen, Shantou University Business School