Adoption, use and management of open educational resources to enhance teaching and learning in Australia

This project was developed to increase understanding and awareness about Open Educational Resources (OER) across the higher education sector in Australia and to enable the development of a sector framework for Open Educational Practices (OEP) (Feasibility Protocol). Two instruments of data collection were developed to assist the project team to answer the research questions; the first was an online survey, and the second was a series of semi-structured interviews for the survey and interview instruments. The survey was developed in Qualtrics, which is online survey software that assists researchers to develop, distribute, analyse and report on qualitative and quantitative data. The survey had a total of 33 questions divided into five sections. Initial questions attempted to uncover the respondents’ knowledge and experience with OER and the extent of their institutions’ current involvement in OER initiatives. Later questions explored issues related to the benefits of and barriers to the adoption of OER and the perceived need for both public and institutional policies to facilitate the adoption of OER [Grantor: OLT Grant ID: CG10-1687]. The survey was followed by a series of interviews conducted amongst a wide range of stakeholders. The interview instrument was designed following a similar framework to the survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to generate the data needed to inform this study, as they allowed the use of a more flexible interview guide and develop prompts and probes while interviews evolved