Pub Date : 2020-12-31DOI: 10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1139
Marjon Baas, R. Schuwer
Extensive research has taken place over the years to examine the barriers of OER adoption, but little empirical studies has been undertaken to map the amount of OER reuse. The discussion around the actual use of OER, outside the context in which they were developed, remains ongoing. Previous studies have already shown that searching and evaluating resources are barriers for actual reuse. Hence, in this quantitative survey study we explored teachers’ practices with resources in Higher Education Institutes in the Netherlands. The survey had three runs, each in a different context, with a total of 439 respondents. The results show that resources that are hard or time-consuming to develop are most often reused from third parties without adaptations. Resources that need to be more context specific are often created by teachers themselves. To improve our understanding of reuse, follow-up studies must explore reuse with a more qualitative research design in order to explore how these hidden practices of dark reuse look like and how teachers and students benefit of it.
{"title":"What About Reuse? A Study on the Use of Open Educational Resources in Dutch Higher Education","authors":"Marjon Baas, R. Schuwer","doi":"10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1139","url":null,"abstract":"Extensive research has taken place over the years to examine the barriers of OER adoption, but little empirical studies has been undertaken to map the amount of OER reuse. The discussion around the actual use of OER, outside the context in which they were developed, remains ongoing. Previous studies have already shown that searching and evaluating resources are barriers for actual reuse. Hence, in this quantitative survey study we explored teachers’ practices with resources in Higher Education Institutes in the Netherlands. The survey had three runs, each in a different context, with a total of 439 respondents. The results show that resources that are hard or time-consuming to develop are most often reused from third parties without adaptations. Resources that need to be more context specific are often created by teachers themselves. To improve our understanding of reuse, follow-up studies must explore reuse with a more qualitative research design in order to explore how these hidden practices of dark reuse look like and how teachers and students benefit of it.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74801403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-31DOI: 10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1184
R. Sharma
Book review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls , edited by Som Naidu and Sharishna Narayan and published in 2020 by The University of the South Pacific Press.
{"title":"Book Review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls","authors":"R. Sharma","doi":"10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/OPENPRAXIS.12.4.1184","url":null,"abstract":"Book review of Teaching and Learning with Technology: Pushing boundaries and breaking down walls , edited by Som Naidu and Sharishna Narayan and published in 2020 by The University of the South Pacific Press.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"22 1","pages":"569-571"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73266320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-12-31DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.4.1208
Inés Gil-Jaurena (ed.), various authors
The last Open Praxis issue in 2020 includes nine research papers and one book review. It also includes the list of reviewers who have collaborated in reviewing the papers submitted to Open Praxis volume 12.
{"title":"Open Praxis vol. 12 issue 4","authors":"Inés Gil-Jaurena (ed.), various authors","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.4.1208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.4.1208","url":null,"abstract":"The last Open Praxis issue in 2020 includes nine research papers and one book review. It also includes the list of reviewers who have collaborated in reviewing the papers submitted to Open Praxis volume 12.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89157960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-10-27DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1162
Inés Gil-Jaurena, various authors
The issue includes six research papers and two innovative practice papers, introduced by the journal editor.
本刊包括6篇研究论文和2篇创新实践论文,由本刊编辑介绍。
{"title":"Open Praxis volume 12 issue 3","authors":"Inés Gil-Jaurena, various authors","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1162","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1162","url":null,"abstract":"The issue includes six research papers and two innovative practice papers, introduced by the journal editor.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75408452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1081
Lane Fischer, O. Belikov, Tarah K. Ikahihifo, John Hilton III, D. Wiley, M. Martin
A survey of 2,574 students and 1,157 faculty members across ten institutions of postsecondary education in the state of Utah was conducted by the Utah Academic Libraries Consortium. Survey items were created to understand the influence of textbook costs on student academic behavior and the viability of faculty adopting open educational resources (OER) as a solution to the cost of textbooks and the possible need for librarian support of OER. Two-year and four-year institutions were compared to identify differences that might exist between them. Most students felt that their academic success was negatively impacted by textbook cost, particularly at two-year institutions where students registered for fewer courses because of associated textbook costs. Faculty survey findings showed that adjunct professors were more likely to require a traditionally copyright-restricted textbook. Approximately 90% of participants indicated they would be willing to use suitable OER for their course, and almost half of survey participants expressed a desire for help finding these resources.
{"title":"Academic Librarians Examination of University Students’ and Faculty’s Perceptions of Open Educational Resources","authors":"Lane Fischer, O. Belikov, Tarah K. Ikahihifo, John Hilton III, D. Wiley, M. Martin","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1081","url":null,"abstract":"A survey of 2,574 students and 1,157 faculty members across ten institutions of postsecondary education in the state of Utah was conducted by the Utah Academic Libraries Consortium. Survey items were created to understand the influence of textbook costs on student academic behavior and the viability of faculty adopting open educational resources (OER) as a solution to the cost of textbooks and the possible need for librarian support of OER. Two-year and four-year institutions were compared to identify differences that might exist between them. Most students felt that their academic success was negatively impacted by textbook cost, particularly at two-year institutions where students registered for fewer courses because of associated textbook costs. Faculty survey findings showed that adjunct professors were more likely to require a traditionally copyright-restricted textbook. Approximately 90% of participants indicated they would be willing to use suitable OER for their course, and almost half of survey participants expressed a desire for help finding these resources.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"2011 1","pages":"399-415"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74210558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1102
Hakan Genç, Serpil Koçdar
This study aims to identify needs and priorities of learners with special needs for support services in an open and distance teaching university in Turkey based on disability type. Exploratory sequential design was adopted. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were performed with six individuals from each group, including hearing impairment, visual impairment, and physical disability to determine the needs of the learners. Data were coded based on a thematic framework involving managerial, pedagogical, social, and technical support. To determine the priorities of the learners with special needs for support services in the quantitative phase, surveys were developed separately for three groups with disabilities based on the qualitative findings. A total of 703 learners took part in the surveys. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings of the study revealed that learners with special needs require a wide variety of services regarding managerial, pedagogical, social, technical and vocational support. Existing support systems need to be improved and awareness for these systems should be increased to make services more inclusive.
{"title":"Determining needs and priorities of learners with special needs for support services in an open and distance learning context in Turkey","authors":"Hakan Genç, Serpil Koçdar","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1102","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to identify needs and priorities of learners with special needs for support services in an open and distance teaching university in Turkey based on disability type. Exploratory sequential design was adopted. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were performed with six individuals from each group, including hearing impairment, visual impairment, and physical disability to determine the needs of the learners. Data were coded based on a thematic framework involving managerial, pedagogical, social, and technical support. To determine the priorities of the learners with special needs for support services in the quantitative phase, surveys were developed separately for three groups with disabilities based on the qualitative findings. A total of 703 learners took part in the surveys. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings of the study revealed that learners with special needs require a wide variety of services regarding managerial, pedagogical, social, technical and vocational support. Existing support systems need to be improved and awareness for these systems should be increased to make services more inclusive.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"79 1","pages":"359-382"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89118166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1093
Heather D. Hussey, Ashley Babcock, Tara J. Lehan
Higher education institutions are commonly tasked with demonstrating student learning in and out of the classroom. Although academic and student affairs share a common goal of supporting student success, they frequently do not speak the same assessment language. This lack of alignment can lead to miscommunication and missed opportunities to collaboratively promote learning and achievement. Further, it can be a struggle to implement assessment protocols if institutional stakeholders do not value and believe in the importance of their role in the assessment process. In this paper, we discuss how professionals at an online academic success center used the Theory of Planned Behavior to inform and improve an assessment protocol as part of the institution’s overall assessment plan. The steps and strategies used over multiple assessment loops are discussed to demonstrate the path taken to build a collaborative learning environment for students in and out of the online classroom.
{"title":"If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try Closing Another Assessment Loop: Implementing Online Co-Curricular Assessment","authors":"Heather D. Hussey, Ashley Babcock, Tara J. Lehan","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1093","url":null,"abstract":"Higher education institutions are commonly tasked with demonstrating student learning in and out of the classroom. Although academic and student affairs share a common goal of supporting student success, they frequently do not speak the same assessment language. This lack of alignment can lead to miscommunication and missed opportunities to collaboratively promote learning and achievement. Further, it can be a struggle to implement assessment protocols if institutional stakeholders do not value and believe in the importance of their role in the assessment process. In this paper, we discuss how professionals at an online academic success center used the Theory of Planned Behavior to inform and improve an assessment protocol as part of the institution’s overall assessment plan. The steps and strategies used over multiple assessment loops are discussed to demonstrate the path taken to build a collaborative learning environment for students in and out of the online classroom.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"18 1","pages":"425-436"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89004719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1122
B. Jayatilleke, G. Kulasekera
Commencing its activities in 1980, the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) has expanded over the years embracing emerging technologies periodically, undergoing a series of technological adoptions gradually through Generations of Distance Education (GDE). The aim of this study is to assess the current status of OUSL, based on Taylor’s conceptual framework of GDE, identify the challenges faced during these technological transformations, and how those challenges were mitigated during its forty years of existence as a single-mode national open and distance learning university in Sri Lanka. This study employs a qualitative research design based on reflective practices of the researchers, narrative accounts of past decision makers, reflections of academics and administrators, and cross-referenced with documentary evidences. The findings show how the OUSL has advanced towards the fifth GDE, amidst challenges and finally propose mitigation strategies that would be useful for future technological interventions.
{"title":"Forty Years of Distance Education: Challenges and implications at the Open University of Sri Lanka","authors":"B. Jayatilleke, G. Kulasekera","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1122","url":null,"abstract":"Commencing its activities in 1980, the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) has expanded over the years embracing emerging technologies periodically, undergoing a series of technological adoptions gradually through Generations of Distance Education (GDE). The aim of this study is to assess the current status of OUSL, based on Taylor’s conceptual framework of GDE, identify the challenges faced during these technological transformations, and how those challenges were mitigated during its forty years of existence as a single-mode national open and distance learning university in Sri Lanka. This study employs a qualitative research design based on reflective practices of the researchers, narrative accounts of past decision makers, reflections of academics and administrators, and cross-referenced with documentary evidences. The findings show how the OUSL has advanced towards the fifth GDE, amidst challenges and finally propose mitigation strategies that would be useful for future technological interventions.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88492228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1103
J. Mtebe
Higher learning institutions in Africa have been investing in various eLearning systems (also referred to as learning management systems) aiming at improving the quality of teaching and learning. However, non-use or low usage of these systems amongst users is a significant setback for their success. Studies indicate that first-order barriers such as unreliable electricity power, shortage of computers, and Internet connectivity inhibit users from using these systems. This study examined system self-efficacy amongst instructors using mixed sequential explanatory design with data collected from 357 instructors at the University of Dodoma through questionnaires followed by focus group discussions. The adapted independent factors: performance accomplishments and vicarious experience from Bandura (1977), and organizational support from Higgins and Compeau (1995) were subjected to linear regression analysis to determine the causal relationship with system self-efficacy. The study found that vicarious experience and organizational support had a significant effect on system self-efficacy amongst instructors. These findings show that examining system self-efficacy amongst instructors is critical to help those who are implementing eLearning systems in finding strategies that will increase system usage.
{"title":"Examining eLearning system self-efficacy amongst instructors at the University of Dodoma, Tanzania","authors":"J. Mtebe","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1103","url":null,"abstract":"Higher learning institutions in Africa have been investing in various eLearning systems (also referred to as learning management systems) aiming at improving the quality of teaching and learning. However, non-use or low usage of these systems amongst users is a significant setback for their success. Studies indicate that first-order barriers such as unreliable electricity power, shortage of computers, and Internet connectivity inhibit users from using these systems. This study examined system self-efficacy amongst instructors using mixed sequential explanatory design with data collected from 357 instructors at the University of Dodoma through questionnaires followed by focus group discussions. The adapted independent factors: performance accomplishments and vicarious experience from Bandura (1977), and organizational support from Higgins and Compeau (1995) were subjected to linear regression analysis to determine the causal relationship with system self-efficacy. The study found that vicarious experience and organizational support had a significant effect on system self-efficacy amongst instructors. These findings show that examining system self-efficacy amongst instructors is critical to help those who are implementing eLearning systems in finding strategies that will increase system usage.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"1 1","pages":"343-357"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"75974848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-09-30DOI: 10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1099
Dan Isai Serrato, Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez
E-tandems, or virtual synchronous exchanges, offer opportunities for language learners to practice their skills with native speakers. While they are regularly conducted informally, some institutions are exploring their academic use. This paper reports on the experience of eight students who were learning English at a public university in Mexico. They connected via Skype with a group of peers who were taking a Spanish course in the United Kingdom. Data sources included field notes taken during the e-tandem session, a follow-up survey and a focus group. Participants reported feeling motivated and excited about meeting students from another country. They practiced their oral language skills and received feedback directly from native speakers. Their learning included nonverbal communication, such as hand gestures. Participants discovered cultural differences but also common ground with their peers. The e-tandem experience was an effective strategy for foreign language learning.
{"title":"Academic e-tandems as a strategy for English language learning in a Mexican university","authors":"Dan Isai Serrato, Brenda Cecilia Padilla Rodriguez","doi":"10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1099","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1099","url":null,"abstract":"E-tandems, or virtual synchronous exchanges, offer opportunities for language learners to practice their skills with native speakers. While they are regularly conducted informally, some institutions are exploring their academic use. This paper reports on the experience of eight students who were learning English at a public university in Mexico. They connected via Skype with a group of peers who were taking a Spanish course in the United Kingdom. Data sources included field notes taken during the e-tandem session, a follow-up survey and a focus group. Participants reported feeling motivated and excited about meeting students from another country. They practiced their oral language skills and received feedback directly from native speakers. Their learning included nonverbal communication, such as hand gestures. Participants discovered cultural differences but also common ground with their peers. The e-tandem experience was an effective strategy for foreign language learning.","PeriodicalId":45611,"journal":{"name":"Open Praxis","volume":"13 1","pages":"417-424"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2020-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89418102","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}