OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATION AMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY i OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATION AMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY: A MIXED METHODS STUDY Thesis submitted in accordance with the requirements of the University of Liverpool for the degree of Doctor of Education by Samuel Ndeda Siminyu October 2017 OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATIONAMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY ii Abstract Open Educational Resources Utilisation among Learners at Makerere University: a Mixed Methods Study Samuel Ndeda Siminyu Considering the challenges facing higher education world over, sponsors of the premier Open Educational Resources expected developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa to benefit from the social, financial, legal, and technological freedoms proffered by this innovation. However, this expectation has not materialised, thus raising the following questions: What drives and/or hinders Open Educational Resources utilisation by learners at Makerere University (in Uganda)? And how does Legitimate Peripheral Practice enable learners to move (or fail to move) from the periphery and towards the core of the Community of Open Educational Resources Practice? I employed Situated Learning theoretical lenses to assess the interaction between the learner and environmental, organisational and personal factors influencing Open Educational Resources adoption. Data was collected through a survey and interviews. While the survey data were analysed to derive simple descriptive statistics indicating the extent of Open Educational Resources use by learners, the interview data were analysed thematically to explain the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of learner behaviour towards Open Educational Resources. The study established that personal agency exercised through Communities of Open Educational Resources Practice enabled learners to take advantage of the contextual enablers and circumvent barriers to adoption. Extrinsic motivators for engagement included assessment requirements, project requirements, and out-of- class interests. Others were: learner awareness of, involvement with, and frequent use of Open Educational Resources, engagement in Communities of Practice, teachers’ influence, and social capital. Within the Communities of Practice, students learned to handle the deficient Information and Communication Technology infrastructure and equipment, lack of requisite skills, lack of clarity on copyright issues, and defective institutional policies and practices. Those who failed to engage with Communities of Open Educational Resources Practice fared poorly. The study recommends the flagging of Open Educational Practices in the strategic and operational plans of Makerere and letting it guide future investment decisions; reviewing relevant policies to cater for open licensing; creating a conducive environment for emergence of Communities of Open Educational Resources Practice; encouraging regular learner utilisation of local and global Open Educational Resources; and making Open Educational Resources a regular feature of learner orientation, staff induction and Continuous Professional Development programmes. The study proposes deepening the Open Educational Resources research agenda by making the assessment of Open Educational Practices at Makerere an ongoing concern. OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATIONAMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY iii List of Abbreviations CoP : Community of Practice Co(OER)P : Community of OER Practice CPD : Continuous Professional Development GER : Gross Enrolment Ratio HE : Higher Education HEI : Higher Education Institution ICT : Information & Communication Technology LAN : Local Area Network LMS : Learning Management System LPP : Legitimate Peripheral Participation OA : Open Access OCW : OpenCourseWare OECD : Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development OEP : Open Educational Practices OER : Open Educational Resources OPAL : Open Educational Quality Initiative OSS : Open Source Software PIS : Participant Information Sheet PHEA : Partnership for Higher Education in Africa SSA : Sub-Saharan Africa TESSA : Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa UNESCO : United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATIONAMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY iv Table of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................. ii List of Abbreviations......................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables....................................................................................................................................... vi 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Framing the Research Questions ................................................................................... 2 1.2 Motivation for conducting this study ............................................................................ 3 1.3 Background to the Study .................................................................................................. 5 1.4 Defining OER........................................................................................................................ 6 1.5 Defining Learner Utilisation of OER .............................................................................. 8 1.6 Context of the Study .......................................................................................................... 9 1.7 Significance of the Study................................................................................................11 1.8 Structure of the Thesis ....................................................................................................12 Chapter Summary .........................................................................................................................13 2. Literature Review ......................................................................................................................14 2.1 Ecological Factors ............................................................................................................15 2.2 Organisational Factors ....................................................................................................22 2.3 Personal Factors ...............................................................................................................25 Chapter Summary .........................................................................................................................27 3. Theoretical Framework............................................................................................................28 3.1 The Ontology and Epistemology Informing the Study ...........................................28 3.2 Situated Learning and OER Uptake .............................................................................31 3.3 The Theoretical Framework Used ................................................................................39 Chapter Summary .........................................................................................................................41 4. Research Methodology ...........................................................................................................42 4.1 Study Design ......................................................................................................................42 4.2 Methods of Data Collection ............................................................................................43 4.3 Access Issues ....................................................................................................................51 4.4 Issues Arising in Relation to the Implementation of the Methods Employed ..52 4.5 Ethical Issues .....................................................................................................................55 Chapter Summary .........................................................................................................................57 5. Findings 1: Drivers for OER Adoption ................................................................................58 5.1 Motivation for Engagement ............................................................................................58 5.2 Awareness of and Engagement with OER .................................................................63 5.3 Teachers' Influence ..........................................................................................................70 OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES UTILISATIONAMONG LEARNERS AT MAKERERE UNIVERSITY v 5.4 Social Capital .....................................................................................................................74 Chapter Summary .........................................................................................................................77 6. Findings 2: Hindrances to OER Adoption ..........................................................................78 6.1 Deficient ICT Infrastructure for OER............................................................................79 6.2 Deficient ICT Skills ...........................................................................................................85