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The objective of this study is to determine the ways in-service teachers in Turkiye make use of open educational resources and their opinions on using them. For this purpose, the explanatory sequential design has been employed. 588 teachers have participated in the quantitative part of the study; and ten have participated in the qualitative part on a voluntary basis. Data collection instruments have been (a) a personal information form developed by the researchers comprised of 16 questions and (b) a semi-structured interview form with 3 questions. The personal information form has been administered online to participants via social media. Whereas the interviews have been conducted using Zoom teleconferencing software. According to the findings, more than half of the teachers are knowledgeable on the matter of open educational resources and information resources consist of social media. It has been determined that female teachers make greater use of open educational resources than males. It has been established that the most significant affordance of open educational resources is the way it saves time and space for teachers, whereas lack of time and knowledge are the primary obstacles against using open educational resources. Additionally, the opinions of teachers show a demand from their employing organizations towards activities for raising awareness towards the matter of open educational resources and it has been shown that they wish to be encouraged on this matter. It has also been expressed that they expect quantitative and qualitative improvement of the resources provided by the Ministry of National Education, as well as support and cooperation on the use of open educational resources.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4.7 aims to ensure learners acquire the knowledge and skills for promoting sustainable development by 2030. Yet, Open Educational Resources (OERs) that connect the public with SDGs are currently limitedly assigned and insufficient to promote SDG and sustainability education to support the achievement of SDG 4.7 and other SDGs by 2030, indicating a need for automatic classification of SDG-related OERs. However, most existing labeling systems can not support multiple labeling, tend to generate a large number of false positives, and have poor transferability within the OER domain. This research proposes a method to automatically assign SDGs based on AutoGluon, a machine-learning framework with powerful predictive capabilities, to allow multiple SDGs to be assigned to each OER. In the proposed framework, challenges of category imbalance and limited data availability are addressed, enhancing the precision and applicability of SDG integration in educational resources. To validate the transferability of model knowledge within the OER corpus, we used 900 lecture video descriptions from SDG Academy, forming the foundation for comparing our framework with existing labeling systems. According to the experiment results, our model demonstrates outstanding merits across various metrics, including precision, recall, F1, ACC, AUC, and AP.

It is increasingly evident that using technological resources has broadly impacted people's lives, including their education. One of the technologies implemented for several years is Open Educational Resources (OER), with elements of open practice to mitigate the impact of the digital divide. This article describes the validation process of an instrument to measure the adoption of OER as perceived by higher education students in Mexico (means, standard deviations and normality, construct validity and reliability). The study included 392 participants, of whom 117 (29.8%) were male, 273 (69.6%) were female and 2 (.5%) did not identify with either sex. Ages ranged from 18 to 62 years (M= 22.0 years, SD= 5.8). The instrument underwent descriptive statistics techniques, univariate normality analyses, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The reliability of the measurement model was confirmed using Cronbach's Alpha and McDonald's Omega index. The resulting validated instrument investigates students' perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, subjunctive standards, and behavioral control. For future studies, the application of the scale is suggested because of its manageable number of items and ease of administration, along with the examination of other validity tests that will help increase the robustness of the proposed measurement model, this measurement scale will be useful for teachers and researchers interested in understanding the impact of OER in education.

Continuous professional development for teachers will always be prioritized, especially in cases where there are obvious and conspicuous gaps in their subject-matter expertise and when they handle practical skills exercises with inadequate planning and delivery. Hence, this study explores the effects of equipping Civil Technology teachers with hands-on skills and provision of educational resources for effective teaching of practical lessons. This study purposefully sampled nine (09) Civil Technology teachers from Ekurhuleni East, Gauteng province of South Africa. This study was hinged on Stronge's qualities of effective teachers as its framework. This study adapted a mixed method design where closed-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were considered relevant data collection instrument and sources. A sequential explanatory design was used to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that even though teachers get continuous hands-on skills training from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) annually, the trainings are often too generic and do not adequately boost teachers with confidence to teach specific skills (i.e., construction and plumbing) to learners. As a result, Civil Technology teachers could not actualize their continuous professional development training as an element of learning to become innovative skills teachers. The survey found that while certain Ekurhuleni East schools have instructional tools, some of the teachers were not trained to use them, which made it difficult to effectively teach practical lessons in Civil Technology. Therefore, this study recommended that the Gauteng Department of Education should focus on discipline specific instructional strategies that will promote innovation in skills-based activities in Civil Technology.

This study investigated the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on the professional development of Bhutanese Physics teachers. Collaborating with partner institutions in Tanzania, Nigeria and India, Samtse College of Education developed and implemented three physics modules: Force and Motion; Work, Power and Energy; and Electromagnetism. These OER incorporate activity-based learning, technology integration, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and design thinking principles. A mixed-methods approach, including pre-test and post-test scores, lesson plans, reflections, and interviews were used to assess the impact of OER on teacher's Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK), Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and General Pedagogy Knowledge (GPK). Additionally, the study examined a Community of Practice (CoP) on Telegram to understand knowledge sharing within the community. The findings revealed that most teachers demonstrated improved proficiency level after using OER, thus positively impacting their professional development by enhancing content knowledge, technological skills, and pedagogical practices. However, some teachers require further enhancement in SMK and PCK especially in Work, Energy and Power and Electromagnetism modules. The use of CoP proved valuable for knowledge sharing and collaboration. The study recommends educational institutions support the Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of Physics teachers by providing access to OER for their use and additional resources to enhance their SMK and PCK.

With the onset of COVID-19, colleges and universities moved to emergency remote teaching, and instructors immediately adjusted their curricula. Many instructors adapted or developed new online lessons that they subsequently published as Open Educational Resources (OERs). While much has been examined related to how entire course designs evolved during this period, the same attention has not been paid to how individual lessons were structured to meet online learners' needs. As such, we evaluated OER lessons for the integration of universal design for learning (UDL) guidelines and active learning strategies. We evaluated OER lessons published in "CourseSource," which is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on biology lessons implemented in undergraduate classrooms and provides the necessary details and supporting materials to replicate the lesson. We found that biology instructors used a variety of UDL guidelines and active learning strategies to encourage student learning and engagement in online teaching environments. This study also provides a collection of OER online lessons that instructors and educational developers can use to inform the practice of engaging biology students.

Open Educational Resources (OER) and renewable assignments that create OER are closely related and promote access to knowledge, collaboration, and community engagement. Through both, PhD students can contribute to the advancement of open education while enhancing their own learning and professional development. Despite many advantages, OER and renewable assignments are widely underutilized in U.S. institutions of higher education. To enhance nationwide adoption, PhD programs may be an important context for using and creating OER because many PhD students will become faculty members in the future. This survey research collected data from April to December 2022 to explore the prevalence and perceptions of OER and renewable assignments among the 72 PhD programs in the top 100 ranked social work programs in the United States. Thirty of the 72 programs were represented in the sample. Most of the respondents (68%) reported using OER materials in at least one course, with audiovisual and textbooks the most reported type of OER used. In contrast, a few (6%) of the respondents reported their programs used renewable assignments. Lack of knowledge or awareness was the most commonly cited reason for not adopting OER or renewable assignments. Representatives from programs that had adopted OER had higher perceptions of positive student impact from OER use or creation than those from programs that had not adopted OER (Mann Whitney U = 61.0, p = 0.058). Our findings indicate a reasonably widespread adoption of OER as course materials in social work PhD programs in the United States. There is an opportunity for increased adoption of renewable assignments to both create suitable, high quality OER materials for use in social work PhD programs and to train future social work faculty in the logistics of creating and using OER.

Open educational resource (OER) initiatives have opened new avenues for educational opportunities, yet OER adoption levels globally remain low. Two significant obstacles to more widespread adoption of OER are the challenge of internet connectivity that nearly half the world's population still faces, and the lack of locally-relevant (e.g. in terms of language and curricula) OER resources. This article's contribution is twofold. First, it presents a qualitative landscape analysis of existing primary- and secondary-level Arabic-language digital OERs and of the initiatives that provide these resources. Second, it details applied research via a case study, wherein appropriate resources identified in the analysis were subsequently curated for inclusion in an offline digital library currently being used in schools in Northeast Syria that offers all Open resources. Results from the landscape analysis indicate a limited quantity of Arabic-language OER content available for primary and secondary education. Furthermore, multiple challenges hinder the adoption of OER in resource-constrained settings. Accordingly, recommendations are made that could help to improve these resources' ability to be used, particularly drawing from the article's applied case study for examples. Given the case study's application of providing locally-relevant OER resources in an offline setting, this article provides a real-world example of furthering open e-learning, despite infrastructural, linguistic, and socio-political challenges. As such, it advances research supporting innovative e-learning practice, and should be of interest for scholars and practitioners interested in furthering the adoption of open e-learning in low-resource settings globally.

Introduction: The initial response of higher education institutions (HEIs) to the COVID-19 pandemic was to shift to online learning as a contingency. However, not all students were equipped with the appropriate resources to make this shift. Research problem: There is scant contemporary research outlining the types of educational resources leveraged by students at a private HEI (PHEI) in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. This limits the ability of PHEIs to develop targeted approaches for student success during similar disturbances. Methodology: Using a quantitative research design, an online survey was administered to second-year to postgraduate students at a PHEI in South Africa. Of the 44715 total student population at the PHEI, a sample size of 387 was targeted, with a total of 239 students responding to the survey. Key findings: The study found that most students had access to resources during emergency remote learning (ERT), with family playing a key role in providing human and financial resources to the student, while the PHEI provided key material resources. Textbooks, data/Wi-Fi, laptop/computer, and mobile phones/smartphones were considered critical, with administrative and academic support staff, online lecturers, videos, and textbooks/eBooks playing a key role in the students' academic performance. Conclusion: By understanding the educational resources (i.e. human, material and financial) that were leveraged by students during COVID-19, PHEIs can streamline decision-making regarding operations, assistance provided to students, and manage online learning in a manner that mitigates pitfalls should events similar to the pandemic occur.

This study delves into the cultural significance and educational potential of Hua'er folk songs within the Hui ethnic communities of Gansu and Ningxia in northwest China. By positioning Hua'er as an indispensable educational tool in folk song history, the research seeks to safeguard and elevate this revered musical tradition. Employing literature reviews, immersive fieldwork, questionnaire surveys, interviews with four significant contributors, and direct observations, the study sheds light on the importance of Hua'er music as a cultural legacy. These insights offer valuable guidance for educators, cultural institutions, and future research initiatives. Through a detailed exposition of the research methodology, this study enriches our understanding of the diverse landscape of Chinese folk song history, presenting avenues for further exploration and practical application in educational contexts.

Research on students' self-assessments has reported their usefulness in supporting their learning processes. However, little research has specifically focused on its role in students' use of open educational resources (OERs), which are important learning resources in the digital age. Consequently, this qualitative case study reports on university second language (L2) students' experiences with out-of-class (i.e., pre-class and post-class) learning with OERs, which contained supplementary information on their L2 learning, and with their required follow-up self-assessments. Through qualitative analyses of multiple data sources regarding an L2 writing course offered by a Chinese university, this study illustrated that when L2 students were instructed to conduct self-assessments during their pre- and post-class readings, they were motivated to reflect on and comprehend OERs and gradually became actively involved in practicing self-assessments for new OERs. Such enthusiasm for learning with OERs was found to accompany students' positive experiences with knowledge building, which they discovered through post-class assessments. Namely, the students realized that they were prepared for in-class learning by engaging in pre-class self-assessments with OERs, buttressed by in-class and individualized assistance from their teacher, and deepened by the knowledge expected from these resources. The study's conclusion confirms the pedagogical usefulness of incorporating self-assessment into L2 students' out-of-class use of OERs, along with teacher assistance in the learning process.

The study investigated the impact of digital leadership on teachers' usage of digital educational resources (DERs). The study collected data from teachers and headteachers in four pre-tertiary schools in Ghana. Also, trust was included as the interacting variable to examine its mediating role in digital leadership and digital educational resource usage to better disentangle the relationship between digital leadership and digital educational resource. The study used symmetrical (Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and asymmetrical approaches (fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for the analysis of the relationships. The results underpin digital leadership's importance in digital educational resource implementation outcomes in developing countries' pre-tertiary schools. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis findings confirm that exclusively using symmetrical approaches for digital educational resource studies may not be sufficient to understand the expected relationships within a proposed model. Under the partial least squares path modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis, trust did not mediate the relationship between digital leadership and teachers' usage of digital educational resources. Sharply from the PLS-SEM findings, the fsQCA revealed that the presence of digital leadership and trust are necessary conditions to predict teachers' usage of digital educational resources. These results and their implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Research on the use of open educational resources (OER) has often noted the potential benefits for users to revise, reuse, and remix OER to localize it for specific learners. However, a gap in the literature exists in terms of research that explores how this localization occurs in practice. This is a significant gap, given the current flow of OER from higher-income countries in the Global North to lower-income countries in the Global South. This study explored how OER from one area of the world was localized when used in a different cultural context. Interviews from six facilitators of an OER human rights course in Ghana showed that without initial awareness of OER, localization happened largely informally. Practices included (a) technological workarounds and persistence; (b) spontaneous language translation; (c) cultural recontextualization through spontaneous adjustment, content substitutions, and discussion; and (d) social responsiveness. We found implications for designers to anticipate challenges related to dependence on technology, intentionally leave space for informal localization, and allow for linguistic flexibility.

This study provides a research-based approach to reimagining the world language classroom through open educational resources (OER), primarily in higher education. Using quantitative and qualitative analyses, we provide insight into students' perceptions of OER in world language education classrooms, with a specific focus on conversation courses. The results of the current investigation suggest that OER, and digital platforms in general, align with the values, behaviors, and learning styles observed in Generation Z students: environmental awareness (Falc, 2013), financial consciousness, and organic interconnectedness via social media. Most participants recruited for the study (n = 84) had used some type of online platform or digital resource while in college and said they were (or would be) comfortable using such resources in the world language classroom. To that end, most participants considered such materials to be more practical, engaging, entertaining, and relevant to everyday life than traditional textbooks. In fact, the survey items addressing the use of digital materials in world language courses were among the most highly ranked items in the survey. Consequently, the pedagogical implications of this study suggest that instructors consider using open educational resources that meet the interests, principles, and learning styles of Generation Z students, especially as they relate to world language learning.

Open Education Resources (OER) may support students in the Global South, who experience high cost of educational materials. This research aims to understand how students from the Global South adopt OER using the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with the concept of playfulness. In addition, we also explored the effect of cultural factors, such as long-term orientation (LTO) and indulgence versus restraint (IVR) on OER adoption intention. 1527 students from 27 higher education institutions in eight countries in the Global South participated in the study. Multilevel linear modeling was used to test the individual-level and cross-level hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and playfulness had a significant impact on students' intention to adopt OER. Furthermore, playfulness also strengthened the relationship between PU and the intention to adopt OER. Although the two cultural factors did not have a direct impact on students' intention to adopt OER, IVR moderated the relationship between PU and students' intention to adopt OER. Our research contributes to the theory of technology adoption and culture as well as the practice of OER in the Global South. institutions in eight countries in the Global South participated in the study. Multilevel linear modeling was used to test the individual-level and cross-level hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and playfulness had a significant impact on students' intention to adopt OER. Furthermore, playfulness also strengthened the relationship between PU and the intention to adopt OER. Although the two cultural factors did not have a direct impact on students' intention to adopt OER, IVR moderated the relationship between PU and students' intention to adopt OER. Our research contributes to the theory of technology adoption and culture as well as the practice of OER in the Global South.

This scoping review examines the characteristics and reported outcomes of faculty incentive programs used to promote the adoption, adaptation, or creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) by academic libraries at higher education institutions. The study uses the PRISMA protocol for scoping reviews. The authors reviewed 1901 records: 1499 were from database searches and 402 from the grey literature. Twenty-three records met the inclusion criteria for this study. This study aims to contribute useful insights to academic library administrators for the development of future OER faculty incentive programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the level of lecturers' awareness and the extent of usage of open educational resources (OERs) for teaching and learning in Nigerian universities. A descriptive research design was adopted for the study. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select two (2) universities (both federal and state-owned) that are running open and distance learning programmes in each of the six (6) geographical zones of Nigeria; and to select a total of one thousand four hundred and eighty-five (1,485) respondents. To guide the study, three research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The main structured research questionnaire used in the study was titled: "Lecturer's Use of OERs Questionnaire" (LUOER; r=0.78). Data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics of ANOVA. The findings revealed that lecturers were aware ([pi] = 3.06; SD = 0.72) and ready to use ([pi] = 2.80; SD = 0.80) OERs for education with ranges of identified challenges. Findings also revealed significant institutional affiliation differences in the extent of lecturers' awareness (F[subscript (11,1484)] = 61.71; p = 0.00 < 0.05), readiness (F[subscript (11,1484)] = 32.90; p = 0.00 < 0.05) and perceived challenges (F[subscript ](11,1484) = 12.12; p = 0.00 < 0.05) towards the utilisation of OER for education. Implications to meeting the global challenges were discussed. It was recommended among others that the ministries of education should sponsor periodic workshops and seminars to sensitize lecturers more on the availability and utilization of OER facilities for teaching-learning process.

The integration of open educational resources (OER) in the educational curricula of universities and educational organizations has gained tremendous popularity. However, there is a gap in research on teachers' attitudes toward OER in many developing countries. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study explored the use of OER by online and face-to-face teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) in Iran. A total of 62 teachers (31 online teachers and 31 face-to-face teachers) participated in the study. Survey and interview results indicated that there were significant differences between online and face-to-face teachers' attitudes toward OER. Online teachers had a more positive attitude toward OER than face-to-face teachers. The perceived benefits of OER included developing the flexibility of curricula, encouraging personalized learning, and offering pedagogical options for teachers. There were several perceived OER-based challenges in the educational context of Iran as well. The challenges included teachers' uncertainty about copyright issues, the low quality of OER, teachers' low levels of digital literacy, teachers' unawareness of the existence of OER, the lack of quality control over OER, the lack of credibility of OER content, and the lack of up-to-dateness of OER. There were also significant differences between participants' perspectives on the types and frequency of using OER. More specifically, online teachers used OER for teaching practices more frequently than face-to-face teachers. Participants perceived that they needed various types of training for the appropriate use of OER. This study proposes several implications for renewing and improving teacher training/education programs and material development projects.

Open educational resources (OERs) are an alternative textbook to publisher materials used by colleges and universities. While OERs likely reduce the cost of college for students, research is mixed on the impact of these textbooks on student success in college. The present study utilizes preference score matching (PSM) methodology to compare OER and publisher textbook use to student pass and withdrawal rates from 9 high-enrollment courses taught at the Community College of Baltimore County from fall 2016 through spring 2021. We examined all enrollments in a subclass-match PSM model, and found a significant improvement of 0.153 on the final course grade received by the student, and a significant increase of about 4% for students that received an ABC in courses using the OER, along with a significant decrease of 2.6% in the rate that students withdrew from OER courses. We also examined Pell students in a subclass-match PSM model, and found a significant improvement of 0.331 on the final course grade received by the Pell student, and a significant increase of about 9% for students that received an ABC in courses using the OER, along with a significant decrease of 4.8% in the rate that Pell students withdrew from OER courses.

Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) have been playing a prominent role in the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement in advocating for and supporting the development of governmental OER policies. Research shows that IGOs perform multiple roles in influencing national and global education policy processes and possess multiple policy instruments with which they can assert their influence. We adopted the conceptual framework of policy instruments to understand the types of policy instruments applied by the selected IGOs. We carried out semi-structured interviews with representatives from four important IGOs. Results show that the selected IGOs collectively used discursive dissemination, funding, technical assistance, standard-setting and coordinative functions OER policy instruments to influence the development of governmental OER policies. We report on the perceived and observed successes of these IGOs OER policy instruments and the related challenges. We discuss relevant findings and their implications for further research and activities of IGOs.

Almost all open educational resources (OER) definitions encompass key concepts such as the 5R activities and open licenses. However, little attention is given to the technical aspects and tools that allow the user to interact with these resources. This study aims to answer five research questions regarding (a) 5R activities, (b) open licenses and intellectual property, (c) technical aspects, (d) tools for developing OER, and (e) the topic of sustainability. To answer these questions, a systematic review of systematic reviews on OER was conducted following the reporting checklist of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Sixteen studies were eligible and included in this review. The main findings suggest that although most studies did not mention the term 5R exactly, they mentioned related terms, such as "share" and "adaptation." There was also a tendency toward focusing on more legal issues than technical aspects. Besides, most of the studies that mentioned tools discussed them as platforms to access OER, not exactly tools that encourage users to develop or adapt resources in an easy way. In relation to sustainability, several studies highlighted the relevance of developing sustainable OER models, but only a few suggested approaches to sustain an OER project. Therefore, with this article, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of the technical openness and tools that might contribute to fostering users' engagement with the OER, helping them to act as producers and contributors rather than mere passive receivers.

The emergence of open educational resources (OER) represents one of the most significant educational developments in the 21st century. Given their capacity to be freely adapted, re-used, and shared in different contexts, OER expand the options for educators. This paper reports on an initial study concerning such choices in which educators' personalities are investigated in relation to the OER adoption. Choosing open approaches has been shown to correlate with personal attitudes and several studies have highlighted the potential and need for investigating how personality might affect OER adoption. To address this gap, this study investigates the impact of educators' personality differences in relation to OER adoption. The analysis focuses specifically on the perception towards OER and the intention to use OER using the Five-Factor Model (FFM) to identify educators' personalities. Following a mixed methods approach, data collected from university educators using questionnaires (57 respondents) and interviews (15 respondents) are discussed in a two-stage hierarchical regression analysis. Demographic variables (age and gender) do not show any significant relationship. Findings reveal that while the explored five personality dimensions do not have an impact on the educator attitudes towards OER, they seem to have a significant impact on their intention to use OER. Specifically, only three personality dimensions -- namely, extraversion, agreeableness, and openness -- have a significant impact on the intention to use OER. This shows that 'open attitude' (mixing extraversion, and agreeableness, and openness) may be a fundamental prerequisite for educators to engage in open teaching practices, including the use of OER.

This paper analyses the role of libraries in the development of Open Educational Resources (OER) and, more specifically, the impact and level of implementation of UNESCO's (2019) OER Recommendation in Higher Education libraries. This study, the result of a joint undertaking between a national R&D project and SPARC Europe, is based on an online survey, disseminated amongst the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL) and uses a descriptive research methodology. The results highlight the implementation actions being taken by university libraries (n = 136) in each of the five areas of action of UNESCO's Recommendation. We find that the main contributions are being made in the areas of capacity building and Open Education policies, but that considerable work has yet to be done in terms of promoting inclusiveness and the sustainability of OER. Thus, the full implementation of UNESCO's recommendation requires a greater commitment on the part of librarians to joint actions undertaken via international networks and projects, as well as greater institutional commitment and the building of interdepartmental alliances.

Open educational resource (OER) as free teaching and learning materials can contribute to the collaborative design and development of teaching. To support higher education teachers in their work with teaching in general and OER in particular and to encourage their use of OER, it is necessary to pay attention to their needs and requirements. This paper presents the results of a research project, identifying the usage behaviour of German-speaking higher education teachers. In an interview study, they were asked about their experience with OER to get detailed insights into their practices concerning their 'use' and 'revise' of materials. From this, four user types were derived according to different OER activities, such as creating, reusing, editing, and publishing OER, and their scope. Finally, these user types are transferred to considerations when designing OER infrastructures and establishing support options. These are aligned with the specifics of each user type, making the research findings a complementary contribution for application in higher education.

In today's society, audiovisual resources represent a fundamental form of relationship with the world and the acquisition of information and knowledge. In this sense, several scientific studies recognize the usefulness of audiovisual in general, and documentary film in particular, as an educational resource. Research indicates that cinema is not a resource widely used by teachers. This research is conceived within the framework of the initial training of teachers of Primary Education. To this end, and with the criterion of ease of access to the sample population, a questionnaire organized in five dimensions was designed. The questionnaire was administered to 213 students of Degree in Education of the University of Murcia (Spain). The results point at the documentary cinema as an educational resource known by future teachers. They also recognized the interest of documentaries for their future teaching practice. However, throughout their educational career they had not had much contact with documentary film nor were they great consumers of this type of resource. These results should make us reflect on initial teacher training in universities. Efforts should be increased to promote the acquisition of higher-level media competence that allowed teachers to analyze and select good resources for use in the classroom and that has an impact on the competence of their future primary school students.

Background: Greater provision of inclusive education is an important goal for education systems internationally. Frequently identified barriers to progress include a lack of resources to support students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream education settings. Purpose: This study from Spain sought to gain insight into the availability of educational resources to support students with SEN in mainstream schools in the region of Murcia, by exploring the perceptions of stakeholders. Methods: Participants were 27 stakeholders involved in the development and operation of special classrooms in mainstream settings for students with SEN who require highly specialised attention. Perceptions were gathered from participants across 18 mainstream centres in the region, via semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were analysed qualitatively, according to an existing categorisation that distinguished between material, human and teaching space resources. Findings: In-depth analysis suggested that, according to many stakeholders, an insufficiency of educational resources constituted one of the main barriers to achieving inclusive education. Participants believed that material resources in education centres should be increased to support students with SEN, reporting a lack of digital resources and the necessary teacher education for their application in the classroom. Limited availability of human resources was also highlighted, with participants desiring a more substantial presence of professionals in mainstream centres and a deeper commitment towards inclusion. They considered that there should be more space in the centres to conduct multisensory and motivating activities for students with SEN. Conclusions: Catering to the diverse learning needs of all students is a key concern globally. This study underscores the significance of different types of resources in inclusive provision. It draws attention to the importance of increasing the availability of resources in mainstream educational settings to support students with SEN.

In the post-pandemic world, open educational resources (OER) have the potential to ensure educational equity by providing all students with access to learning materials and by supporting teachers' instructional practices through readily available, adaptable resources. However, the quality of OER continues to be a concern. Therefore, this study explored the use of (1) GeoGebra and scaffolding strategies to develop OER for secondary school mathematics teaching and (2) formative evaluation techniques to enhance the quality of the OER. A GeoGebra expert and a total of 40 frontline teachers participated in three review cycles of the OER development in the project. The feedback from each cycle informed the application of scaffolding strategies in the development of OER for the subsequent cycles. In Cycles 2 and 3, teachers rated the OER and provided feedback through surveys for further improvement. The results indicated that teacher ratings were significantly higher in Cycle 3 (n = 40, Mdn = 5) than in the previous cycle (n = 21, Mdn = 4) regarding the appropriateness of the OER for students with different learning preferences, z = - 2.87, p < 0.05. The results of the project-end satisfaction survey further revealed that all of the teacher participants were satisfied with the OER, which also enhanced their teaching practices. The results of the study offer a theoretical foundation that OER developers can ground upon to enhance their OER design. They also provide practical insights into the application of formative evaluation in the OER development that OER developers can adopt to create resources that are finely attuned to the needs of frontline teachers.

Higher education institutions have been following the global trend of advocating open educational resources (OER) for tuition and learning. In the South African context of higher education, there is also an increasingly strong call for decolonisation in educational content. However, there is a lack of knowledge and theories for the decolonisation of learning content. This study sought to establish the possibilities of decolonisation of OER in digital learning. To employ the appropriate lens for the decolonisation of content, the study opted for contextualised theory, contextual knowledge world views, and the African indigenous knowledge frameworks, while following the Transformative Learning Theory. This theory made it possible to follow the decolonisation elements relevant to low-income contexts. Consequently, the decolonisation lesson guided the appropriate systems for the decolonisation of the tuition content. After decolonisation, the concepts of Africanisation and transformative learning were considered by using the Technology Appropriation Model as a guide for adopting and developing OER appropriate for the African context. The study employed the qualitative approach and case study strategy by focussing on one of the largest comprehensive open distance e-learning (CODEL) institutions in South Africa and on the African continent. The study established that CODEL encourages the use of OER for the decolonisation of tuition content. However, there is still a lack of strategies, models, policies, and practical guidelines for the decolonisation of OER. Therefore, the study proposed the decolonisation of an e-learning content model that academia can use to advance the decolonisation of e-learning content.

The use of Open Educational Resources (OER) for training in public administration has yet to see a wide adoption globally, mostly due to challenges related to the discovery and reuse of high-quality OER for training purposes. These challenges, combined with the general lack of openness in the public sector, have greatly impacted the penetration of OER in public administration. This paper presents a case study on the use of OER for expanding and enhancing curricular and resource sharing in public administration in Greece. Within this case study, an OER authoring and sharing platform was introduced to the Greek public sector, employing crowdsourcing methods for supporting trainers and trainees in authoring, sharing, reusing and remixing OER. The paper presents the deployment of this platform and the use of OER in the context of training programmes in the Greek public sector and reports on the lessons learned and the impact on public administration. The results of the case study showed that the use of OER was very positively received by civil servants, with a remarkable response, through active participation and engagement that led to the enhancement of existing OER and the co-creation of new ones for public administration.

There is a growing body of evidence that Open Educational Resources (OERs) are a viable alternative to traditional "for cost" teaching materials. This paper provides a reflection on the process and outcomes of developing and implementing OER within an introduction Human-Environment Geography lecture-laboratory course. Evidence is further provided in support of improvements to the academic performance and completion rates of students enrolled in the course after the implementation of OERs over a period of 4-6 years. Results of the study indicate students' academic performance significantly increased once OERs were incorporated into the classroom compared to the use of traditional materials purchased by the students. The rate of student withdrawal also was significantly less once OERs were implemented. The improvements to students' academic performance and retention occurred despite OER being only used in the laboratory component of the course, suggesting that even a partial implementation of OERs can still have significant positive effects. The use of OERs can be considered as a legitimate option to increasing retention and student academic success in the Geography classroom.

In the post-pandemic world, UNESCO advocates the development of open educational resources (OER) to remedy the financial pressures of students and their families. We thus conducted a dual-cycle action research study aiming to develop a sustainable model with minimal cost for creating OER for secondary school mathematics teachers and students. Our theoretical foundations drew upon existing sustainable models of OER development and experiential learning theory to enhance the efficacy of OER. Formative evaluation techniques were employed in both action research cycles, where pre-service teachers developed the OER and in-service teachers provided suggestions for improvement. In the second cycle, we tested the use of our OER with 35 Grade 11 students to examine both student achievement and retention. The test results showed a significant learning gain (pre-test: Mdn = 2.00; post-test: Mdn = 10.00), which was retained over 2 weeks (delayed post-test: Mdn = 11.00). However, the students' performance on more advanced questions was not satisfactory. Based on an overall reflection on the study, we proposed a sustainable model of OER development, which leveraged the manpower of pre-service and in-service teachers and incorporated formative evaluation techniques. Furthermore, we provided recommendations for enhancing the future development of OER in mathematics education.

A promising solution for reducing costs for students, especially textbook costs, is Open Educational Resources (OER). We explored community college faculty members' perceptions of using OER compared with publisher textbooks. In this comparative context, we investigated how OER impacted faculty, their instructional decisions, and their students as well as other aspects of OER faculty considered beneficial. The data is from a larger mixed-methods research study conducted in one large community college with multiple campuses in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Interviews were conducted with four faculty members who taught both an OER and non-OER section of the same course in the same semester. Three interconnected themes emerged from faculty responses. The first theme was the customizable content and format of OER facilitated access to and for diversity. The second theme was the ease of access with OER supported student engagement with the content and with each other. The third theme was faculty engagement with OER promoted transformative and reflective pedagogies. Findings provide important insight into the contribution of OER materials to equity, diversity, and inclusion beyond the barrier of financial costs. Practitioners should be encouraged by OER's potential benefits to students and instructors.

In the context of rapid technological advancements and the increasing availability of Open Educational Resources (OER), there is a growing need to foster complex thinking skills in higher education. The study aims to characterize OER platforms that facilitate the development of such skills, grounded in UNESCO's recommendations and the evolving definitions of complex thinking. Utilizing a Systematic Literature Review (SLR), the research focuses on three key questions: the type of open license allowing 5R activities, the technical options based on the ALMS Framework, and the sub-competencies of complex thinking that can be nurtured through OER. The study identifies and categorizes key platforms conducive to the development of complex thinking skills, namely innovative, critical, scientific, and systemic thinking. These platforms are analyzed based on their licensing types and technical capabilities. Findings indicate that most of the platforms studied support 5R activities under Creative Commons licenses, require advanced editing skills, and more than half address multiple subcompetencies of complex thinking. The study concludes that the adaptation, reuse, and redistribution of OER can significantly contribute to fostering complex thinking skills, aligning educational practices with 21st-century demands. Recommendations include the development of frameworks by higher education institutions to normalize OER platforms and meet students' needs, as well as future research to assess user behavior and sustainability of these platforms.

Literate programming and cloud-operated open literate educational resources (COOLERs) have been catching the attention of the education community in recent years. This set of learning materials mainly comprises digital notebook-like documents, which are stored, backed, and delivered from cloud services and eventually displayed in students' web browsers. As we demonstrate in this article, the advent of cloud architectures and the COVID-19 pandemic (which forced worldwide long-term distant academic environments) fortuitously teamed up with this learning and methodological trend by easing its use and fostering its adoption. With more detail, we have quantitatively measured the impact that the COOLER paradigm has had on the teaching realm by analyzing five years of logged data gathered by its current major player in the ecosystem: MyBinder. Among other results, we show how this growth in the production and delivery of notebooks made an important leap during the second SARS-CoV-2 wave (July-September 2020). However, the general usage trend seems to have strongly decreased after the end of the most recent seventh wave (September 2022), coinciding with the official end of the global health crisis and all the lockdown episodes. From these examined data, we conclude that COOLER and recent massive online learning scenarios have been very intimately linked. This fact may represent a flaw in the adoption of these exciting and useful learning materials.

Many factors influence whether Open Educational Resources (OER) and other affordable materials foster equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Cost savings to students and better outcomes are commonly cited as indicators. However, more research is needed to improve EDI outcomes in OER adoption. This article reports on survey responses from instructors and students from fourteen general education courses that used open and affordable materials. The survey explores three main topics: equitable use and access of the materials, diversity of representation within the content of the materials, and the possible change to pedagogy, specifically inclusive teaching. These topics are contextualized by comparing the responses of White students with underrepresented minority (URM) students.