Investigating the Use of Learning Object Repositories in the Co-Creation of Open Educational Resources by Educators

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating the use of learning object repositories in co-creation of Open Educational Resources by educators, to determine the factors that can positively influence educators to be co-creators of OERs using LORs, to ascertain the learning objects commonly used by educators and to identify the appropriate theory to use in identifying the factors that can positively influence educators to be co-creators of OERs. Since OERs allow any user to create or post information materials some resources tend to be irrelevant. To some extent it discourages most educators from being co-creators of these learning resources. Though many educators are willing to share their work, they are often cautious as how to do this without losing all their right. In solving this problem several open content licenses have been developed, like the creative commons and GNU free documentation license to accommodate this problem, this provides a way of controlled sharing with some rights reserved to the author. The findings of this study will rebound to the benefit of the education system in Zambia, in that the OER movement will empower educators to become more innovative in their teaching through openness and flexibility. In order to ascertain the relevance of OERs its vital for them to be stored in relevant tools which are learning objects repositories. The research was quantitative in nature and it employed a case study design. This study targeted a sample size of 36 participants from the University of Zambia (UNZA) which consisted of lectures, student teachers, and teachers. Online questionnaires were used to collect data through the use of Google forms concerning the factors that positively influence them to be creators of OERs and the learning object which are commonly used, and the quantitative data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences(SPSS). Furthermore, from the results sharing knowledge, contributing to other people and intellectual challenge were highly ranked as the factors that can motivate educators to be creators of OERs. The assessment of the factors was based on the Uses and Gratification theory. According to the results, the learning objects which are commonly used by the educators are the Modules and Power point slide. In conclusion, in order for educators to be creators of OERs they need to be intrinsically motivated or at least sharing and able to collaborate with others for non-selfish reasons.