Article
Version 1
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Exploring Open Educational Resources (OER): OER Awareness and Perceptions within STEM Fields
Version 1
: Received: 8 July 2024 / Approved: 8 July 2024 / Online: 9 July 2024 (12:46:07 CEST)
How to cite: Hacisalihoglu, G. Exploring Open Educational Resources (OER): OER Awareness and Perceptions within STEM Fields. Preprints 2024, 2024070665. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0665.v1 Hacisalihoglu, G. Exploring Open Educational Resources (OER): OER Awareness and Perceptions within STEM Fields. Preprints 2024, 2024070665. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0665.v1
Abstract
Open Educational Resources (OER), educational materials permit unrestricted use and adaption, have proven beneficial for cost savings and curriculum flexibility. However, OER are not frequently used in college courses. An OER initiative was designed to understand the factors contribute to increasing access to STEM course materials. This study employed a survey to investigate faculty awareness and usage of OER and explore support needed to increase the use of OER in STEM. Results indicated that one-sixth of the respondents were unaware of OER, and 53% had never used OER. The motivating factors for OER usage included cost-free licenses, day-one availability to students, and increased access. The support strategies for new OER creation included OER workshops, grants, and recognition for OER authoring. In conclusion, the current study fills a gap in the existing literature by documenting motivating factors for faculty to integrate OER into STEM for the first time.
Keywords
open educational resources; OER; STEM; access; course materials; higher education
Subject
Social Sciences, Education
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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