Use Of Open Education Resources: Exploring Motivational Aspects, Challenges And Its Relationships With Postgraduates’ Students Learning Achievements In Dodoma

ABSTRACT

Tanzania has recently started using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in teaching and learning especially in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Despite the use of the internet available across the country, Open Education Resources (OERs) have come to solve the problem of deficit of learning, teaching and research materials. This study measured the use of OERs: exploring motivational aspects, challenges and its relationships with postgraduate’s students’ learning achievements. The study mostly used qualitative supplemented by quantitative approach. The consideration of Marcus’s Theoretical model of Adoption guided a study using participants selected from two HEIs namely the University of Dodoma (UDOM) and Institute of Rural Development Planning (IRDP) in Dodoma City. A total of 187 respondents from different categories were involved in the investigation. Data were collected through interviews guidelines and questionnaire (Likert scale).Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis while quantitative data were analyzed by the Mean, Median, Standard Deviation and Chi square. Thefindings of the study show that post graduate students were motivated to use OERs through different information communication devices, search engines, learning websites, easy accessibility and sharing, the intact, consistence, accuracy, relevance of OERs and cost effectiveness. They also mentioned the challenges they face while using OERs such as lack of awareness, poor ICT infrastructure, information inconsistency, lack of enthusiasm and lack of stakeholders’ support. Also, participants revealed the strong association between the use of OERs and postgraduate learning achievement. Generally, this study recommends that the government and stakeholders in Dodoma should find good ways of incorporating and integrating OERs in the process of teaching and learning.