An investigation of incentives, barriers and values about the OER movement in Turkish universities: implications for policy framework


Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Eğitim Fakültesi, Bilgisayar ve Öğretim Teknolojileri Eğitimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2011

Öğrenci: ENGİN KURŞUN

Eş Danışman: GÜLFİDAN CAN, KÜRŞAT ÇAĞILTAY

Özet:

The main purpose of this dissertation study is to provide policymakers, administrators, decision makers and key stakeholders in higher education with a research-based guidance about the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement in Turkey. More specifically, this study aims at determining main incentives and barriers for freely publishing course materials in Turkish Universities from faculty members‟ perspective and determine perceived values of sharing course materials for faculty. In line with these aims, present study also aims to understand experience of pioneer OER initiatives in Turkey. Considering all these aims, results are expected to shed light on policies intended to be developed about OER movement in the scope of this study. In this sense, a multimethod research design, a quantitative methodology (survey research design) and qualitative methodology (multiple-case research design), each complete in itself and addressing different research questions of the study, was performed. In the scope of the quantitative part of the study, an instrument developed and administrated to faculty members from 57 universities in Turkey. In total, there were 1637 complete responses from faculty members. For qualitative part of the study, on the other hand, three pioneer OER initiatives in Turkey were investigated. Results of the survey showed that faculty members have a strong consensus on possible benefits of OER movement and majority of them want to publish their course materials. However, what they say is different than what do in practice. That is, one of the most significant challenges that three initiatives investigated in this study confronted is to persuade faculty members to share their course materials. In this point, legal issues appear to be the most concerned issues by faculty members. Besides convincing faculty members, there are also a number of challenges that these initiatives confronted. To address those challenges, results showed that integrating this movement into working system of institutions, establishing a dedicated unit, and personal relationships are seem to be best working strategies during the implementation of these kinds of initiatives