Reporting Researcher: Sarah Brundrett

Researchers:
Dr Danny Kingsley (Director, Library Services (Information) at Deakin University)
Sarah Brundrett (Manager, Library Services (City East) at the University of South Australia (UniSA))
Dr Kay Steel (Associate Librarian, Research Services at Federation University)
Richard White (Manager, Copyright & Open Access at the University of Otago)

Project description: Led by Danny Kingsley, we explored how open monographs are being increasingly used as open educational resources (OERs) across Australia and New Zealand, although tracking their actual use in teaching and learning remains far from straightforward. Usage data are fragmented and inconsistent as neither syllabus reviews nor download counts provide a complete picture of engagement or educational impact. We found that the definition of what qualifies as an OER varies widely and from our experience there are few formalised institutional policies actively supporting OER creation, dissemination and adoption, making it difficult to link these policies to genuine uptake and sustained use. We made a case that a coordinated, sector-wide effort is needed to standardise metrics, consolidate data, and develop consistent policies to better understand and encourage OER use.

https://katinamagazine.org/content/article/open-knowledge/2025/tracking-the-use-of-oers-sounds-simple

Contact: sarah.brundrett@unisa.edu.au