ADULT LEARNERS’ COMPREHENSION OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL
RESOURCES AND ITS USE IN SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING
Rita Birzina, Iveta Gudakovska
University of Latvia
The modern era (information and knowledge century) requires updated human need for
self-education, self-development, to ensure better employment opportunities and
quality of life, and challenging people – to realize their potential, developing
themselves personally meaningful ways (Karnītis, 2002). Unlike the industrial century,
characterized by the relative predictability information era has increased the uncertainty
of various processes that causes psychological insecurity (Kosmidou-Hardy, 2003), and
the human will gain more flexibility and adaptability in order to ensure their survival
and wellness. The learning process is changed to adapt to each individual's needs
(Finnis, 2003). The rapid flow of information accelerates the aging of knowledge, and
adult learner will need to use the new information storage and search methods. It
changes learning and teaching principles, and focus on memorizing moves to search for
information and its structuring (Brikše, 1999). Nowadays we need to learn new skills
and new knowledge that will be useful for a new challenge. So the main contribution
for human is intellectual and creative skills development (Lifelong Learning, 1998).
The knowledge-based economy is characterized by the need for continuous learning of
both codified information and the competencies to use this information. As access to
information becomes easier and less expensive, the skills and competencies relating to
the selection and efficient use of information become more crucial... Capabilities for
selecting relevant and discarding irrelevant information, recognizing patterns in
information, interpreting and decoding information as well as learning new and
forgetting old skills are in increasing demand (OECD, 1996: 13).
One of the ways to improve lifelong learning is a self-directed learning by use of Open
Educational Resources (OER).
However, the effective use of OER skills needed information to find, select and use
information literacy. Information Literacy (Definition adopted by UNESCO’s
Information for All Programme) is the capacity of people to:
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Recognise their information needs;
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Locate and evaluate the quality of information;
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Store and retrieve information;
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Make effective and ethical use of information, and
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Apply information to create and communicate knowledge (UNESCO, 2005).
As for the development of an adult learner in the process of learning, emphasis is put
on self–directed learning, which is “The North Pole” in adult education, and everyone
who comes into contact with it tries to adjust the compass according to it (Grow, 1991).
In the process of self–directed learning, adult learner undertake responsibility for
planning their time, application of knowledge, and evaluation of their work
(Liegeniece, 2002). An assumption concerning adults’ need to be self–directed has
originated from M. Knowles’ andragogical model (Knowles, 1980); however, it is often
wrongly interpreted distorting its original meaning. “Preference to self–directed process
of learning” suggested by the author is often interpreted as “is self–directed” (Cranton,
1994), hence the frequent criticism referring to it. The concept of self–directed learning
is analysed based on the ideas by Richard Dealtry (Dealtry, 2004) Ralph G. Brockett
(Brockett, 1991), and Roger Hiemstra, as well as in connection with the contemporary
topicalities of education, with a particular emphasis on the need for self-directed
learning (Roger, 1969; Knowles, 1975; Cross, 1981). Despite the fact that already back
in 1975 M. S. Knowles (Knowles, 1975:16) called self–directed learning a way of
surviving, referring both to separate individuals and the whole mankind, it is even more
topical nowadays and imparts ICT its “philosophical, practical, and pedagogic” (Herod,
2000, 2001) character.
A pilot research is carried out for contribution to future collaborative studies in ASEM
LLL Research Network 1 concerns to topic „Pedagogical approach to lifelong learning
through OER”. The present pre-study was conducted during years 2013 for finding out
a situation with OER in Latvia. The sample comprised of students of University of
Latvia and teachers of general education schools in Latvia. The respondents answered
to question relating to their conceptions of OER and its use.
The aim of the pre-research is to study adult learners’ understanding about conception
of OER and self-directed learning as a development of their information literacy.
The research question: is there relation among adult learners' comprehension of what
OER is, their information literacy skills, and self-directed learning?
Two types of questionnaires were developed: one for students, other – for teachers in
order to find out their views on use of OER. The qualitative data was obtained from
respondents’ answers. The coding system, performed on the basis of conception of OER
and information literacy, and theoretical knowledge about learning will be created for
processing data. Qualitative data processing program AQUAD 6.0 will be used.
The gained data show that there is considerable uncertainty about what is OER; many
respondents did not know that they exist. Most popular OER formats used for students
and teachers include videos, video-lectures, video-courses, movies, animations,
interactive games and interactive tests. As key skills that are necessary for the use of
OER are listed computer skills, language skills, information search skills, and critical
evaluation of obtained information. The best practice examples of implementation of
OER in learning are mentioned.
Key words: open educational resources (OER), information literacy skills, self-directed
learning
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