Identifying the strengths and concerns of open courseware design: An exploratory study

Abstract

This qualitative, exploratory study investigated the design strengths and concerns of OpenCourseware (OCW) for higher education based on user experience, using the translated Chinese website of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology OCW as a venue for exploration (http://www.myoops.org/twocw/mit/index.htm). Forty-two college students, professors, and e-learning experts in Taiwan were recruited to assess the usefulness of the OCW for learning and teaching on this website. Semi-structured, hour-long interviews were conducted. Fourteen factors – including nine strengths and five concerns – that influence the degree of effectiveness of the design and implementation of OCW were identified and discussed with reference to three major design aspects (technological, curricular, and pedagogical). The implications for better design and use of OCW as an open educational resource (OER) were discussed.