A Maturity Model for Open Educational Resources in Higher Education Institutions – Development and Evaluation

Abstract

There is currently a global movement toward open, digital, reusable educational resources. However, despite the often existing infrastructure and resource capacities of many higher education institutions (HEIs), the introduction of Open Educational Resources (OER) has not yet become a normative practice in all faculties and disciplines. The reasons for this are not immediately apparent to HEIs, and it is difficult to make an assessment of how well a HEI is positioned with regard to OER. For this purpose, the paper presents an initial draft of a maturity model for OER, consisting of six dimensions and five levels. This maturity model was subsequently evaluated and assessed by various higher education stakeholders through an online survey. The evaluation confirmed the dimensions and levels, but identified the need for adaption within the dimension and in the gradation of the levels. The model represents a first step to provide HEIs with important information about the current state regarding OER and to identify areas in need of improvement. The aim is to increase the acceptance of OER in practice by supporting HEIs. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.