Usage of Open Educational Resources (OER) by Students of Environmental Disciplines in the Czech Republic
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Abstract
Open educational resources are important innovations in educational technologies. Their appropriate use can have a number of benefits for both higher education and environmental disciplines. Conversely, poor work when using these resources can have a negative impact on students' knowledge. It is currently unclear which OER students refer to, how often and for what purposes they use them, and whether they are able to determine any criteria of quality. On the basis of previous findings, we developed a method and conducted research in the form of a questionnaire-based survey. We investigated a) the frequency of use b) the purposes of use c) subjective quality assessment. Questionnaires were distributed among students of environmental courses at five universities in the Czech Republic; 233 questionnaires were evaluated. The results showed that most students use OER frequently, especially Wikipedia, both its Czech and English versions, although many of the students also have some experience with the storage of illegal materials. Resources are used in particular as a supplementary and secondary resource, as a signpost to other resources, to prepare for a test, or when writing attestation work. As a quality resource, students value Wikipedia in particular. Most students were also able to identify at least some criteria to which they refer when assessing the quality of a resource.
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