AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
AWARENESS AND UTILIZATION OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS IN FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2026
Authors
WHONG F. M
ISMAILA, S
YUSUF, A
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Library and Information Management Forum Vol. 28. No. 1 2026
Abstract
This study investigated the awareness and use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) among
postgraduate students in faculty of social sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. OERs have
emerged globally as cost‑effective, accessible, and flexible learning resources, yet their
adoption in Nigerian universities remains constrained by infrastructural, institutional, and
pedagogical challenges. That highlighting the barriers to their adoption in Nigerian
universities. Three (3) research questions guided the study; 1) assess the level of awareness of
postgraduate students regarding OERs. 2) determine the extent of availability of different types
of OERs to postgraduate students and 3) identify the challenges faced by postgraduate students
in accessing and using OERs in the Faculty of Social Sciences, ABU, Zaria. the study adopted
the quantitative research methodology, using a survey design. With a population of 279
students resulted in 271 valid responses (97.1% response rate). structured questionnaire was
the instrument used to collect Data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze frequencies,
percentages, means, and standard deviations. Findings indicated moderate awareness of
OERs' benefits but low familiarity with specific formats like open textbooks and MOOCs.
Utilization rates were low, particularly for institutional repositories. Challenges identified
included insufficient guidance, poor internet connectivity, and quality concerns. The study
concludes that despite recognition of OER benefits, low usage is tied to systemic issues, the
researchers recommends among others the need for targeted interventions to enhance OER
accessibility and training for effective use among students and faculty.
Description
Journal of Library and Information Management Forum