Harnessing Open Educational Resources to the Challenges of Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa

Authors

  • Jayshree Thakrar
  • Freda Wolfenden
  • Denise Zinn

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i4.705

Keywords:

open educational resources, teacher education, sub-saharan Africa, TESSA, integration, university of fort hare, world wide web, classroom, resources, open universities

Abstract

The challenges to teacher educators in sub-Saharan Africa are acute. This paper describes how the Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) consortium is working within institutional and national policy systems to support school-based teacher professional development. The TESSA consortium (13 African institutions and 5 international organisations delivering teacher education across 9 countries) designed and produced a bank of open educational resources (OERs) to guide teachers’ classroom practices in school-based teacher education. Drawing on examples from the TESSA consortium and from the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, the authors categorize the forms of TESSA OER integration as highly structured, loosely structured, or guided use. The paper concludes by outlining success factors for the integration of OERs: accessibility, adequate resources, support for teachers, accommodation of local cultural and institutional practices, and sustainable funding.

Author Biographies

Jayshree Thakrar

TESSA Project Manager, Faculty of Education, University of Fort Hare

Freda Wolfenden

TESSA Director and Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Language Studies, Open University

Denise Zinn

Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, University of Fort Hare

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Published

2009-09-23

How to Cite

Thakrar, J., Wolfenden, F., & Zinn, D. (2009). Harnessing Open Educational Resources to the Challenges of Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v10i4.705

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 4 (2009): Regional Focus Issue - Open and Distance Learning in Africa

Section

Research Articles

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