Building a Framework to Guide the Design and Development of Open Educational Practices for the Digital Training of University Professors

Abstract

In the context of widespread digitalization in higher education, enhancing teacher digital competence (TDC) has become a critical priority. However, institutional efforts to advance TDC, including the development of open educational resources (OER), are often hindered by the prevalence of training models that lack pedagogical depth and rely on transmissive methods. Current literature on open educational practices (OEP) has highlighted the transformative potential of openness in teaching, yet it also suggests a disconnect between the availability of resources and their actual adoption. Building upon this gap, this article describes the creation of a theoretical framework intended to guide the design of OER-based training that effectively integrates OEP for faculty development. The method employed was a qualitative, exploratory approach, constituting the first phase of a design-based research (DBR) project. The framework was constructed in two stages: first, defining its conceptual foundations through a rigorous literature review, and second, validating and refining these elements through input from experts in educational technology. The primary result is a validated theoretical framework for OER-based digital training. The conclusions emphasize that this framework is distinct from others because it serves as a meta-reflective element, focusing directly on the teacher’s own professional development and practice, rather than only on student-facing teaching processes. While the framework can guide institutional digital transformation, its initial design was developed within a specific university context, following the DBR approach. Future research will involve implementing, revising, and validating the framework in other contexts.