Open educational resources: Evaluation of students' intention to use and motivation to create

Abstract The advent of open educational resources (OER) has increased access to pedagogical resources that promote the quality of education, but the potential of the OER to transform pedagogical practices is yet to be realized, mainly as a result of a lack of concentration on the policies and practices necessary to support the idea of openness within the academic institutions. Several exploratory attentions have been given to educators’ adoption of OER, but little or none exists on university students’ intention to use and motivation to create OER. This study explores university students’ intention to use OER in Study 1 and motivation to create OER in Study 2 using a non‐experimental research design with a survey method and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) for the two studies. The findings indicated that the relationship between perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, zero price accessibility and availability, and attitude and university students’ intention to use OER is significantly positive for Study 1. This showed that university students’ intention to use OER can be influenced by these factors. The relationship between competence and mastery of content, personal development, reward system and motivation to create OER is significantly positive for Study 2. This implies that university students are not mere users of OER but partners in the OER crusade as creators. Practitioner notes What is already known about this topic Significant roles of OER. Faculty members as OER developers. Students as mere users of OER. What this paper adds Factors that influence university students’ intentions to use OER using a blended TAM model. Factors that influence university students’ motivation to create OER using a blended SDT theory. The significant roles of university students as OER developers. Implications for practice and/or policy University students are not mere users of OER but partners in the OER crusade as creators. Extensive information on the factors to focus on by faculty members to improve university students’ intentions to use and motivation to create OER. The need for OER policymakers to concentrate on the factors highlighted in this study to make OER policies that will promote university students’ motivation to create OER.