From Repositories to Ecosystems: The Strategic Evolution, Institutional Practices, and Policy Frameworks of Open Educational Resource Initiatives in Higher Education

Open Educational Resources (OER) in higher education are shifting from models centred on the creation and storage of learning materials towards structures characterised by greater connectivity and institutionalisation. This study analyses this development across four dimensions: the emergence of repositories; infrastructure connectivity and interoperability; the institutionalisation of OER in association with Open Educational Practices (OEP); and the formation of adaptive OER ecosystems. Drawing on a review and mapping of the literature, policy analysis, and a comparison of selected prominent OER initiatives, the study conceptualises the development of OER as a five-level progression: repository, organised production, institutionalisation, ecosystem, and adaptive/AI-enabled ecosystem. The findings indicate that repositories constitute a necessary infrastructural condition, but are insufficient in themselves to ensure the effective use, reuse, and sustainability of OER. Interoperability, stakeholder capacities, pedagogical practices, policies, and governance mechanisms become increasingly important as OER expands. Accordingly, the study argues that an OER ecosystem should be understood as a structure comprising interconnected components that can adapt to technological change, particularly the development of generative AI.