Adoption of open educational resources in the global south

Open Education Resources (OER) may support students in the Global South, who experience high cost of educational materials. This research aims to understand how students from the Global South adopt OER using the lens of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with the concept of playfulness. In addition, we also explored the effect of cultural factors, such as long-term orientation (LTO) and indulgence versus restraint (IVR) on OER adoption intention. 1527 students from 27 higher education institutions in eight countries in the Global South participated in the study. Multilevel linear modeling was used to test the individual-level and cross-level hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and playfulness had a significant impact on students’ intention to adopt OER. Furthermore, playfulness also strengthened the relationship between PU and the intention to adopt OER. Although the two cultural factors did not have a direct impact on students’ intention to adopt OER, IVR moderated the relationship between PU and students’ intention to adopt OER. Our research contributes to the theory of technology adoption and culture as well as the practice of OER in the Global South. institutions in eight countries in the Global South participated in the study. Multilevel linear modeling was used to test the individual-level and cross-level hypotheses. The results suggested that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), and playfulness had a significant impact on students’ intention to adopt OER. Furthermore, playfulness also strengthened the relationship between PU and the intention to adopt OER. Although the two cultural factors did not have a direct impact on students’ intention to adopt OER, IVR moderated the relationship between PU and students’ intention to adopt OER. Our research contributes to the theory of technology adoption and culture as well as the practice of OER in the Global South.