Readiness development of open educational resources in Hong Kong

As one of the most developed cities in terms of information technologies and Internet penetration, Hong Kong possesses a high technological potential for the growth and bloom of open educational resources (OER). Yet, previous studies have shown that the use of OER in the territory has been rather limited and that potential users' reluctance and ambivalence towards it have constrained its development. This paper presents a study being carried out as the initial phase of a longitudinal project to gauge user readiness for the use and contribution of OER in the tertiary education sector of Hong Kong at intervals over a period of five years. It reviews the technological infrastructure, Government support and development of resources in the city. It then reports the results of a preliminary survey, highlighting that most university student respondents, despite their high computer literacy, have a low level of awareness and limited experience of OER, and have been exposed to only a few popular types of resources. The observations call for further institutional and instructional support to enhance university students' awareness of available resources and the benefits of their use.