Educational Science

The Project

The project 'OER Meets Qualitative Social Research' (O:QuaS) is designed to create a virtual learning environment—an OER (Open Educational Resources) library—for high-quality, subject-based self-study materials within the sphere of qualitative social research. This library aims to provide freely accessible materials for students and interested parties, assisting in both the preparation and follow-up of courses, as well as facilitating self-study. By involving students in the creation of some of these resources, a peer-to-peer learning process will be fostered. The OER library will also play a key role in quality assurance and facilitating links between different courses. Beyond open usage at the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau, a secondary objective is to publicize the OER library and encourage its utilization and development across the state.

Status Quo

At the Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, there currently exists a gap in the curriculum due to capacity constraints. No introductory courses in the field of qualitative social research are offered, despite such knowledge being a requirement per the curricular standards and examination regulations of the Department of Social Sciences' study programs. To compensate for this deficit, knowledge of qualitative methods is integrated into subject-specific courses or provided as supplemental coursework. In this context, various digital self-learning materials have already been created by both students and instructors.

To better consolidate these materials and improve their accessibility, the "OER Meets Qualitative Social Research (O:QuaS)" project was initiated to establish a virtual learning environment—an OER (Open Educational Resources) library. This library aims to offer high-quality, subject-specific self-study materials in the field of qualitative social research that are freely accessible to students and interested individuals. The emerging OER library also seeks to promote interconnectivity and quality assurance among courses oriented towards qualitative, research-based learning, while enabling cross-location development.

Project Goals

  1. Creation of Virtual Learning Environment (OER Library): The project aims to provide high-quality, expert self-learning materials in the field of qualitative social research for students and other interested parties.
  2. Support for Pre- and Post-Course Preparation: Through explainer videos and student materials, we aim to enable peer-to-peer learning and alternative methods of instruction.
  3. Understanding Qualitative Methods: Students will have the opportunity to comprehend qualitative methods from other courses and apply them in their theses or personal research projects.
  4. Strengthening the Linkage of Qualitative Research-Based Courses: The OER library allows educators to build on a shared foundation, thus enhancing the methodological-didactic quality of their courses.
  5. Cooperative Design in Course Planning: Participating lecturers will jointly maintain the OER library, fostering cooperative course planning.
  6. Bridging the Content Gap: Due to the previously inadequate representation of qualitative research methods in social and educational science courses at the Rhineland-Palatinate University of Technology Kaiserslautern-Landau, the OER library is designed to improve course offerings.
  7. Sustainable Preservation of Self-Learning Materials: The resources created during the project will be consolidated in the OER library, reviewed in light of basic quality standards, and preserved sustainably.