Open Educational Resources in African Languages: The Case Study of Elementary Kiswahili Hujambo textbook

Abstract

The rapid technological investment and internet penetration globally has seen an increased interest in digital learning tools and the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the teaching of Foreign Languages (FLs), particularly less commonly taught languages. With the rising costs of educational materials, investment in digital infrastructure to support the participation, the teaching and learning outcomes of learners are increasingly being seen as vital. While the trajectory of adoption of OERs varies across disciplines there is limited evidence on the development of evidence-based OERs for the African languages field compared to other FLs. This consequently limits their effective utilization to enhance the quality, access and equity of teaching in the field. Our research highlights the history of the OERs in the teaching of African languages, its progress, success and challenges. It presents the case study of Hujambo! A standards-based textbook for the teaching of Elementary Kiswahili. The paper outlines effective aspects that led to the success of the book project including the design that was guided by current empirical evidence, the use of authentic and semi authentic materials that provide students with real life language experience, the capacity of the research team, financial and institutional support. The paper highlights the challenges that the team encountered and provides recommendations that other experts in the field can utilize to mitigate these challenges.