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Research Data Management as a Catalyst for Sustainable Learning Communities in Botswana's Higher Education: A Conceptual Exploration
Abstract
This conceptual paper examines how Research Data Management (RDM) can act as a catalyst for developing sustainable learning communities within Botswana's higher education sector. Grounded in FAIR principles and theories of collaborative engagement, the paper synthesises current literature and international models to demonstrate how RDM can extend beyond merely adhering to regulatory requirements towards fostering co-creative open educational practices. It highlights that structured data stewardship allows local institutions to curate and reuse datasets in order to create Open Educational Resources (OER), promote collaboration across institutions, and empower students to drive data narratives. Although national initiatives, such as draft Open Science policies, represent significant progress, challenges related to infrastructure, skills, and institutional mandates still hinder the widespread adoption of RDM. By drawing on successful global examples and proposing aspirational use cases for localising OER through RDM, this paper offers actionable recommendations for governance, pedagogy, and regional collaboration. Ultimately, it advocates for further research into context-sensitive paths for implementation that can foster inclusive and innovative knowledge ecosystems within African higher education.
PCF11 Sub-Theme: Sustaining Communities of Learning and Practice in Innovative Open Education
Paper ID: 1510
Subject
Country
Botswana
Region
Africa
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Adobe PDF, 298.17 KB
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Date
2025-09
Author
ORCID
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Publisher
Commonwealth of Learning (COL)