University Faculty Members’ Readiness for Digital Education: ICT Self-Efficacy and Open Educational Resources Integration in Odisha

The integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in higher education has significantly transformed teaching methodologies, with Open Educational Resources (OERs) emerging as key components in digital learning. This study investigates the ICT self-efficacy of university faculty members in Odisha, India, regarding their general ICT knowledge, advanced ICT proficiency, and their competence in preparing OERs. A survey design was adopted, utilizing a self-developed Technological Self-Efficacy Scale to collect data from 168 faculty members across five state public universities. The study found that faculty members exhibit high self-efficacy in general ICT tasks such as downloading files, accessing online resources, and using office software, with mean scores ranging from 2.69 to 2.95. However, moderate proficiency was observed in advanced ICT tasks, particularly in multimedia content creation and website/blog management (mean scores between 2.31 and 2.53). Furthermore, ICT self-efficacy related to OER preparation varied, with strong confidence in recommending and sharing OER (mean = 2.64) but lower proficiency in creating rubrics and uploading materials to collaborative platforms (mean = 2.18 and 2.30, respectively). The findings highlight the need for targeted faculty development programs focusing on multimedia tools, digital security, and OER content creation. Strengthening faculty training initiatives can enhance the effective integration of ICT and OERs in university teaching practices, ultimately improving digital pedagogy and resource accessibility.