Rethinking Roles of Open-Source Platforms in Equipping Ghanaian Graduates for the Future of Work

Abstract

Open-source platforms (OSPs) hold untapped potential to equip Ghanaian graduates 
with the skills demanded by the future of work. Yet in Ghana’s higher education 
system, the impact of open-source platforms such as Sakai learning management 
software (LMS), Moodle LMS, GitHub, and Sentence-BERT models remains limited by 
fragmented strategies and poor institutional coordination. In fact, existing studies 
have failed to assess how these platforms contribute to employability. Guided by 
Connectivism, the review draws on evidence from eighteen relevant studies that 
demonstrate how open-source platforms have strong potential to support 
collaboration, digital problem-solving, and continuous learning. The value of OSPs 
remains untapped because most universities rely on them for content delivery rather 
than skill development. The analysis reveals limited curricular integration, weak 
faculty capacity, unreliable infrastructure, and fragmented digital policy structures, 
which restrict graduates’ opportunities to engage with these platforms as learning 
networks. The review establishes that current practices provide only partial support 
for the acquisition of future-oriented competencies. It also shows that institutional 
systems must shift from access provision to intentional, skill-focused design. The 
synthesis provides a clearer understanding of the structural and instructional reforms 
required to embed open-source platforms in higher education and offers practical 
insights for strengthening graduate readiness in Ghana and similar contexts. 
Keywords: Open-source platforms, skill development, Connectivism, future of work, 
higher education 
Date of submission: 16, August 2025; Date of acceptance: 17, June 2026 
Date of publication: 29th July 2026 
url: https://mjdesjournal.com/index.php/mjdes/issue/view/4 
*Corresponding author: Abigail A. Aryeh-Adjei, aaryeh-adjei@ug.edu.gh 
Citation: Amarteifio, J., Awuku, G.D. & Aryeh-Adjei, A.A. (2026). Rethinking roles of open-source 
platforms in equipping Ghanaian graduates for the future of work. Multidisciplinary Journal of Distance 
Education Studies, 2026, 4(SI), 93-115.