OEGlobal 2026: Full Schedule

All sessions are available online except round tables, special activities, and workshops.

arrow_back View All Dates

8:45am EDT

Welcome to Day 3

Friday October 9, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am EDT

Daily Welcome
Start the day with a brief conference welcome featuring important announcements, highlights, and an overview of the day's program.

Friday October 9, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am EDT
1 Salon MIT MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

General

Speaker Modality In-person

9:00am EDT

Keynote 4

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

1 Salon MIT

Plenary Session
Conference-wide plenary featuring distinguished speakers and timely conversations on the future of open education. Speaker details will be announced soon.

Friday October 9, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
1 Salon MIT MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Plenary

Speaker Modality In-person

10:30am EDT

Democratizing Knowledge Through the Localization of OER at the School and Classroom Level in Lebanon

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33951

Relevancy:OER can facilitate the democratization of education because they are freely available for both receiving and sharing knowledge (Ossiannilsson, 2023). The open education community can use OER to invite more knowledge holders to contribute to the production and development of relevant resources that reflect those who will use them and that support their goals. However, the ways in which local knowledge holders, especially in the Global South, engage with OER is understudied. Arinto et al. (2017) have developed levels of social inclusion to understand and support the local participants in the Global South to engage with OER. Therefore, this presentation will show an example of how theory and participatory research can be used by the open education community to support innovative, inclusive open content. Research Design and Goals:I used the model from Arinto et al. (2017) as a framework to further understand the possibilities of localized OER. I conducted a case study of Lebanese Alternative Learning (LAL), a grassroots nonprofit organization in Beirut, Lebanon, which had created a digital platform called Tabshoura aligned with the Lebanese curriculum. LAL’s goal is to use this platform to support teachers and students navigating challenging and changing circumstances like the economic and refugee crises in 2023. LAL sought to understand how and why teachers engaged with Tabshoura to grow the platform, so I used a photovoice approach to understand teachers’ experiences with this OER (Wang and Burris, 1997). Teachers submitted photos and brief captions in response to a prompt, and I interviewed teachers and observed their classrooms while they taught with Tabshoura. Research Takeaways:This case study offered the opportunity to study how open content can facilitate the democratization of education by focusing on a particular use of localized OER by teachers in the Global South at the classroom and school level. The teachers reported the decisions they made about how to use Tabshoura to implement the appropriate pedagogical approaches to enable students to direct their own learning and to collaborate with other students. They used the platform to:Facilitate alternative learning outside the classroom with the use of a mobile app.Reorder lessons, simplify activities, and combine Tabshoura with additional activities to meet students’ individual needs. Edit and create content on the platform with support from LAL. Overall, the teachers expressed confidence in Tabshoura’s reliability for their goals. Many teachers also reported they felt encouraged and supported through their community with LAL, within their schools, with parents, and with students. From this case, I created a supplemental model to Arinto et al. (2017) to showcase how Lebanese teachers developed agency by engaging with OER to support their students. Presentation Takeaways:Conducting participatory research in this study showed how centering teachers helped to further define how OER can support democratizing education at the classroom and school level. The open education community can advance open content by studying and supporting those who are already sharing and receiving knowledge through OER in order to meet their goals, even in challenging circumstances.

Speakers

Bethany Eldridge

Research Associate, University of Michigan

Bethany Eldridge recently completed her PhD in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan. Her research focused on understanding how teachers of vulnerable students in Lebanon engaged with an open digital platform called Tabshoura, which was developed by a grassroots nonprofit... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

10:30am EDT

Indigenous Languages, Multimedia, and OER: From Decolonising the Mind to Democratising Knowledge

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33198

This session highlights the transformative power of indigenous languages and their ability to provide access to knowledge through multimedia Open Educational Resources. It draws from the influential ideas of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, especially his book 'Decolonising the Mind', to demonstrate that language is more than just a means of communication; it embodies culture, identity, and ways of knowing. The talk moves beyond criticizing the system to argue that true decolonization in education involves actively creating and sharing knowledge in indigenous languages.During the session, we will explore ongoing work in Yorùbá, showing how multimedia OER can take various forms: traditional storytelling, audiovisual learning tools, terminology databases, and digital content rooted in cultural contexts. These resources are designed to make information freely accessible and to promote more culturally responsive teaching. They also aim to reach young people, particularly those in the diaspora who often feel disconnected from their linguistic and cultural roots.What is exciting is how a multimedia approach: combining text, audio, visuals, and interactive features can greatly improve understanding, memory, and cultural connections. We will also address the real challenges involved: developing terminology, ensuring quality, and establishing standards for languages that have historically been minoritised. At the same time, we will highlight collaborative, community-driven methods of knowledge production.A key part of the discussion will focus on open licensing and its role in democratising access to knowledge. When educational resources are free and adaptable, communities are no longer just passive recipients; they become co-creators capable of shaping content to fit their own contexts. This shift redistributes power away from dominant knowledge systems and encourages more inclusive, diverse learning approaches.Participants will leave with practical ideas for creating multilingual, multimedia OER and strategies for integrating indigenous knowledge into both formal and informal education. This session will especially benefit educators, researchers, technologists, and cultural practitioners passionate about decolonization, digital humanities, language revitalisation, or open education.Ultimately, this session emphasises that indigenous languages are not secondary; they are central to our global knowledge systems, where access, representation, and cultural authenticity are foundational to how we learn.

Speakers

Adéṣínà Ayẹni

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

10:30am EDT

Opening Pathways to Educational Research: What We Learned from 1200+ Journals Open-Access Status

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

2 Room M

ID: 32962

How can educators fully participate in scholarly knowledge-making when so much of the field remains restricted by paywalls or publication fees? This presentation shares findings from a comprehensive study of 1,205 education journals and their current open-access status. Using this dataset, we map the distribution of publishing models across the field, including subscription-based journals, hybrid journals, and fully open-access journals, in order to examine how openness operates in practice rather than as an abstract ideal. Although open access is often described as a public good that broadens the reach of scholarship, the publishing landscape in education reveals a far more uneven and contradictory reality. Many journals still depend on reader-side paywalls, while others shift the financial burden to authors through article-processing charges. In both cases, access remains constrained, and participation in scholarly communication is shaped by financial privilege.This session makes those structural barriers visible by showing how both pay-to-read and pay-to-publish systems limit who can access research, who can contribute to it, and whose work is most likely to circulate widely. Particular attention is given to hybrid-access models, which often preserve inequity under the appearance of openness. While hybrid journals may offer an open-access option, that openness is frequently available only to authors or institutions with the resources to pay publication fees. As a result, hybrid publishing can reproduce exclusionary dynamics while still allowing journals to claim alignment with open values.Beyond describing the problem, the session introduces the journal dataset as a practical resource for educators, librarians, academic leaders, and policy advocates. Participants will see examples of journal policies and publishing arrangements that illustrate the complexity of the current landscape. They will also be invited to consider how the dataset can support local decision-making, including identifying publication venues aligned with open-access values, reviewing institutional publishing guidance, and informing conversations between faculty, libraries, and campus leadership. A simple follow-along checklist will be shared that attendees can adapt for advocacy, policy review, or strategic planning.The session’s central claim is that open access should not be treated as a niche concern left solely to libraries or individual authors. Instead, colleges and universities can take a more active role in reducing barriers to knowledge by aligning promotion and tenure expectations, funding practices, publishing guidance, and institutional policy with long-term commitments to broader public access. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of the education journal landscape, a stronger vocabulary for discussing the limitations of hybrid openness, and concrete starting points for action within their own institutions.

Speakers

Lance Eaton

Senior Associate Director of AI in Teaching & Learning, Northeastern University

Lance Eaton, PhD, is Senior Associate Director of AI in Teaching & Learning at Northeastern University. His dissertation focuses on academic piracy and open-access practices. He has published and presented on open access, open education, and open pedagogy for the last 10 years.

Danielle Leek

Project Director, Scottsdale Community College

Danielle Leek, PhD, is an instructor at Johns Hopkins University. She is also Project Director for the federally funded Open 4Peer Review initiative at Maricopa Community Colleges and Founder and Principal at Danielle Leek Consulting.

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

10:30am EDT

Students as Co-Creators: Advancing Equity and Engagement Through Collaborative Open Educational Resource Development in Undergraduate Biology

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

5 DR3

ID: 33709

Open Educational Resources (OER) are widely recognized for their role in reducing financial barriers to education; however, their potential to transform teaching and learning through open pedagogy remains underutilized, particularly in STEM disciplines. This study examines a student–faculty co-creation model implemented in undergraduate biology courses at Xavier University of Louisiana, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), where students are positioned as active contributors to the development of openly licensed instructional materials. By engaging students as co-creators, this project seeks to advance equity-centered teaching practices while deepening student learning and engagement.In this initiative, undergraduate biology students collaborate with faculty to design and develop OER materials aligned with course learning objectives, including annotated lecture slide decks, formative assessments, and study guides. These materials are intentionally designed to be culturally relevant and reflective of the diverse identities and experiences of the student population. The project emphasizes inclusive pedagogy by integrating student voice into the creation of academic content, thereby challenging traditional hierarchies of knowledge production in higher education.A mixed-methods research design is used to evaluate the impact of this co-creation model. Quantitative data include pre- and post-course surveys measuring science identity, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy in biology, as well as comparisons of course performance between student participants and non-participants. Qualitative data are collected through reflective journals, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews to capture students’ perceptions of their roles as contributors, their engagement with course content, and the perceived relevance of the materials they help create. Additional evaluation includes faculty feedback on the usability and effectiveness of student-generated OER in subsequent course offerings.Preliminary findings suggest that participation in OER co-creation enhances student ownership of learning, strengthens conceptual understanding, and fosters a stronger sense of belonging in STEM. These outcomes are particularly meaningful for students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, who often experience barriers to inclusion within traditional STEM learning environments. Furthermore, this project demonstrates that student-generated OER can serve as both a pedagogical tool and a mechanism for amplifying diverse perspectives in scientific education.This work contributes a scalable and replicable model for integrating open pedagogy into undergraduate STEM curricula. All developed materials will be openly licensed and disseminated through public repositories to support broader adoption and adaptation. By centering student voice, promoting equitable participation, and expanding access to culturally relevant resources, this project advances the broader goals of open education.

Speakers

Christopher Bolden

Assistant Professor, Xavier University of Louisiana

Christopher T. Bolden, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology at Xavier University of Louisiana. Trained in clinical and translational science, he earned his PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Clinical & Translational Science) from the University of Arkansas for Medical... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

10:30am EDT

Sustainable Open Education: Ideation, Advocacy, Policy, Networks and Champions

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33861

Open Educational Resources (OER) and OER-enabled Open Education Practices have transformative potential to improve educational quality, increase student retention, strengthen student engagement, expand access and widen participation, reduce costs for learners, foster cross-border and cross-sector collaboration, and enable the localization and contextualization of learning materials. Importantly, they also help advance international commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDG 4, which emphasises inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities.Despite this promise and proven potential, the sustainability of open education remains uneven and fragile. Across contexts, efforts are often constrained by a lack of supportive institutional and governmental policies, limited capacity and resources, and infrastructural challenges. Open education initiatives frequently remain project-based rather than embedded within core institutional operations. Additionally, weak integration within networks and communities of practice, limited responsiveness to emerging developments, and over- or underutilization of Open Education champions and policy entrepreneurs and a lack of support mechanisms also contribute to stalled progress.This presentation argues that achieving sustainable open education systems requires a more intentional andinterconnected approach centred on five key elements: ideation, advocacy, policy, networks, and champions. Drawing on findings from the recently defended PhD thesis, “Prepare for the Long Run: Strategies for Affecting Governmental OER Policy Developments by International Organisations,” the session explores how these elements interact to create enabling environments for sustainable open education. The study examined how international organizations influence the development of governmental OER policy and how these efforts are perceived by policymakers, experts, and advisors across 33 countries, states, and provinces.The findings from the PhD research highlight that sustainable change does not emerge from isolated interventions but from sustained processes of ideation—where shared visions and narratives around openness are developed and refined—and advocacy, which translates these ideas into compelling cases for action tailored to specific policy contexts. Policy plays a critical role in embedding open education within formal systems and ensuring continuity beyond individual projects or funding cycles. However, policy alone is insufficient without strong networks that facilitate knowledge exchange, collaboration, and mutual learning across sectors and geographies. These networks amplify impact, support capacity building, and help align local practices with global developments.Equally important are champions and policy entrepreneurs—individuals and groups who actively promote, translate, and operationalize open education within their contexts and drive policy developments. These actors bridge gaps between ideas, policy, and practice, often serving as catalysts for institutional and systemic change.By integrating ideation, advocacy, policy, networks, and champions, this presentation proposes a framework for advancing sustainable open education ecosystems. It emphasizes the need to move beyond fragmented, short-term initiatives toward coordinated, long-term approaches that embed openness within the core of education systems.

Speakers

Igor Lesko

Co-Executive Director, Open Education Global

Igor Lesko, PhD, is Co-Executive Director of Open Education Global (https://www.oeglobal.org/), an international nonprofit organizationpromoting and mainstreaming open education worldwide. Originally from Slovakia and based in South Africa since 2003, he has over 16 years of experience... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

10:30am EDT

Feminist Pedagogy as Liberatory Practice

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:35am EDT

3 Room I

ID: 34013

Equity and inclusion have recently become contentious topics on college campuses, but in the classroom, the expectation for student-centered learning remains constant. As educators navigate the tension between increased scrutiny of their teaching practices and eroding higher education institutions, pedagogy is at an inflection point. Institutional incentives to perpetuate the status quo abound; now more than ever, the educational is political.This panel calls for an analysis of power in and outside the classroom, and a confrontation of the patriarchal and oppressive underpinnings of traditional pedagogy. Despite a renewed focus on inclusion in the classroom, many teaching practices still center the professor-as-expert; promote a canon of white, Western-centric ways of knowing; and perpetuate a violent culture of individualism. Mainstream discourse around student-centered learning tends to reinforce hegemonic power structures and place the burden of change on educators rather than on institutions. To foster learning environments that are marked by belonging, agency, and connection, and to prepare students for an increasingly complex society, inclusive teaching practices must be accompanied by an analysis of power, both in the classroom and in the world around them.Feminist pedagogy is a framework that places questions of power, inequality, and justice at the center of teaching. Feminist scholar and educator bell hooks, informed by Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, defined feminist pedagogy as a liberatory practice that fosters critical thinking and provides students with the tools to question inequality and social structures. hooks framed the pursuit of learning as intertwined with the pursuit of liberation, and elevates educators as as catalysts for transformation who should foster love and justice. There is no precise formula for practicing feminist pedagogy; it comprises a set of unifying themes such as reducing the classroom power gap, viewing students as active participants in their education, addressing systems of oppression, and challenging those systems through a democratized classroom.This panel aims to highlight ways in which feminist pedagogical practices are currently shaping education, and explore ethical and practical challenges that educators face in their teaching. Emerging from the collaborative book project Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design (MIT Press, 2023), which illuminates design as a feminist practice, we propose a moderated dialogue featuring five educators working at the intersections of art, design, and technology, each from diverse backgrounds and institutions in and outside the U.S. Each panelist arrives at this conversation through the unique lens of their own identities and experiences as educators, administrators, practicing designers, mothers, social workers, queer folx, and people of color. Topics to be addressed include power relations in the classroom; care as a pedagogical method; culturally responsive mentorship; curricula and projects that center social justice; where feminist and decolonial perspectives merge; and enacting change within institutions. Panelists will share a plurality of approaches to implementing feminist ways of knowing and doing in the classroom that could be applicable to any discipline. With an emphasis on collaboration and community, we aim to generate an open dialogue about education as a liberatory practice for both students and educators.

Speakers

Heather Snyder Quinn

Associate Professor, DePaul University

Heather Snyder Quinn, MFA is an Associate Professor of Design and Civics Institute Teacher-Scholar. She was named a 2024 “Researcher to Know” by the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and serves on the board of directors for DePaul’s Institute for Business and Professional... Read More →

Ayako Takase

Associate Professor, Rhode Island School of Design

Ayako Takase is a designer and educator who centers their practice on creating experiences and objects that foster meaningful, emotive connections with people, culture, and audiences. Her life is a mixture of east and west—her early upbringing in Japan fostered an appreciation of... Read More →

Jeff Kasper

Associate Professor, UMass Amherst

Jeff Kasper is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and educator, specializing in public art, design, community education, and social engagement. He creates text-based projects, experimental publications, games, audio storytelling, open editions, exhibitions, and workshops, often... Read More →

Alison Place

Assistant Professor Educator, University of Cincinnati

Alison Place is a designer, educator, and writer whose work explores the intersection of design and feminist theory as a space for critical making and radical speculation. She is the author of Feminist Designer: On the Personal and the Political in Design (MIT Press 2023), which illuminates... Read More →

Sarah Rutherford

Associate Professor, Cleveland State University

Sarah Rutherford is an Associate Professor of Design and the Undergraduate Director of Design at Cleveland State University and a former President of AIGA Cleveland. She researches, writes, and speaks about pedagogy and learning in higher education. She holds a Master of Fine Arts... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:35am EDT
3 Room I MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

11:05am EDT

From Quality to Transparency: Leveraging AI for Assessment and Version Tracking in Open Educational Resources

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

6 DR4

ID: 32776

Open Educational Resources (OER) are designed to be openly reused, revised, and remixed, resulting in continuous and often decentralized evolution of content. While this dynamic nature is central to the ethos of open education, it also creates persistent challenges related to quality assurance, transparency, and the fair recognition of contributors. In current OER ecosystems, quality evaluation is frequently manual, subjective, and difficult to scale, while existing versioning mechanisms primarily document structural changes without capturing their semantic, pedagogical, or epistemic impact. As a result, it remains unclear how individual contributions influence the overall quality of a resource over time.This presentation proposes two novel perspectives: 1. AI-driven content quality assessment and 2. AI-based version tracking. Building on recent advances in generative AI and natural language processing, we explore how large language models and semantic evaluation techniques can be used to assess textual OER along multiple criteria. These criteria are operationalized to enable systematic, scalable, and partially explainable assessments that approximate human judgment while maintaining consistency across large collections of resources.Crucially, this work extends the role of quality assessment beyond static evaluation. By comparing successive versions of an OER, AI-based assessments can be used to measure how specific edits influence quality dimensions. Based on this foundation, the presentation introduces an AI-driven approach to version tracking that integrates semantic comparison with quality-aware evaluation. The proposed framework identifies meaningful changes between versions, classifies them according to their functional and pedagogical relevance, and links them to shifts in quality metrics. Overall, this research positions AI not as a replacement for human judgment, but as an augmentative tool that can enhance transparency, scalability, and fairness in OER practices. It offers a conceptual and technical foundation for rethinking how quality, contribution, and evolution are interconnected in the next generation of open educational infrastructures.

Speakers

Shahla Rasulzade

PhD candidate, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education

I am Shahla Rasulzade, a PhD candidate in Computer Science and a system architect working on the OERInfo project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). My research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence and Open Educational Resources... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

11:05am EDT

Innovating Open Simulation: Transforming Healthcare Education Through Open Content, Access, and Equity

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33834

Healthcare education increasingly relies on simulation to prepare learners for real-world clinical practice. However, the cost of simulation technology has grown rapidly, often outpacing even textbook expenses and creating significant financial barriers for many programs and students. Educators must recognize the range of higher-education costs that extend well beyond the price of textbooks.Despite its educational value, published simulation resources frequently fail to meet the diverse needs of healthcare learners and providers. Many scenario libraries are proprietary, restricted to specific vendor platforms, and limited by access controls, rendering them inaccessible for adaptation or public use. Additionally, commercially developed scenarios often lack representation of specialty populations, including Indigenous communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and socioeconomically diverse groups. Simulations must reflect diverse populations to prepare healthcare providers to deliver equitable, patient-centered care. A lack of diversity in simulation scenarios limits learners’ ability to practice inclusive and culturally responsive care.A consistent framework for simulation design, delivery, and evaluation is essential to ensure high-quality learning experiences. Embedding standards of best practice in simulation supports alignment with educational theory and intended learner outcomes. Such frameworks also enhance reproducibility and promote equity across programs, increasing the accessibility and adaptability of simulation in varied healthcare contexts.Simulation as a learning modality encompasses multiple components, including electronic health records (EHRs) for clinical decision-making and documentation, facilitator guides, operational logistics, learner materials, and structured prebriefing and debriefing. Because EHRs are integral to clinical practice, their inclusion in simulation enhances authenticity and better prepares learners for realistic workflows.Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a promising paradigm for healthcare simulation. Using platforms such as Pressbooks, educators can develop openly licensed simulation content that is modular, customizable, and globally accessible. Open digital frameworks reduce financial barriers, foster collaboration, and support innovation across institutions and disciplines.This presentation will highlight an in-progress undergraduate nursing simulation exemplar being developed as a comprehensive, openly licensed resource adaptable for programs worldwide. The project demonstrates how a fully developed OER simulation including integrated EHR materials, facilitator guides, and learner resources can advance global accessibility, curricular alignment, and equitable learning across diverse settings.The presentation will also describe key principles for developing OER-based simulation that reduce barriers and increase access. Presenters will provide practical examples of adapting open simulation resources for diverse contexts and discuss strategies for building collaborative networks that support sustainability and ongoing development. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to transform simulation education within their own settings.

Speakers

Teresa Connolly

Associate Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing

Dr. Teresa Connolly is an Associate Professor of Teaching at the University of Colorado College of Nursing on the Anschutz Medical Campus. She has been a nurse for over 20 years, a professor for 13 years, and has worked with open educational resources (OER) for more than 7 years... Read More →

Fara Bowler

Associate Professor, University of Colorado Anschutz College of Nursing

Dr. Fara Bowler is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado College of Nursing, where she serves as Assistant Dean of Clinical Simulation Science and Senior Director of Clinical Partnership and Placements. With over a decade at the institution, she has led innovative simulation... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

11:05am EDT

Scaling OER Adoption in the Arab Region: The OER SMART Model

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

5 DR3

ID: 32534

The session will present the design, implementation, and impact of the “OER SMART” project that was supported by UNESCO and implemented by Al-Quds Open University from Palestine and Queen Rania Center from Jordan, aimed at promoting OER concepts, reuse, and practices in Palestine and Jordan, with potential for scaled-up impact across the Arab region.The project focused on improving the understanding, capabilities and institutional preparedness for OER implementation within contexts where access to quality has been uneven. The project emphasised a comprehensive needs assessment to identify the requirements of educators and policymakers as well as key stakeholders in higher education. A self-paced, multilingual online training course was designed covering OER concepts and open licensing, quality assurance, planning for pedagogical use, and development of OER policy.The project's integrated model is a key innovation that combines digital learning with capacity building through Training of Trainers (ToT). A training was conducted for forty participants from universities and ministries of education in Palestine, Jordan to act as OER ambassadors to create a multiplier effect and sustain the knowledge. Results from the evaluations revealed that there was an increase of above 20% in the knowledge and skills of the participants, suggesting that the use of structured digital content in conjunction with participatory training was effective. The session will demonstrate the various formats of the OER SMART course including mobile apps, learning objects, web-based and open multimedia resources. These elements demonstrate how open education can be designed to be inclusive, interactive and tailored towards various education settings.The session will importantly reflect on the challenges of implementing OER in developing and fragile contexts, including policy gaps, language barriers and sustainability issues. The presentation will share practical strategies to overcome challenges related to building communities of practice; aligning OER with relevant national education strategies; and enhancing regional collaboration.This session, aligned with the OEGlobal 2026 theme, emphasizes how collaborative and context-sensitive open education practices can serve to defend knowledge as a public good, especially in underrepresented regions. This provides a model that institutions and policy makers can use to upscale the OER initiative, while ensuring quality and impact.

Speakers

Mahmoud Hawamdeh

Project Manager, Al-Quds Open University

Dr. Mahmoud Hawamdeh is an EdTech researcher and educational expert with over 25 years of experience in higher education, particularly in digital pedagogy, policy, and innovation. He is a current project manager for national education reform and a prominent figure at Al-Quds Open... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

11:05am EDT

Scaling OER Peer Review with Artificial Intelligence: A MERLOT Pilot Study

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33987

Open educational resources (OER) are expanding rapidly across disciplines and repositories, yet the peer review systems designed to evaluate them have not scaled at the same pace. As a result, many high-quality OER remain unreviewed, limiting their discoverability, credibility, and adoption. Because peer review typically relies on volunteer disciplinary experts, communities such as the Biology Editorial Board of MERLOT face persistent backlogs of materials awaiting evaluation. In addition, OER are sometimes perceived as lower quality simply because they are inexpensive and relatively easy to produce, despite the rigor of many existing resources. This project explores whether artificial intelligence (AI) can meaningfully support OER peer review workflows while maintaining the rigor and transparency expected in scholarly evaluation. In partnership with industry collaborators, we are piloting an AI-assisted review system that applies the MERLOT Peer Review rubric to OER. The system uses structured prompts to guide AI in generating rubric-aligned draft reviews addressing key evaluation dimensions: quality of content, potential effectiveness as a teaching tool, ease of use, and accessibility.Importantly, the goal of this work is not to replace expert reviewers but to investigate how AI might augment human review processes. The AI generates structured preliminary evaluations that can assist with summarizing materials, rubric alignment, and draft review generation. Human reviewers then assess the AI-generated reviews using the same rubric criteria to determine whether the AI evaluation is coherent, accurate, and useful for disciplinary review boards. A composite review containing both AI and human review would be submitted as the final review. The study design compares AI-generated reviews with expert human peer reviews across a sample of OER drawn from established repositories such as MERLOT, OpenStax, and the Open Textbook Library. Pilot testing begins with a small set of materials to refine workflows and prompt design, followed by a larger evaluation set allowing comparison of scoring alignment between AI and expert reviewers. Key metrics include agreement between AI and expert ratings across rubric dimensions, reproducibility of AI scores across repeated evaluations, and rubric-based assessments of the clarity and completeness of AI-generated reviews.Additional system capabilities include automated citation verification through open databases such as PubMed and the Directory of Open Access Journals, link validation to identify outdated or broken resources, and analysis of visual elements. These tools allow AI to assist with time-consuming review tasks while preserving the need for disciplinary expertise in evaluating scientific accuracy and pedagogical appropriateness.This presentation will describe the design of the AI-assisted review workflow, the process of translating a human peer review rubric into structured AI prompts, and preliminary findings from early pilot testing. We will also discuss limitations and ethical considerations, including where AI evaluation is reliable, where it requires human oversight, and how AI-supported review might responsibly scale peer review capacity within open education ecosystems.By examining how AI can support, but not replace, expert peer review, this work contributes to broader conversations about the future of open knowledge infrastructures and the responsible integration of emerging technologies into open education systems.

Speakers

Michael Plotkin

Associate Professor, Department Chair. Co-Editor MERLOT Biology Editorial Board, Mt. San Jacinto College

Michael Plotkin is associate professor and department chair of biological sciences at Mt. San Jacinto College in California. He is an active member of the college’s honors enrichment program and has held roles in several OER initiatives, including serving as a reviewer for the California... Read More →

Medora Huseby

Associate Professor, Colorado State University

Medora Huseby is a member of the teaching faculty in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology at Colorado State University, where she focuses on open educational practices and student engagement in open education. She chairs the Open Educational Resources (OER) Committee... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

11:05am EDT

The 20-Year Journey of Open Education in Japan: Moving from Institutional Initiatives Toward a Nation-Wide Collaborative Ecosystem

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33739

Open Education (OE) in Japan has reached a significant turning point, marking 20 years since the launch of OpenCourseWare (OCW) initiatives. This session provides a comprehensive overview of the Japanese OE movement, focusing on the collaborative efforts led by member universities of Open Education Japan (OEJ). By reflecting on twenty years of history, this presentation analyzes the ongoing journey of Japanese higher education institutions as they strive to move beyond individual institutional repositories toward a nationwide collaborative ecosystem.The journey began in 2005 with the formation of the Japan OCW Consortium (JOCW), involving early adopters such as the University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Osaka University, Keio University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Nagoya University, alongside Hokkaido University. This initial phase focused on the "openness" of high-quality lecture materials through institutional OCW platforms. The second phase of this retrospective examines the expansion into Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Since the establishment of JMOOC in 2013, OEJ member universities have played a pivotal role in diversifying open content, leveraging their unique academic strengths to contribute to a collective pool of open knowledge. The session will also detail OEJ's collaborative governance model. Unlike top-down mandates, Japan’s OE movement has been characterized by a bottom-up, community-driven approach. This network has facilitated the exchange of usable knowledge and best practices, serving as a foundation for the collaborative framework that the community is currently endeavoring to solidify. A distinctive highlight of this inter-university synergy is the development of the cross-university OCW search system (https://search.oejapan.org). This platform was established to bridge fragmented institutional efforts, allowing users to search across the diverse OCW repositories of multiple universities from a single entry point. By aggregating metadata and providing a unified search interface, this initiative serves as a tangible example of how Japanese institutions are collaborating to improve the discoverability and accessibility of open resources, moving closer to a shared national infrastructure. Finally, the presentation addresses future prospects and the persistent hurdles to achieving a fully integrated ecosystem. While significant progress has been made through systems such as the cross-university portal, the transition to a resilient, nationwide network remains a work in progress. Key topics include the impact of generative AI, the shift toward Open Educational Practices (OEP), and the necessary policy shifts to sustain this collaborative vision.

Speakers

Katsusuke Shigeta

Professor, Information Inititative Center / Hokkaido University

Dr. Katsusuke Shigeta is a Professor at the Information Initiative Center and Director of the Data-Driven Education Initiative Center at Hokkaido University. He serves as the President of Open Education Japan (OEJ) and was previously a member of the Board of Directors for Open Education... Read More →

Takaya Yamazato

Professor, Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nagoya University

Dr. Takaya Yamazato is a Professor and Deputy Director at the Institute of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Keio University in 1993. He joined Nagoya University as an Assistant Professor in 1993 and later served... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

11:50am EDT

Embedding No-Cost and Low-Cost Materials in Program Design

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33233

Open Educational Resources (OER) and other affordable learning materials are often adopted at the course level, yet students experience programs across a sequence of courses. Program-level information can illustrate how performance aligns across a program or course sequence and how students engage with course materials and learning activities over time. Because program-level quality and effectiveness assessment guides how programs are structured and reviewed, these processes create opportunities to consider the learning experience, including access to materials and possible barriers to successful, on-time completion. From this perspective, course material choices can function as elements of program design and support progression, completion, and performance. Open Education Practices contribute to this work through shared development, collaboration across faculty, and iterative improvement that aligns materials with the student experience and program goals. The session will discuss how these considerations appear within existing institutional contexts and how they can inform ongoing cycles of program review, evaluation, and improvement.

Speakers

Joshua Nave

Director of Academic Affairs, Tennessee Higher Education Commission

Joshua Nave, Director of Academic Affairs at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), works with institutional and system leaders to ensure academic programs align with state priorities and support Tennessee’s evolving workforce and student needs. In his role, he supports... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

11:50am EDT

Filmbuilding: A Framework for Connection, Creativity, and Collective Learning

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 33723

At a time when access to knowledge and the ability to meaningfully engage with it is increasingly fragmented, educators are being called not just to share information, but to cultivate connection, creativity, and collective agency. This session introduces Filmbuilding as an open, adaptable framework that transforms learners from passive recipients of knowledge into active co-creators of meaning, relationships, and real-world solutions.Filmbuilding is a collaborative, project-based approach in which participants co-create short films through an emergent, iterative process that prioritizes curiosity, lived experience, and shared authorship. Unlike traditional media education models that emphasize technical skill acquisition or predefined outcomes, Filmbuilding operates as an open educational practice that is inherently flexible, culturally responsive, and transferable across contexts.Drawing from implementations in various settings — including city-wide initiatives like Filmbuilding Malden, school-based programs at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and partnerships with organizations such as METCO and international sister city programs — this presentation demonstrates how Filmbuilding functions as a connective infrastructure. It creates spaces where diverse participants collaboratively explore identity, community, and complex social challenges through visual storytelling.Aligned with the OE Global 2026 theme of “inventing together to uphold knowledge as a public good,” this session highlights how Filmbuilding expands access not just to content, but to the processes of knowledge creation itself. Participants engage in real-time collaboration, navigating ambiguity, negotiating perspectives, and building shared understanding; skills essential for both open education practitioners and global citizens.The session will illustrate how Filmbuilding fosters:Human connection through structured yet open-ended collaboration across cultural and institutional boundariesCreativity and curiosity by centering exploration over correctness and process over productCollective resilience by enabling participants to engage with real-world issues in ways that are experiential, relational, and solution-orientedShared ownership of knowledge by positioning participants as co-creators who shape, interpret, and contribute meaningfully to the learning processImportantly, Filmbuilding is not presented as a fixed program, but as a scalable and adaptable framework that can be integrated into diverse educational ecosystems, including K-12 classrooms, higher education, community organizations, and cross-cultural exchanges. Its alignment with open education principles lies in its emphasis on co-creation, accessibility, and the democratization of storytelling as a tool for knowledge production.Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how Filmbuilding can be applied within their own contexts to foster deeper engagement, strengthen community ties, and empower learners to collaboratively address complex challenges. The session will conclude with a Q&A inviting participants to explore potential adaptations, partnerships, and future applications within the global open education movement.

Speakers

Tom Flint

Founder & Director of Filmbuilding, Filmbuilding

Tom Flint is a moving image educator and filmmaker whose work sits at the intersection of film and cultural exchange. He is the founder and director of Filmbuilding, an educational initiative in which communities co-create films to explore and engage with real-world challenges. At... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

11:50am EDT

Hard Choices, Moral Decisions, and Democracy: Overcoming the “Moral Deficit” Assumption by Building OER Texts

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33863

After two decades of teaching philosophy, one thing stands out: students show up knowing far more about ethics than standard textbooks give them credit for. They make moral choices long before they set foot in a philosophy classroom. Yet ethics textbooks often neglect this prior experience, tacitly assuming that students’ lack of philosophical knowledge and skill is not only an academic issue, but a moral deficit to be corrected. In other words, students cannot make real moral choices until they have studied philosophy.This presentation argues that this "moral deficit" assumption is wrong on two counts. First, it is morally wrong because it fails to recognize that students are already engaged in authentic moral reasoning. Community college students regularly navigate moral complexity in balancing work, family, and academic issues. Second, it is pedagogically wrong; good teaching does not begin by implicitly insulting students. It begins grounded in the experiences they bring to the classroom. Democratic education holds that the classroom is the place where students' own concerns are connected to larger issues and traditions; the teacher functions as a bridge between student experience and broader concerns. A curious teacher, genuinely interested in students' lives, is better positioned to build that bridge. In philosophical ethics, this means that concepts like supererogatory — actions that are morally good but not required — are introduced not as technical vocabulary, but as names for things students already understand. The concept illuminates existing student experience; it is not positioned as correcting some sort of deficit. Ideally, it also sparks curiosity about how philosophical resources might be acquired and deployed in ways that make students’ lives richer.OER content is uniquely positioned to contribute to this democratic vision. Freed from the cost and profit concerns of commercial publishing, OER can be focused and grounded in student experiences. As editable, living texts, they can be flexible — capable of functioning as part of a learning ecosystem rather than a static authoritative text. Additionally, because OER is accessible, it can serve students beyond the classroom — as a resource they return to beyond college. For many community college students, this may be their only philosophy course; OER designed around their experiences gives philosophical ethics its best chance of sticking.This presentation draws on the ongoing development of an OER ethics textbook to ground the discussion, before inviting participants to collaboratively build a practical Framework for Experience-First OER Ethics Design — a set of core design principles and guiding questions that can be used to audit existing content or construct new materials that treats student experience as a resource. This framework might be applied for content well beyond a course in philosophical ethics, given ethical concerns permeate throughout the curriculum. The presenter will bring draft framework elements drawn from this ongoing textbook development, which participants will critically engage with, refine, and expand together. Participants leave with materials they helped shape and can apply in their own contexts.

Speakers

Nakia S. Pope

Associate Professor, Northwest Vista College

Nakia is an Associate Professor in philosophy at Northwest Vista College, where he has taught ethics and other philosophy courses for over seven years. He's been involved in faculty development, curriculum design, assessment, and other administrative pursuits at a variety of institutions... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

11:50am EDT

Strategic Partnerships to Support Open Initiatives Across STEM

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33178

While STEM disciplines account for a substantial share of undergraduate OER, science education remains underrepresented in the discourse, leadership, and conceptual framing of the open education movement. However, there are many intersections and areas of mutual interest, particularly in the age of Generative AI. In this session, we showcase the many ways that the RIOS Institute has focused on critical intersections within the Open Ecosystem as a way to achieve our mission to transform and decolonize undergraduate science education. We highlight OCTOPUS - an open education and open science curriculum project, VECINA - an academic-community research partnership which has informed the development of course-based undergraduate research experiences, and various projects focused at the intersection of open education and AI. As we take participants through these intersections, we emphasize the understanding of the culture and histories of STEM and how they promote or sometimes counter open ethos. The OCTOPUS Project (Open Collaboration for Transformative Open Pedagogy to support Undergraduate Open Science Education) supports educators to integrate Open Pedagogy in undergraduate Open Science education. By positioning students as co-creators of knowledge and fostering democratic, collaborative, critical, ethical and justice-oriented approaches to science, our goal is to achieve a cultural shift towards universal scientific practice that is open, equitable, and designed to serve the public. The Visualizing Environmental and Community Information for Neighborhood Advocacy (VECINA) project embraces the tradition of open scholarship by creating a collaborative of data researchers between researchers, students, and community members. Open challenges the hierarchies in STEM which dictate who is a researcher. The project itself focuses on making data and its analysis open to other researchers, including student researchers, but also relevant and accessible to the community through community leadership. This challenges and broadens academic STEM definitions of impactful scholarship and research. The scope of these projects have spanned mathematics, biology, computer science, and Latin American studies and the projects within VECINA have spanned healthcare, environmental justice, and education. This version of open challenges the siloed nature of disciplinary research and the spaces in which it occurs while also serving to introduce the next generation of researchers into open science and education.The RIOS Institute also provides numerous opportunities for participants to engage in privacy-protected free spaces to grapple with difficult questions arising for Open Ed in the face of AI. We highlight how some open pedagogies can be enabled by Generative AI, for example by allowing play and exploration. And how Open pedagogy can be leveraged to engage students in critical use of AI through activities such as co-construction of Generative AI class policies, and in student constructed AI tools. The unique role of STEM offers opportunities to shed light on the development and understanding of AI itself. For example, within many STEM classes, the fundamental science underpinnings of AI are discussed, from data analysis and stochasticity to programming and modeling. This new age of accessible Generative AI has spurred a variety of initiatives within STEM focused on AI literacy and navigating the information landscape.

Speakers

Karen Cangialosi

Director of Open Education and Open Science, RIOS Institute

Dr. Karen Cangialosi is a passionate change agent, dedicated educator, and student advocate with national recognition in open education, STEM ed, and digital pedagogy. As a Professor of Biology at Keene State College (now emeritus), she brought open education into the biology curriculum... Read More →

Carrie Diaz Eaton

Professor and Chair/Executive Director, Digital and Computational Studies, Bates College/RIOS Institute

Dr. Carrie Diaz Eaton is Professor and Chair of Digital and Computational Studies at Bates College, and co-founder and Executive Director of the RIOS Institute which focuses on improving postsecondary STEM education ecosystems. They are deeply committed to decolonizing education and... Read More →

Kaitlin Bonner

Associate Professor of Biology/Director of Professional Development, St. John Fisher University/RIOS Institute

Dr. Kaitlin Bonner is an Associate Professor of Biology and Open Education Faculty Fellow at St. John Fisher University. As a passionate educator and student advocate, she brings a deep commitment to making STEM education more inclusive, accessible, and affordable. Her teaching spans... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

11:50am EDT

Future of Openness: A Human-in-the-Loop Framework for Agentic OER

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:55pm EDT

3 Room I

ID: 34020

As generative AI reshapes the educational landscape, the open education community faces a critical crossroads: Will technology automate the student experience, or can we "invent" new practices that safeguard the human element of learning? This panel discussion invites participants to explore a transformative "Human-in-the-Loop" (HITL) framework for assessment. Rooted in AI engineering but reimagined for the classroom, the HITL model ensures that technology acts as a supportive tool for student growth rather than a "black box" replacement for intellectual effort.By innovating open practices that prioritize the learning process over the final output, we uphold knowledge as a public good and ensure that student agency remains the heartbeat of open education. This discussion introduces a dual-tool pedagogical framework designed to foster a resilient learning process. We will discuss our experiences on how two specific tools—The Forge and Discuss-It—work in tandem to transition OER from passive content delivery to an Agentic OER model. In this model, the "loop" of learning is anchored by the student rather than the algorithm. Rather than deploying writing analytics as a tool for surveillance, The Forge reinvents them as a transparency engine, shifting the power back to the student to document and own their creative writing process. It allows students to visualize the evolution of their work, documenting the iterative steps of their thought process. We will discuss how this shift to Agentic AI principles empowers students to treat their intellectual labor as a valuable public contribution. By making the "messy" stages of drafting visible, we make the use of "black box" automation less appealing and highlight the intrinsic value of human effort. Complementing The Forge, Discuss-It is a multimodal interaction platform that fosters authentic communication by integrating audio and video threaded dialogues directly into the learning path. This tool breaks down the text-heavy barriers that often isolate online learners, transforming assessment into an active, humanized exchange of ideas. Together, these tools form a HITL framework where the student remains the primary author and navigator of their progress, supported—but not supplanted—by emergent technology.Participants will engage with the "Come Invent With Us!" call to action by examining how these tools prevent the commodification of student data and protect the privacy of the learning journey. By centering assessment on the authentic human process, we offer a provocation to the field: to invent a future where Agentic OER does not hide the student behind a prompt, but instead illuminates the brilliance of their individual progress.

Speakers

Sarah Harmon

OER/ZTC Program Manager and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics, Cañada College

Dr. Sarah Harmon is the OER/ZTC Program Manager and Adjunct Professor of Linguistics at Cañada College in Redwood City, California. She brings experience in AI, OER, and faculty development across multiple college contexts. Her work focuses on practical, scalable approaches that... Read More →

Delmar Larsen

Professor and CEO, University of California, Davis and LibreTexts

Delmar Larsen is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of California, Davis, and a leading advocate for open education. He is the founder and CEO of the LibreTexts project, one of the world’s largest open educational resource (OER) platforms, providing freely accessible, customizable... Read More →

Michelle Pilati

Professor and Open Education Resource Initiative Director, Rio Hondo College

Michelle Pilati is a Professor of Psychology at Rio Hondo College and a recognized leader in open education and online learning within the California Community Colleges system. She has served as faculty at Rio Hondo since 1999 and has extensive experience teaching in online and hybrid... Read More →

Shagun Kaur

Faculty and ZTC Grants Coordinator, De Anza College

Shagun Kaur is a Communication Studies faculty member at De Anza College and a statewide leader in open educational resources (OER) and zero-textbook-cost (ZTC) initiatives through the ASCCC OERI. Her work focuses on building sustainable, faculty-driven pathways that expand access... Read More →

Cristina Moon

Professor, Chabot College

Cristina Moon, Ph.D. is a Professor of Spanish at Chabot College, where she has been a full-time faculty member since 2006. She earned her B.A. in Spanish Literature from University of California, Berkeley and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from University... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:55pm EDT
3 Room I MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

11:50am EDT

Who Maintains the Commons? A Hybrid Panel on Hacking OER for Shared Stewardship

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:55pm EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33906

If open educational resources are to serve the public good in fields where knowledge shifts from semester to semester, we must stop treating them like books and start treating them as commons that require ongoing care. This hybrid panel brings together OER authors, administrators, and platform developers to hash out what it would actually take to build infrastructures for shared maintenance and governance—economically, technologically, and culturally. Our starting provocation comes from recently published work on OER as dynamic digital commons (Daly, Ahmad, & Schneider, 2026). The panel uses that work as a shared reference point, but panelists will bring their own experiences to bear from authoring, administering, and building the tools that hold OER together.Three clusters of questions will structure the conversation. First, on economic flows: why does funding still stop at creation and one-way adoption, and what would it look like for grants, consortial dues, or platforms like Open Collective to sustain maintenance labor over years rather than weeks? Second, on technology: current OER platforms are designed for publication and adaptation rather than collaboration, lacking the version control, upstream contribution, and contributor identification features that open source communities rely on. What would it take for platforms to integrate these affordances without losing the accessibility that has made tools like Pressbooks successful? Third, on culture: how do we shift adopter expectations from passive reading to active participation, and what role should governance documents inside OER themselves play in signaling that shift?Audience engagement is central to the session design. After brief opening positions from each panelist (roughly fifteen minutes total), the moderator will open the floor using a hybrid-friendly format that blends live microphone questions with a shared online document and chat channel, so that in-person and remote attendees contribute on equal footing. We will pose two or three targeted prompts to the audience, for example, asking participants to name one maintenance obstacle they have encountered in their own work, and feed responses back into the panel discussion live.By the end of the session, attendees will have heard multiple grounded perspectives on challenges to OER maintenance, a working vocabulary for discussing OER as dynamic digital commons, and a short list of concrete next steps they can bring back to their own institutions, platforms, and funding bodies.

Speakers

Nathan Schneider

Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Nathan Schneider is an associate professor of media studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he leads the Media Economies Design Lab and the MA program in Media and Public Engagement. He is the author of four books, most recently Governable Spaces: Democratic Design for... Read More →

Cheryl Casey

Open Education Librarian, University of Arizona

Cheryl Casey has led OER initiatives at the University of Arizona since 2014. She’s active in the OER community as a trainer for the Open Education Network (OEN) and one of the instructors for the OEN's Certificate in Open Education Librarianship. She holds a a Master’s in Library... Read More →

Diana Daly

Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Information Science, University of Arizona

Dr. Diana Daly has authored open educational resources including Humans R Social Media and Decoding Deception, and a scholar in information science focused on literacies in new media technologies including artificial intelligence, and on information trust, misinformation, and information... Read More →

Amanda Coolidge

VP, Strategic Engagement and Growth, Pressbooks

Amanda Coolidge is VP of Strategic Engagement and Growth at Pressbooks, where she leads marketing, sales, and customer success and serves as product manager for the company's microcredential platform. She is the founder of Coolidge Collaborative and former Executive Director of BCcampus... Read More →

Nancy A. Henke

Open Education Librarian, University of Colorado Denver

Nancy A. Henke is the Open Education Librarian at the University of Colorado Denver where she works to advance initiatives related to Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) and Open Educational Resources (OER). She earned her degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Iowa... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 11:50am - 12:55pm EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

12:25pm EDT

Critical Open Educational Practices: Beyond Access, Toward Pedagogical Transformation

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33846

What does it actually look like when an educator stops asking “how do I cover the content?” and starts asking “who is this course designed to serve?” That question, and the work that follows, is at the center of this session.This presentation draws on findings from a qualitative case study of seven educators from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MinnState) system, along with the presenter’s experience facilitating a Community of Practice focused on Critical Open Educational Practices (Critical OEPs). Grounded in critical pedagogy, Critical OEPs provide a framework organized around four pillars: collaborative dialogue, critical reflection, inquiry-based learning, and transformative action. This study offers a practice-based account of how educators take up Critical OEPs over time within a structured Community of Practice. The session highlights key findings related to how educators came to understand and use Critical OEPs in their teaching, how this work shaped their pedagogical decisions, and how they connected it to broader questions about purpose, equity, and responsibility in education.Educators moved into this work through multiple pathways. Some were responding to the cost of course materials and questions of access. Others brought years of experimentation with teaching practices, commitments to equity and learner belonging, or disciplinary traditions that already emphasized collaboration and applied learning. Rather than adopting a new model, many recognized that they were already doing parts of this work and began to name and extend those practices.As educators engaged with Critical OEPs, they described ongoing negotiation of authority and learner agency. Grading became a central site of this work, including experimentation with specifications grading, revision policies, and project-based assessment. Classroom dialogue raised similar questions about how much structure to provide and how to support meaningful participation. Equity was not discussed in the abstract. It appeared in decisions about removing financial barriers, making expectations visible, and responding to the realities learners bring with them into the classroom, including prior educational experiences and access to support systems.This work does not happen outside of institutional conditions. Workload, course size, technology systems, and policy expectations shaped what was possible in any given semester. Within these constraints, the Community of Practice functioned as a critical support structure. Participants described it as a space of instructor care, where collaboration replaced isolation and where reflection led to concrete changes in teaching. Several participants left with redesigned courses, new assessment approaches, and plans for continued leadership in open and equity-focused work. While grounded in a specific institutional context, these findings speak to broader questions about how open practices are taken up across diverse educational settings.This session offers a shift in how open education can be understood and supported. It moves the conversation beyond access and resource use toward pedagogy, authority, and responsibility. It also highlights the importance of creating structured spaces where educators, instructional designers, and others supporting open education initiatives can think together about practice and take action within the realities they face.Attendees will be invited to reflect on their own entry points into open practice, identify practices they may already be using, and consider one next step for extending Critical OEPs in their own contexts.

Speakers

Lori-Beth Larsen

Doctoral Candidate (expected April, 2026), Winona State University

Lori-Beth Larsen is a doctoral candidate in Education at Winona State University. Her research focuses on critical pedagogy, open education, and the question of what teaching is actually for. Her dissertation, Critical Open Educational Practices, is a qualitative case study exploring... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

12:25pm EDT

DocIAComp. Artificial Intelligence and Open Education: Toward a Teaching Competency Framework

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33768

The integration of generative artificial intelligence into education has rapidly reshaped the conditions under which teaching and learning take place, bringing renewed urgency to the question of the competencies teachers need to engage with it in pedagogically meaningful, critical, and responsible ways. At the same time, many of the existing conceptual and implementation frameworks associated with educational technology approach this issue from a predominantly technical or instrumental perspective, with limited connection to normative or pedagogical approaches, including those related to open education. In this context, the challenge is no longer simply to learn how to use AI tools, but to define the knowledge, skills, and attitudes teachers require in order to integrate them within complex, situated, and ethically grounded educational settings. In response, this paper presents DocIAComp, a teacher competency framework for the pedagogical use of artificial intelligence in education, grounded in the principles of open education. The framework is based on the premise that teacher competence in AI cannot be reduced to technical mastery or effective tool use alone, but must be understood in relation to a broader set of principles and practices associated with open education, including openness, reuse, adaptation, accessibility, collaboration, co-creation, and ethical responsibility. From this perspective, open education is not limited to access to resources, but encompasses forms of knowledge production, review, and circulation that are being profoundly transformed by the presence of AI. Accordingly, the framework situates the pedagogical use of AI in direct relation to open educational resources, open educational practices, inclusion, cognitive justice, and the preservation of human agency in education. The study adopted a sequential qualitative design with empirical validation in three stages: first, a systematic review of international and regional frameworks and guidelines on teacher competencies, artificial intelligence, and open education; second, the development of a preliminary competency chart based on that review; third, its validation through surveys administered to students and graduates of the postgraduate program in Educational Technology at the Technological University of Uruguay (UTEC), followed by a theoretical-empirical triangulation of the resulting data to consolidate the final DocIAComp framework. The resulting framework is organized into eight competency areas: Professional Engagement with AI; Curation, Creation, and Adaptation of Educational Resources with AI; Pedagogical Design with AI; Mediation and Support of Learning with AI; Open, Authentic, and Transparent Assessment with AI; Ethics, Rights, Data, and Licensing in AI Ecosystems; Inclusion, Accessibility, and Cognitive Justice with AI; and Research, Openness, and Continuous Improvement with AI. These areas provide institutions with a concrete instrument for diagnosis, teacher education, curriculum design, and the development of institutional policies, with criteria that are transferable across diverse regional and institutional contexts. The paper concludes that DocIAComp constitutes an original contribution that centers attention on open educational practices as a way of harnessing the potential of AI without relinquishing equity, human agency, and the public value of knowledge, thereby offering a grounded and replicable roadmap for education on a global scale.

Speakers

Giovanna Gabriela da Rosa Suárez

Departamento de Innovación y Emprendimiento, Universidad Tecnológica (UTEC), Uruguay

PhD in Informatics in Education from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS, Brazil), with a Master’s degree in Technology and Society from the Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR, Brazil), and postgraduate specializations in Educational Technology and... Read More →

Sofía Rasnik Favotto

Centro Universitario Regional Litoral Norte, sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República del Uruguay (UdelaR)

PhD in Informatics in Education from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS, Brazil), with a Master’s degree in Technology-Mediated Educational Processes from the National University of Córdoba (Argentina), and a Doctorate in Law and Social Sciences from the University... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

12:25pm EDT

OpenBody Atlas: Visualizing Human Biology and Drug Interactions Through Open, Interactive Learning

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 33765

What if anyone could see, in real time, how a drug travels through the human body and transforms its function?What if this knowledge were not restricted to textbooks, but openly accessible, interactive, and collaboratively built for all?OpenBody Atlas is an open, innovation-driven platform designed to reimagine how human biology and pharmacology are explored, understood, and shared as a public good. While traditional medical education relies on static, discipline-specific resources, this project introduces a systems-level approach that integrates anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology into a unified, interactive environment. The session aligns with the principles of open practices by demonstrating how collaborative, interdisciplinary innovation can produce scalable and inclusive knowledge systems.At its core, OpenBody Atlas functions as a dynamic interface of the human body, where users can navigate across biological systems and visualize functional processes in real time. Its defining innovation lies in the integration of a pharmacological layer: users can select a drug and observe its journey through the body, including mechanisms of action, receptor interactions, metabolic pathways, and systemic effects. This transforms passive learning into an exploratory, data-driven experience that bridges foundational science with applied therapeutics.This session will highlight how open practices—such as open-source development, community contribution, and peer-reviewed knowledge sharing—can be applied to build and sustain such a platform. OpenBody Atlas is conceptualized as a participatory ecosystem where students, educators, and researchers collaboratively create, validate, and expand content. By combining research-based knowledge with lived experiences and diverse medical perspectives, the platform supports a more inclusive and globally relevant understanding of healthcare.A key focus of the session will be the innovation framework behind the platform: how interdisciplinary thinking (spanning biomedical sciences, digital design, and open systems) can be leveraged to address gaps in current educational models. The session will also explore how this approach aligns with broader open movements, including open science, open data, and open education, positioning OpenBody Atlas as a convergence point for these initiatives.Participants will gain practical insights into designing open, scalable knowledge systems that move beyond institutional boundaries. The session will demonstrate how such models can be adapted across disciplines and contexts, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to integrated, high-quality educational tools remains a challenge. By emphasizing openness, interactivity, and collaboration, OpenBody Atlas presents a replicable model for innovation in knowledge sharing.Key takeaways include: understanding how open practices can drive innovation in complex knowledge domains; identifying strategies for building collaborative, interdisciplinary platforms; and recognizing the potential of open systems to democratize access to scientific and medical knowledge. Participants will also be invited to engage with the concept and explore opportunities for contribution and co-creation.

Speakers

Yash Sale

OpenBody Atlas: An Open-Source Platform Integrating Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, SSSPM’s Dr N J Paulbuddhe College of Pharmacy Ahilyanagar Maharashtra India Asia

Yash Sale is a Bachelor of Pharmacy student with a strong academic foundation in anatomy, physiology, and neuroscience. He has completed certifications from premier institutions including the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar, St George's... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track (Re)Inventing our Shared Global Vision Together

12:25pm EDT

The Global Open Graduate Network’s Pilot Hubs: A Networked Approach to Scaling Open Education Research

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33857

Since 2013, the Global Open Graduate Network (GO-GN) has supported doctoral and postdoctoral research in open education and practices worldwide. In 2023, we conducted a 10 year anniversary strategic review (Farrow et al., 2024) with our membership and the wider GO-GN and open education communities. This review captured the network’s achievements to date and future aspirations, including exploration of a more federated approach for the network.This presentation reports on the outcome of this work, which focused on a pilot programme to establish and evaluate four regional hubs (Asia-Pacific, Canada, Ibero-America and Kenya). We will report on the development of these regional hubs across six continents, relating insights from the evaluation and reflecting on how other open education networks might approach questions of scale, diversity and sustainability.Through exploring a federated model, GO-GN has sought to reconcile tensions between scale and responsiveness, enabling regionally situated communities to define priorities, build capacity, and exercise leadership while remaining connected to a wider international network. This directly addresses persistent gaps in open education relating to equity, representation, and the inclusion of Global South perspectives.The session’s value lies in its combination of strategic reflection and practical insight. It moves beyond abstract commitments to openness by demonstrating how governance, sustainability, and participation can be reconfigured through distributed models. The evaluation findings provide evidence of what works, what remains challenging, and how networks can evolve to better align their values with their impact.For conference participants, the relevance is twofold. First, it offers a transferable framework for designing and sustaining open education initiatives that are both globally connected and locally meaningful. Second, it contributes to a broader conversation about how openness can be reimagined as a dynamic, negotiated process. In doing so, the session provides actionable insights for researchers, practitioners, and network leaders seeking to build more inclusive, resilient, and context-sensitive forms of open education across borders.

Speakers

Robert Farrow

Senior Research Fellow, The Open University (UK)

Programme Lead, Open Education Research Hub and Co-Director of Global Open Graduate Network

Beck Pitt

Senior Research Fellow, The Open University (UK)

Co-Director of Global Open Graduate Network

Carina Bossu

Senior Lecturer, Co-Director of Research Capability Hub, The Open University (UK)

Dr Carina Bossu is a Senior Lecturer in Academic Professional Development with the Institute of Educational Technology at the Open University, UK. Her work and research have been focused on Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP) in higher education... Read More →

Saraswati Dawadi

Research Fellow, The Open University (UK)

Saraswati Dawadi's current research is around language assessment, equity and inclusion in education, girls’ empowerment and professional development through online learning. She is the evaluation lead for the GO-GN Pilot Hubs.

Friday October 9, 2026 12:25pm - 12:55pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track (Re)Inventing our Shared Global Vision Together

12:55pm EDT

Lunch

Friday October 9, 2026 12:55pm - 1:40pm EDT

9 7th Floor Lobby

Lunch Break
Take a break to enjoy lunch, connect with colleagues, and continue conversations with fellow conference participants before the afternoon sessions begin.

Friday October 9, 2026 12:55pm - 1:40pm EDT
9 7th Floor Lobby MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

General

Speaker Modality In-person

1:40pm EDT

Compensating the Creator: Four Grant Models of Tiered OER Support

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33369 While OER provides immediate cost savings for students, the creation of those materials still requires labor. To more fairly compensate the authors of OER textbooks, ancillary materials, and open pedagogy assignments, many institutions have created grant initiatives to subsidize faculty work encouraging the creation of OER (Finlay, 2024). This presentation will examine four programs at U.S. institutions that take a tiered approach to faculty incentives. This will allow others to learn from existing initiatives and potentially design or update their own.
After reviewing the programs, we will analyze program design, student outcomes, and propose best practices for tiered OER grant programs. Programs analyzed include Boise State University; Texas Tech University; Open Oregon Educational Resources, a state-level organization; and the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI), a library consortium. Each of these grant initiatives offers instruction to faculty on OER and open pedagogy, as well as having at least three tiers of available funding for adopting, revising, remixing, and creating materials. While they differ in the specific types of activities at each tier, all four programs include options for adopting OER as is, creating your own, and adapting a course to be no- or low-cost to students. To support this, all of the programs require some form of professional learning opportunity for participants, though they vary in terms of the types and degree required. This is a necessary element for faculty who may be unaware of the complex nuances of copyright, licensing, and sharing OER (Elder & Gallant, 2022). By reviewing two university programs and two organizations that serve multiple universities, we create a roadmap of scaffolded OER incentive programs relevant to the whole of the OER community.
By examining the existing landscape of these programs, including what types of activities they fund, how they prioritize adoption versus creation, how long they have been in place, and what metrics they report on, we will be able to identify trends and best practices that will inform an ideal OER faculty incentive program. One key element we will examine in each program is the extent to which the institution encourages collaboration among participants. Is there an opportunity to collaborate with other practitioners and support one another in the OER adoption and creation process, potentially beyond the duration of the grants?
Each OER initiative faces successes and challenges, but educators are more successful in OER practices when exposed to community groups and support from the OER community (Boyle, 2023). Having the opportunity to collaborate allows for human connection, fostering creativity and curiosity. Just as we can use the cost-saving nature of OER to open conversations around student engagement, agency, and voice in the classroom through open pedagogy, by funding faculty work around OER in an environment that fosters collaboration outside of traditional academic silos, we can spark new connections and ideas.

Speakers

Amy Hofer

Statewide Open Education Program Director, Open Oregon Educational Resources

Amy Hofer, Statewide Open Education Program Director, is the OER librarian for Oregon's colleges and universities; visit the Open Oregon Educational Resources website at openoregon.org to learn more.

Sabrina Davis

Assistant Librarian, Texas Tech University

Sabrina Davis is the Access & User Services Librarian at Texas Tech University. As the Access & User Services Librarian, she oversees the Access Services Department and ensures patrons have safe, reliable access to library resources and spaces. The Online Learning and Open Educational... Read More →

Hans Aagard

Research and Innovation Consultant - OER Focus, eCampus Center, Boise State University

Hans Aagard, PhD, is an OER specialist for Boise State University, supporting online faculty in the eCampus Center as they find, remix, or create open educational materials. Before working on OER he did instructional design and multimedia development. He lives in Salt Lake City... Read More →

Emily Helton

Affordable Learning Program Manager, Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI)

With a background in K-12 education and STEM professional development, Emily became interested in OER for the opportunities it affords to invite students into the knowledge creation process. After completing a PhD at West Virginia University examining how professional learning can... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

1:40pm EDT

Decolonizing the Open Curriculum: Reclaiming Indigenous and Local Knowledge Through ODL in Higher Education in Cameroon

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT

7 DR5

ID: 34756

The potential of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is often hailed as a democratizing tool or a digital link developed to break down barriers related to geography, socio-economic status, and institutional privilege (Bates, 2015; UNESCO, 2019). However, beneath this narrative of universal accessibility and inclusivity lie empirical concerns that the “open” curriculum often perpetuates the same Eurocentric knowledge systems that have historically dominated higher education (Mignolo, 2011; Santos, 2014). Open education must transcend mere content delivery and engage in the critical task of decolonizing the curriculum if it must genuinely achieve its transformative goals. This could be considered a symbolic gesture of inclusivity, as well as a significant act of epistemic justice aimed at dismantling entrenched knowledge hierarchies that continue to marginalize Indigenous and local perspectives (Smith, 2012). For decades, the flows of educational content, textbooks, online courses, open resources, and digital platforms have carried embedded assumptions about what counts as legitimate knowledge, who is authorized to teach, and which voices deserve to be heard (Foucault, 1980). These assumptions reflect historical power relations that have normalized Western epistemologies as universal while relegating Indigenous and local knowledges to the margins, often dismissed as anecdotal or erased altogether (Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, 1986; Said, 1978). In a field committed to widening access, this contradiction is glaring, especially when technologies that could multiply diverse forms of knowledge too often replicate the very hierarchies they claim to dismantle (Commonwealth of Learning, 2020).When ODL platforms prioritize Western scientific frameworks, textual literacy, and linear teaching models, they implicitly undervalue Indigenous knowledge systems such as oral traditions, land-based learning, and relational ways of understanding (Cajete, 2000). This exclusion amounts to epistemic violence, erasing intellectual traditions and relegating them to the periphery as folklore rather than acknowledging them as rigorous systems of thought (Spivak, 1988). In doing so, ODL institutions risk reinforcing colonial power structures, suggesting to learners that their cultural heritage and local contexts are secondary to a globalized Western standard.Using a sequential explanatory mixed-method approach (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018), the study therefore sets out to examine existing ODL practices within the Distance Education programs of the Universities of Buea and Bamenda, in order to co-develop alternative curriculum design principles with Indigenous and local knowledge holders. Specifically, the study seeks to Find out the extent to which current ODL curricula replicate colonial epistemologies and exclude Indigenous knowledge.Determine principles and governance models effectively ensure reciprocal inclusion of Indigenous and local knowledge in ODL in higher education curricularFind out how participatory co-creation can be scaled in ODL to deliver culturally grounded, pedagogically sound resourcesDetermine the measurable impacts that decolonized ODL modules have on learner engagement. By employing postcolonial theories and critical pedagogy, this study contends that the reclamation of Indigenous and local knowledge through ODL is essential for promoting intellectual sovereignty and resilience (Freire, 1970; Santos, 2014).

Speakers

Loveline Yaro

Professor, University of Buea

I am female Cameroonian born on the 22.10.1974 in Mankon Bamenda the Northwest Region OF Cameroon. A single mother of three children. Professor of Curriculum and Instruction. My main specialties are; Curriculum Development, Instructional Design, Teacher Education, Pedagogy, Curriculum... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

1:40pm EDT

Hacking Distance: Real-World Open Praxis and Postdigital Literacies for the Online Student

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 33730

This presentation examines the practical implementation of a theoretical model initially proposed in response to the 2024 MIT Open Learning call (Bucio, 2025). Building upon that piece, this study evaluates the first implementation of this initiative designed to utilize artificial intelligence to accelerate inclusive open education and bridge systemic opportunity gaps. Specifically, the project tackles the linguistic barrier that Spanish-speaking students in Mexico's public distance education system (SUAyED) face when accessing English-dominant academic research. To translate the original concept into a viable educational intervention, it was embedded within the university's formal administrative structures as an official 480-hour "social service" program, a mandatory graduation requirement. The implementation engaged a diverse cohort of 20 online students. While achieving international reach with one participant joining from Spain, the majority were distributed throughout Mexico (spanning Ciudad de México, Estado de México, Guadalajara, Hidalgo, Morelos, Querétaro, Veracruz, and Zacatecas). This geographical distribution underscores the program's success in uniting distance-education students across physical barriers, bringing them together in a shared postdigital environment where they can collaboratively build and disseminate open knowledge.Throughout the program, students engage in a structured workflow designed to democratize access to specialized knowledge. The process begins with community building, mastering the core pillars of Wikipedia participation, and curating academic sources through critical evaluation. To assist in the deep reading and comprehension of complex texts, students leverage generative AI, though they are strictly prohibited from using it to generate the actual article text.The core activity centers on open-platform editing. Students write, manage, and publish content on Wikipedia, strictly adhering to community standards for verifiability, neutrality, and accurate citation. By identifying and expanding upon missing or incomplete topics, students actively reduce information gaps in the digital ecosystem. Throughout the process, they engage in collaborative work and peer review, exchanging constructive feedback to ensure the quality and accuracy of their final published contributions.Alongside their editing tasks, participants engage in guided readings and asynchronous discussions of academic literature. By reading and commenting on articles that explore the project's foundational theories, students critically reflect on their transition from passive learners to active knowledge contributors, contextualizing their practical work within broader academic and social dialogues. The project is grounded in theoretical concepts such as epistemic agency (Nieminen et al., 2025), epistemic placemaking (Carvalho et al., 2025), postdigital assemblages and affordances (Döğer, 2026), Wikipedia for educational innovation (Evenstein Sigalov & Cohen, 2025).Drawing from editing dashboard data and in-depth interviews from the first cohort, this presentation will highlight students' reflections on their developing postdigital literacies, their transformed relationships with knowledge, and the broader impact of democratizing specialized academic content for the global public.

Speakers

Jackeline Bucio-Garcia

Associate Professor, National Autonomous University of Mexico

Jackie Bucio holds a PhD in Linguistics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), a Master's degree in Asian and African Studies from El Colegio de México, and a Bachelor's degree in Hispanic Language and Literatures from UNAM. Currently, she is a full-time Associate... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

1:40pm EDT

Innovating Beyond Textbooks: Democratizing Knowledge Through Library-Led Support for Open Homework Systems

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33194

Commercial publishers’ increasing tendency to bundle access to textbooks with proprietary homework systems and expensive access code content has further hindered widespread faculty buy-in for open educational resources (OER). However, the increasing availability of open homework systems that can be paired with OER textbooks provides an alternate path for faculty to prioritize concerns like affordability for students, instructor control of course content, and data privacy. From 2023-2025, three institutions from the Big Ten Academic Alliance conducted a grant-funded project to investigate the feasibility of library support for open homework systems as component of OER initiatives, culminating in a pilot of five open homework systems in courses conducted at Penn State University, the University of Minnesota, and Northwestern University during the 2024-2025 academic year. This study aimed to determine whether open homework systems could meet the needs of faculty and students comparably to commercial alternatives and to better understand the challenges associated with providing access to and support for those systems. This presentation will explore the outcomes of this open homework systems pilot, including results from an environmental scan of commercial homework system usage by faculty at the three pilot institutions, feedback gathered from pilot participants via faculty interviews and student surveys, lessons learned by the project team, and recommendations for establishing library-led support for open homework systems at other academic institutions and consortia. This cross-institutional collaboration offers unique perspective and insight into these topics from public and private institutions of different organizational structures, processes, and cultures. This presentation will provide attendees with practical guidance on how to begin supporting open homework systems as accompaniments to OER. Any attendees who support OER discovery or creation at their institutions, or who are interested in issues of course affordability will benefit from this session. This research addresses a significant gap in the open education field, as few studies have focused on open homework systems, particularly multi-institutional usage of them. While many academic libraries have begun to offer support for OER discovery and publishing, far fewer have focused their efforts on providing the infrastructure, training, maintenance, and support that are required of open homework systems. The results of this research suggest a path forward for libraries to work together across institutions to support open alternatives to commercial homework systems as a way of enhancing existing OER offerings, expanding OER adoption and use, protecting student and faculty data, and ensuring students have access to equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Speakers

Bryan McGeary

Sally W. Kalin Librarian for Learning Innovations & Learning Design and Open Education Engagement Librarian, The Pennsylvania State University

Dr. Bryan McGeary is the Learning Design and Open Education Engagement Librarian at Penn State University, where he advances the University’s initiatives that support open teaching practices and course content. He was also the principal investigator for an IMLS-funded project that... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

1:40pm EDT

Teacher Co-Creation of OER Through Design Thinking: A Transferable Pedagogical Model from Latin America

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33867

The teacher co-creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) constitutes a strategic opportunity to democratise the production and circulation of pedagogical knowledge in Latin America, particularly in contexts marked by inequalities in access, participation, and representation. However, advancing toward sustainable open educational practices requires methodologies that support teachers throughout complete design cycles and integrate, from the earliest pedagogical decisions, criteria such as territorial relevance, social significance, accessibility, inclusion, and an intersectional gender perspective. Within this framework, this paper systematises a methodology for the teacher co-creation of contextualised, accessible, and socially relevant OER through design thinking, developed within the Creatón STEM+ initiative.The proposal has been implemented through intensive teacher co-creation workshops in Chile, Colombia, and Uruguay, involving 104 participants, including both in-service and pre-service teachers. Its structure is organised through a set of worksheets that operationalise the different phases of design thinking and support, document, and guide the creation process. These worksheets function as pedagogical mediation tools, making the design process visible, promoting informed decision-making, and supporting time management in intensive collaborative settings.The methodology brings together three main contributions. First, it structures the entire design process pedagogically, beginning with an understanding of the territory, user characterisation, and the definition of the pedagogical challenge, before moving into phases of ideation, prototyping, testing, and documentation. Second, it incorporates quality criteria aimed at strengthening students’ full participation from the design stage onwards, promoting the diversification of resources, forms of access, and modes of expression, alongside the transversal integration of an intersectional gender perspective. These criteria are operationalised through review tools for continuous improvement, enabling the identification of participation barriers, representational biases, and opportunities for adjustment throughout the process. Third, it conceptualises OER not merely as final products, but as open pedagogical artefacts that expand possibilities for contextual adaptation, reuse, and the circulation of knowledge across diverse educational communities.Evidence from the three implementations suggests that the use of worksheets as a pedagogical operationalisation of design thinking enhances process clarity, strengthens teacher collaboration, and creates conditions for testing the developed resources. In this sense, the methodology provides a foundation for its formalisation as a transferable teacher education model oriented toward open educational practices, with potential for scalability across diverse contexts. Overall, the experience contributes to ongoing discussions on strengthening teacher co-creation of open knowledge in Latin America, integrating the STEM+ educational approach with inclusion, accessibility, and intersectionality.

Speakers

Jennifer Venegas Espinoza

Researcher & Teacher, CIDSTEM Institute at Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Biology and Natural Sciences teacher trained at the Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV). Holds a Master’s degree in Sociology from Alberto Hurtado University and a diploma in Gender Studies from the University of Chile. PhD candidate in the Interuniversity Program... Read More →

Lorena Santos

Researcher & Teacher, CIDSTEM Institute at Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Special Education teacher trained at the Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso (PUCV). Holds a Master’s degree in Education with a specialization in Higher Education Pedagogy. Her professional experience focuses on educational support aimed at fostering inclusive conditions... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:10pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

1:40pm EDT

From Collections to Classrooms: Unlocking Cultural Heritage for Open Education

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:45pm EDT

3 Room I

ID: 35081

Millions of cultural heritage objects from museums, archives, and community collections have been digitized and made openly available. This growing body of open access material has already enabled new forms of research and discovery. For example, scientists have used digitized butterfly collections to track the impacts of climate change over time.Yet these collections are rarely designed with educators in mind. Educators, in turn, often lack the tools, context, and pathways needed to meaningfully incorporate these materials into teaching and learning. The result is a paradox: a vast and valuable body of open knowledge remains underused, even as demand for adaptable, culturally grounded learning resources continues to grow.This session invites participants to explore a central question:What would it take for open cultural heritage to become active building blocks for teaching and learning?Drawing on Curationist’s work at the intersection of museums, open knowledge, and digital access, this session will examine the structural, technical, and pedagogical barriers that limit reuse. These include challenges related to metadata quality, rights clarity, platform design, discoverability, and the lack of educator-centered pathways for engagement.Through a combination of framing, case examples, and facilitated discussion, participants will explore how educators, cultural institutions, and open education practitioners can work together to bridge these gaps. The session will surface practical insights and shared challenges across sectors, with a focus on moving from access to meaningful use.Participants will be invited to reflect on their own experiences and contribute ideas for tools, practices, and collaborations that could better connect open collections with open education ecosystems. The goal is not only to identify barriers, but to begin outlining a more integrated and participatory approach to open knowledge—one where cultural heritage materials are not just available, but actively used, adapted, and brought into learning environments.

Speakers

Jennryn Wetzler

Director of Learning and Training, Creative Commons

Jennryn Wetzler leads global learning and training initiatives at Creative Commons, with a focus on open education, copyright, and equitable access to knowledge. She works with educators, institutions, and governments to support the adoption and effective use of open educational resources... Read More →

Amanda Figueroa

Platform Director, Curationist Foundation

Amanda Figueroa works at the intersection of cultural heritage, digital access, and community engagement. Her work focuses on making collections more accessible, contextualized, and usable for diverse audiences. She brings experience in bridging institutional collections with public-facing... Read More →

Christian Dawson

Executive Director, Curationist Foundation

Christian Dawson is Executive Director of the Curationist Foundation and a leader in advancing open access to cultural heritage. His work focuses on connecting museum collections with broader digital knowledge ecosystems to support more inclusive and meaningful public engagement... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:45pm EDT
3 Room I MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

2:15pm EDT

Generative AI for Mathematics Open Educational Resources: Developer and Educator Perspectives

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33183

This panel will report about an ongoing project about generative AI in OER use and creation in mathematics. Each speaker will share about their specific areas of responsibility and findings from the project. Cristina Heffernan will present about the ASSISTments platform. ASSISTments is a Standards-aligned math practice and assessment solution that provides timely feedback to students and data to teachers. This data is used by teachers to inform their formative assessment practices. We feel that formative assessment should be integrated into tier one (whole-class, grade-level) instruction. The introduction of a highly rated and used open educational resource, Illustrative Mathematics, has enabled us to do just that. This presentation will share our story from a research project to a competitive product in the K-12 market, supporting the implementation of Illustrative Mathematics in schools that want a proven tech solution.Candace Walkington will present on ideas for using generative AI in OER creation. Generative AI introduces new possibilities for creating open educational resources that are tailored to learners’ interests, experiences, and learning needs. I will discuss how our team is implementing systems for AI-powered context personalization of math problems into OER, as well as systems for integrating AI-generated visuals into OER. Such approaches can improve the quality and relevance of OER materials, both in K-12 and in higher education. They can allow students to better be engaged by and understand difficult mathematical tasks.Jiabao Wen will present on interviews with educators on using generative AI for visuals in OER. Both K-12 mathematics teachers and college mathematics instructors often use problems in their courses that involve visuals – images that show math properties or relationships, or that illustrate real-world contexts. AI offers new opportunities for educators to generate new visuals for mathematics learning on-the-fly, to support their students’ needs. I will discuss a series of 30 interviews we conducted with mathematics instructors who use OER where they described their needs related to AI image generation to accompany OER materials, and tested and reacted to current AI image generation approaches.Virginia Clinton-Lisell will present on interviews with OER developers in this project. Ten mathematics OER developers were interviewed about their use of generative AI and tried AI tools for visual creation. Based on analyses of the interviews, there was varied adoption of AI tools by OER developers for their workflow process, with some enthusiastic about AI and others reporting little to no use. Common complaints about the generative AI tools demonstrated were the lack of accuracy and concerns that the images would not be accessible across functional diversity.

Speakers

Candace Walkington

Annette and Harold Simmons Centennial Chair and Professor, Southern Methodist University

Dr. Candace Walkington is an Annette and Harold Simmons Centennial Chair, Professor, in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Southern Methodist University, specializing in mathematics education. Dr. Walkington conducts research on technology-enhanced approaches to mathematics... Read More →

Virginia Clinton-Lisell

Associate Professor, University of North Dakota

Dr. Virginia Clinton-Lisell began her career in education as an ESL teacher in New York City. She then obtained her PhD in Educational Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science at the University of Minnesota where she was trained in educational research. She has published over... Read More →

Cristina Heffernan

Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder, ASSISTments

Cristina began her teaching career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon, Africa. Since then she has felt at home working with and for educators with a special passion for middle school math. In 2003, Cristina was the go-to advisor for the work her husband Neil was starting at WPI... Read More →

Jiabao Wen

PhD student, Southern Methodist University

Jiabao Wen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Southern Methodist University. His research focuses on generative AI in K–12 mathematics education, with particular attention to multimodal AI, visual representations, and the design of AI-supported learning... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

2:15pm EDT

French Ministerial Strategy for OER and Open Education in Higher Education: National Recommendations and Actions Plan

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33871

The French ministerial roadmap 2023-2027 for digital technology in higher education sets out 26 measures aimed at strengthening five principles: sovereignty, security, digital responsibility, open data, and the use of cloud computing. Among these, measures 9 and 10 focus on promoting open educational resources (OER) and developing a national strategy for open education. These actions are coordinated within the framework of the Digital Committee for Student Success and Institutional Agility (COREALE), whose role is to steer digital transformation and promote student success. This presentation addresses the foundations, operating methods, stakeholders, recommendations and actions plan from measures 9 and 10, which build a national framework for French universities and higher schools from public sector. Those two measures aim to achieve the following two objectives: “Improving the visibility and interoperability of educational resources by promoting open educational resources” (measure 9) and “Developing a national strategy for Open Education” (measure 10). As with the ministerial digital strategy’s other measures, the approach is bottom-up in order to define deliverables based on a broad consensus, designed and validated in collaboration with stakeholders and experts in the field of documentation and of pedagogical and digital engineering. The first national deliverable of measure 9 (Massou & Boulet, 2025) proposes 12 recommendations based on training needs for academic staffs and students, considering pedagogical collaborations and technical environments to cover the complete life cycle of OER (5R). It clarifies which open licenses, metadata and permanent identifiers are relevant for OER to improve their openness, interoperability and visibility in other resources’ catalogs. It insists also on accessibility and multilingual issues. This deliverable was expanded to include an action plan in 2026 with two methodological guides (on legal and documentation matters) and a digital platform to facilitate indexing of OER (using standards of metadata). The second national deliverable of measure 10 will consist on recommendations to build a national strategy on open education in higher education, similar to the national plans for open science launched by our ministry in 2018 and 2021. The following topics will be addressed in a broader and ecosystem-based approach of open education: Awareness-raising, communication, and promotion; Regulation, funding, and business models; National and international partnerships; Professional development for teachers and support staff; Accreditation and recognition of open learning; Research and evaluation; Governance and management support. The action plan that will follow this deliverable will involve the practical implementation of this national strategy starting in 2027 across the entire French higher education system.

Speakers

Luc Massou

Scientific advisor, Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space (France)

Luc Massou is full professor of Information and Communication Sciences at University of Lorraine (France) and serves as a scientific advisor to the General Direction for Higher Education and Professional Integration (DGESIP) at the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Space... Read More →

Céline Joiron

Vice-President, University of Picardie Jules Verne (France)

Céline is Vice-President of the Association of Digital Vice-Presidents for Higher Education and Research (VP-Num) in France and she is also the Executive Vice-President for Digital Strategy and Artificial Intelligence at University of Picardie Jules Verne. She is an associate professor... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

2:15pm EDT

Intentional Design for Open Authorship: Building Infrastructure, Community, and Time to Write

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33833

In this session, we invite Open Education program managers to rethink how to support OER creation and authors to re-envision their creation process. Open educational practices (OEP) are more than “putting an OER online” or putting an open license on your original in-copyright work. Ideally, OEP should permeate an entire project through thoughtful design of methods for selecting, supporting, and empowering learners — including authors. To ease the authorship process and center these OEP, VIVA developed the VIVA Rapid Publishing Program. This program identifies a gap in available OER in an area of high need for Virginia higher education, then assembles a team of subject-matter experts from around the state, provides infrastructure and synchronous in-person and online support for writing, and oversees the peer-review and publishing processes. The program includes preparatory meetings which precede a week-long in-person writing sprint, followed by peer review and iterative meetings to discuss potential revisions.In this presentation, we showcase open practices used in the program, such as intentional inclusive selection of project participants, support for authors-as-learners, and consensus-building on what to create and how. Our work addresses issues common to collaborative authoring of an open textbook in an attempt to reduce the sense of “overwhelm” when writing a lengthy work. Authors are guided along a highly structured yet responsive development process. This support streamlines processes of building an author team and scheduling time with your team; identifying and writing to your audience; setting tone, style, and tense; and deciding what content, pedagogical devices, and figures to include. The writing process is also collaborative–asking authors to create together and review each other’s work, rather than working in silos. By providing this time, space, and structure, we hope to provide an environment in which authors 1) form connections with other authors whom they previously may not have known, 2) can focus solely on writing–a rare occurrence in today’s busy society, 3) and experience freedoms and feedback needed to unlock both creativity, critical thinking, and productivity. In realizing these three goals, the program catalyzes what we believe are necessary conditions for the development of an OER with broad applicability and impact. This presentation provides an overview of the program, including the motivations behind the development and how we developed the structure. It will then showcase the inaugural cycle of the program, in which a team of ten developed a Leadership Studies textbook during 2025 and 2026. Members of the team will share their experiences and how this process benefited (or didn’t) their writing process. While we focus on our experience, we hope to provide a framework for anyone interested in running their own writing sprint, and we will share a toolkit for those wishing to replicate the program in their own contexts.

Speakers

Anita Walz

Associate Professor, Assistant Director of Open Education and Scholarly Communication Librarian, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Anita Walz is Associate Professor, Assistant Director of Open Education, and Scholarly Communication Librarian in the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. She received her MS in library and information science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has worked in... Read More →

Jessica Kirschner

Digital Publishing Coordinator, VIVA (Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium)

Jessica Kirschner is the Digital Publishing Coordinator at VIVA, Virginia’s academic library consortium. In this role, supports the publication efforts of VIVA's Open and Affordable Course Content program. Jessica began her career working in the acquisitions department at SUNY Press... Read More →

Joshua Marsh

Research and Instructional Librarian, Liberty University

Dr. Joshua Marsh is currently an Associate Professor at Liberty University, where he also serves as an Applied Research Chair in the School of Education. Dr. Marsh holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Kentucky, a Master’s Degree in Education from Western... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

2:15pm EDT

Open for All: Implementing UNESCO’s Capacity Building Practices to Support a Thriving, Resilient OER Community

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 34009

We support open education as a public good for all stakeholders within our postsecondary institutions. In this session, faculty and staff from the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio, Texas, will describe how five independently accredited, minority-serving community colleges have collaborated to implement UNESCO’s (2022) key action item on OER capacity building to support open education for all!This session will present collaboratively developed open educational resources from five colleges, aimed at supporting educators new to or uncertain about using OER. The presenters will showcase the steps they have taken to develop faculty resilience and encourage curiosity in OER projects by overcoming barriers, such as limited time and working within silos (Luo, et al., 2019). The session will explore recommendations to assist faculty with selecting appropriate materials to support course outcomes, understanding license complexities, and exploring time-saving options for remixing. Attendees will learn about the Alamo Colleges OER Badge Course, developed at San Antonio College, which supports students, faculty, and staff in exploring the best practices in open licensing and OER. The presenters will describe how the badge course promotes community building by inviting Alamo Colleges stakeholders to develop foundational skills in OER while encouraging learners to consider the contributions they can make to the OER movement. Attendees will learn how to plan, develop, and implement an OER badge course. The session will also explore Palo Alto College’s Career and Experiential Learning Center OER Project. The presenters will describe how the project has invited students to become active contributors in the development of an open textbook through student-created examples, practice questions, study guides, and multimedia that reflect authentic student voices and perspectives. Attendees will learn how to create student-generated OER projects, supporting research that has found enhanced motivation, deepened learning, and development of transferable skills when students are positioned as creators contributing to the public good (Fatayer & Tualaulelei, 2023; Trust, Maloy, & Edwards, 2022). Attendees will learn how to develop their own student-informed processes to improve the quality and accessibility of OER while also giving students valuable experience in instructional design, peer review, and reflective learning. The presenters will share how these three projects have been guided by UNESCO’s six recommendations focused on capacity building:Building awareness among relevant stakeholder communities;Providing systematic and continuous capacity building (in-service and pre-service) on how to create, access, make available, re-use, adapt, and redistribute OER; Raising awareness of exceptions and limitations for the use of copyrighted works for educational and research purposes; Leveraging open licensed tools, platforms with interoperation of metadata, and standards to ensure OER can be found;Making available easily accessible resources that provide information and assistance to all OER stakeholders on OER-related topics, andPromoting digital literacy skills to encourage the development and use of OER (UNESCO, 2022, p. 11). Attendees will explore how they can take the lessons and recommendations gained through these three projects back to their institutions to build opportunities for their communities to explore OER for all!

Speakers

Suzel Molina

Professor, Palo Alto College

Professor Suzel Molina has taught Education, Kinesiology, Student Development, and Psychology courses at Palo Alto College for over 37 years. Recipient of the 2020 Canvas Educator of the Year, Professor Molina endeavors to inspire students to trust themselves while giving them the... Read More →

Beatrice Canales

Academic Unit Assistant/Grant Open Licensing Expert, San Antonio College

Ms. Beatrice Canales currently serves as the Open Licensing Expert and former grant project director of the Alamo Colleges OER Consortium Project, funded by a $1.96 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Open Textbook Pilot Program. She has served as an academic staff... Read More →

Anne Best

English Instructor, St. Philip’s College

Anne Best is an English instructor of 20 years at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, Texas, with a commitment to multicultural and global perspectives in education. She holds a master’s degree in English from Texas A&M University, San Antonio. Best advocates for open educational... Read More →

Rosalie Wallace

Academic Program Coordinator/Adjunct Faculty Member, St. Philip’s College

Rosalie Wallace has taught General Biology courses and Environmental Biology courses for St. Philip’s College for six years. She has a Bachelor’s in Science from the University of the Incarnate Word and a Master of Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio. In her roles... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

2:15pm EDT

Sidebars as Seedbeds: How a Modular Design Can Help with Updating, Customizing, and Localizing OER Content

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 33948

A long time ago, in a sociocultural context far, far away, we decided to write a research methods textbook. Our team was fed up with the exorbitant cost of textbooks. We taught sociology courses at Virginia Commonwealth University, a highly diverse urban public university, and we were constantly supplementing commercial textbooks with our bespoke instructional material anyways. We decided we might as well write our own book, one that students could easily afford, and that wouldn’t easily put them to sleep. From the outset, we wanted to write a textbook that would be relatively painless to revise. The fundamentals of research methods—what good research is, how best to think about and approach it—have not changed so much. However, the examples that textbooks use to illustrate sound research design or point out pitfalls do change across time, location, and populations. They changed in the years following the publication of the OER sources we drew upon for some of our textbook’s content. They changed even across the many years we spent writing The Craft of Sociological Research: Principles and Methods of Collecting, Analyzing, and Presenting Social Science Data (2024). Anticipating this, we sought to make our textbook modular, incorporating numerous sidebars that were meant to be revised or swapped out, with the core text remaining more stable. Besides allowing us to readily replace many of our research examples with timelier ones, these modular sidebars would also aid other authors and instructors who wanted to localize the textbook—say, by introducing research examples and discussions of local issues that might be more suited to their student populations.This presentation discusses how a modular design can help with updating, customizing, and localizing OER content. As a case study, we examine the development of our sociological research methods textbook, The Craft of Sociological Research (https://viva.pressbooks.pub/sociology-research-methods), which uses modular sidebars that describe notable examples of research, present interviews with prominent researchers, discuss local issues that past research has illuminated, and cover advanced methodological topics. The placement of these modular sidebars throughout the textbook makes it simple and straightforward to update its illustrative examples and customize a significant portion of its material for specific communities of readers, in line with the model of formal localization, whereby OER content is deliberately adjusted to align with local contexts and cultural nuances (Bradshaw et al., 2024). It allows instructors to customize the course to match the skill level and interests of their students. And it presents an opportunity for open pedagogy, providing opportunities for students to write short-form content for an OER’s sidebars. In a sense, the sidebars serve as well-organized seedbeds set aside within a garden, giving authors space to replant the text with a smattering of their own seasonal and native varietals while keeping its overall structure intact. Student surveys conducted after the textbook’s implementation show not only strong support for OER as a replacement for commercial textbooks, but also general satisfaction with the research examples and localized content that the textbook’s modular sidebars featured.

Speakers

Jessica Kirschner

Digital Publishing Coordinator, VIVA (Virginia’s Academic Library Consortium)

Victor Tan Chen

Associate Professor of Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Victor Tan Chen is an associate professor of sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University who studies economic inequality, labor markets, social policy, and alternative organizational forms. He has published five books: The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America (with... Read More →

Gabriela León-Pérez

Associate Professor of Sociology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Gabriela León-Pérez is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Her scholarly interests lie at the intersection of the sociology of migration, Latino sociology, and medical sociology. Specifically, Gabriela’s research explores the determinants... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 2:15pm - 2:45pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

3:00pm EDT

Leading Openly, Reaching Widely: MOLLI Beyond Maryland

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

3 Room I

ID: 33061

Leading Openly, Reaching Widely: MOLLI Beyond MarylandWhat happens when a regional professional development institute opens its doors to the world? The Maryland Online Leadership Institute (MOLLI) is finding out.MOLLI is a project of MarylandOnline (MOL), a consortium of Maryland colleges and universities dedicated to advancing online learning through training and collaboration. Designed for online learning professionals at all career stages — from instructional designers and librarians to IT managers, faculty, and administrators — MOLLI develops leadership skills through an immersive, project-based curriculum grounded in inspiration, reflection, and real-world practice.At its core, MOLLI operates on a simple but powerful belief: leadership skills are learnable, and they are valuable at every level of an organization. Each cohort, which runs on a two-year cycle, brings together higher education professionals to build community, sharpen competencies, and tackle the evolving challenges facing online and technology-mediated learning.Now, MOLLI is evolving too.Originally focused on Maryland institutions, MOLLI has expanded its reach to serve professionals across the United States — and is actively working to grow its community even further, welcoming participants from beyond U.S. borders. This expansion reflects MOLLI's commitment to building a truly global community of practice for online learning leaders.Alongside this geographic growth, MOLLI has deepened the scope of its signature high-impact group projects — year-long collaborative endeavors where cohort participants apply their learning to real challenges in online education. This session highlights one such evolution: the intentional integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into project work, with a focus on creative outputs designed to increase student engagement.Whether you are an online learning professional looking to grow your leadership skills, an administrator seeking to replicate or partner with models like MOLLI, or an open education advocate curious about how OER and UDL intersect with professional development, this session offers practical insights and an open invitation to join a growing community.MOLLI started in Maryland. Its future is wide open.

Speakers

Shinta Hernandez

Dean of MC Online and Academic Support, Montgomery College

Shinta Hernandez, Ph.D. is the Dean of MC Online and Academic Support at Montgomery College (MC), providing leadership in online education, open education, learning centers, academic success coaching, and assessment centers. From the time she started at MC in January 2007, she has... Read More →

Gracie McDonough

Reference/Instruction/OER Librarian, College of Southern Nevada

Gracie McDonough serves as an Instruction and Reference Librarian at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas. Since joining CSN, she has been a dedicated advocate for Open Educational Resources (OER), contributing to a significant increase in institutional OER adoption from less... Read More →

Debbie Baker

OER Coordinator, Instructional designer, Maricopa Community College District

Dr. Debbie Baker serves as the open educational resources coordinator and an instructional designer for the Maricopa Community Colleges (MCCCD), and has been an educator for almost 30 years. Her work has centered on reshaping traditional classroom dynamics by involving students in... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
3 Room I MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality In-person
Track (Re)Inventing our Shared Global Vision Together

3:00pm EDT

UHCOOL: A Sustainable Governance Model Bridging University OER and K-12 Blended Learning

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33508

While the expansion of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has democratized access to higher education, their integration into K-12 environments remains challenging. Literature consistently indicates that K-12 learners require structured teacher support and blended classroom integration rather than independent, isolated online study. Furthermore, the true challenge of OER initiatives lies not merely in facilitating "open sharing," but in establishing "sustainable management" through institutional governance, platform support, and localized pedagogical adaptation. Existing collaborative models primarily focus on higher-education-to-higher-education partnerships, leaving a critical research gap regarding cross-level governance frameworks for University-High School-Platform collaborations.To address this gap, this presentation introduces the UHCOOL initiative, an innovative, research-backed governance model developed by Taiwan’s HERO Center and the "ewant" MOOC platform. UHCOOL transforms university-level intellectual capital into adaptable, open-access learning modules specifically designed for integration into formal high school curricula. Rather than treating this initiative as a simple course promotion, our research positions UHCOOL as a systematic, cross-educational blended learning model. In this ecosystem, the "ewant" platform serves as a central hub, while high school Open Learning Environments (OLE) and localized teacher communities function as the core governance mechanisms supporting student engagement.Our research utilizes a proposed Multi-level Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) framework to empirically validate the effectiveness of this integration. Drawing on a dataset of 661 participants (596 students and 65 teachers) across diverse subjects, including Introduction to Medicine and Semiconductor Principles, we examine the critical pathway from classroom-level interventions to individual student outcomes. Specifically, the study investigates how different modalities of teacher support—such as progress monitoring, worksheet adaptation, and classroom discussion—directly influence students' log-based MOOC learning behaviors, including video completion rates and supplementary study time. We hypothesize that these learning behaviors subsequently impact learning outcomes, course evaluations, and ultimately, students' long-term intention to utilize OER platforms. By moving beyond the simple question of whether blended learning is effective, this presentation explores the specific structural and pedagogical conditions under which it succeeds in a cross-institutional context. Attendees will gain valuable insights into designing sustainable governance models that bridge the gap between higher education resources and K-12 practical applications, transforming fragmented OER use into a cohesive and impactful digital learning ecosystem.

Speakers

Ken-Zen Chen

Associate Professor and Associate Director of HERO Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Ken-Zen Chen serves as an Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU), Taiwan. His scholarly work focuses on digital learning ecosystems, institutional collaboration, and the practical application of Open Educational Resources... Read More →

Haoyi Chen

Postdoc Research Fellow, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Dr. Haoyi Chan is a postdoc research fellow at HERO Center of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. She specializes in learning analytics and quantitative research methods for management research.

Yun-Chia Jasmine Chang

Professor and Director of HERO Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Professor Yung-Chia Chang is a faculty member in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and a key contributor to the HERO Center’s work on open higher education resources. She received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial... Read More →

Wei-I Lee

Research Fellow of HERO Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University

Wei-I Lee is a professor in the Department of Electrophysics at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and has served as the director of the Research Center of Higher Educational Resources for Openness (HERO Center). He obtained his B.S. in Electrophysics from National Chiao Tung... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

3:00pm EDT

Beyond the Textbook: Innovating Open ASL Curriculum for Equitable Access

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 34011

As open education movements continue to expand globally, the need to actively protect and promote knowledge as a public good has become increasingly urgent. Within American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter education, access to high-quality, culturally responsive materials is often limited by cost and availability, creating barriers for many students. Open educational practices offer a critical pathway toward equity by reducing financial burdens while expanding access to meaningful, inclusive learning experiences. This presentation explores the development and implementation of digital Open Educational Resources (OER) within Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) ASL courses, positioning open access as both a pedagogical strategy and a form of advocacy.Aligned with the conference track "Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge", this session highlights the development of a digital curriculum, including the LibreTexts ADAPT platform for homework, designed to remove cost barriers while supporting flexible, student-centered learning. Participants will examine how open content can be intentionally designed to reflect the linguistic, cultural, and lived experiences of Deaf communities, while remaining adaptable across diverse educational contexts, including community colleges, universities, and online and hybrid learning environments.This project reimagines ASL curriculum development as a collaborative, iterative process that brings together educators, interpreters, students, and community stakeholders. Through this process, the curriculum integrates multimedia resources, interactive modules, and culturally grounded pedagogy to move beyond static textbooks and toward dynamic, living knowledge systems. These materials are designed not only to support language acquisition, but also to foster cultural competence and deeper engagement with Deaf community perspectives.A key component of this work is the ongoing integration of real-time feedback from ASL educators using the curriculum across institutions. Through regular collaboration, surveys, and informal feedback loops, instructors share insights about student engagement, accessibility, and content effectiveness. This feedback is used to make continuous updates each semester, allowing the curriculum to remain responsive, current, and aligned with both pedagogical best practices and community needs. This continuous improvement model reflects the core values of open education by emphasizing adaptability, shared ownership, and collective knowledge-building.Preliminary outcomes from pilot implementations suggest that students engaging with ZTC OER demonstrate increased persistence, stronger engagement, and improved connections to course content. Instructors also report greater flexibility in adapting materials to meet diverse student needs. More importantly, this work illustrates how open education can function as a collective effort to safeguard and share knowledge, particularly for historically underrepresented language communities.By framing OER development as both innovation and responsibility, this session invites participants to consider how they might contribute to a more equitable and sustainable global knowledge ecosystem. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for creating, adapting, and sharing open content that supports student success while advancing the shared mission of democratizing education for the public good.

Speakers

Melanie Nakaji

ASL Professor & ZTC Coordinator, San Diego City College

My name is Melanie Nakaji. I have a Ph.D from the University of Northern Colorado in Rehabilitation Counseling. I’m the lead American Sign Language (ASL) professor and strive to modify my pedological strategies to meet students’ learning needs. Most recently, I received a large... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

3:00pm EDT

Breaking the Golden Handcuffs: Harnessing ADAPT’s Public Question Bank for Open, Flexible Assessment

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 34032

ADAPT is an open-source, LMS-integrated homework and assessment platform within the LibreTexts suite of open courseware (LibreVerse) that is designed to address one of the most pressing challenges in higher education: the restrictive, proprietary ecosystems created by commercial publishers, often referred to as the “golden handcuffs.” These systems limit faculty autonomy, increase costs for students, and inhibit the broader dissemination and adaptation of high-quality educational resources. LibreTexts, as a not-for-profit organization, and specifically ADAPT directly confronts these constraints by providing a fully open, centralized platform for assessments that is tightly integrated with LibreTexts OER textbooks and modern learning management systems (LMSs).The presentation will explore the development, design, and comprehensive capabilities of ADAPT, highlighting its role as a robust, open-source, LMS-integrated homework and assessment platform. Beyond its technical features, the talk will examine the widespread adoption of ADAPT across the State of California, with particular emphasis on the California Community College system, which serves over 2.2 million students who now have unrestricted access to the platform. Attendees will gain insight into how ADAPT is being leveraged at scale to support diverse instructional contexts and improve access to high-quality, openly licensed assessment materials.To illustrate its versatility and impact, the presentation will feature multiple case studies demonstrating the use of ADAPT across a variety of disciplines, including STEM courses, language instruction, and composition courses. These examples will highlight not only the platform’s flexibility in accommodating different subject areas but also its effectiveness in enhancing student engagement, supporting equitable assessment practices, and enabling faculty to adapt, remix, and share exercises. The discussion will also touch on strategies for integrating ADAPT into both traditional and online learning environments, providing practical guidance for instructors and institutions seeking to implement open, scalable assessment solutions.At the heart of ADAPT is its public OER question bank for instructors that currently containing over 300,000 openly licensed exercises spanning a wide range of disciplines and course levels. This repository enables instructors to freely access, adapt, and deploy high-quality questions across courses, institutions, and platforms. Questions can be directly embedded in LibreTexts textbooks, delivered through LMSs, used as standalone web applications, or even integrated into classroom clicker and active learning systems. By decoupling assessments from proprietary systems, ADAPT provides educators with unprecedented flexibility to tailor exercises to the specific needs of their courses and students, supporting a more student-centered and inclusive learning experience.ADAPT’s open question bank also fosters collaboration and pedagogical innovation. Faculty can remix and modify exercises, contribute new questions to the shared repository, and benefit from the collective expertise of educators worldwide. This model not only enhances instructional quality but also encourages the development of equitable assessment practices, as instructors have the freedom to select or create questions that reflect diverse perspectives and learning styles.Ultimately, the presentation will offer a comprehensive view of ADAPT as a tool that not only facilitates high-quality instruction but also exemplifies how open educational technologies can expand access, promote collaboration among educators, and support student-centered learning at scale.

Speakers

Delmar Larsen

Professor and CEO, University of California, Davis and LibreTexts

Michelle Pilati

Professor and Open Education Resource Initiative Director, Rio Hondo College

Cristina Moon

Professor, Chabot College

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

3:00pm EDT

Open Isn’t Enough: Why OER Needs Care Pedagogies to Move from Information to Action

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 34016

Democratizing knowledge through OER is a vital first step toward equity, yet access to information does not inherently empower students to wield it effectively. As social and behavioral scientists, we have found a significant gap between analyzing a situation through open content and having the pedagogical support to actualize change within one’s own life. Therefore we propose that structuring the use of OER through feminist pedagogy allows instructors to move beyond “open access” to “open learning.” In this session, we argue that OER can be used to promote an ethic of care, as its inherent flexibility allows us to honor the lived experiences our students already possess and disrupt the traditional power dynamics that often sideline their expertise in the classroom.Integrating care ethics with the behavioral science of how people experience and excel in their learning, we ground our discussion and recommendations in feminist pedagogy and cognitive and motivation science. First, feminist pedagogy provides a lens through which to challenge and decentralize power structures in the classroom by validating students both as experts in their own lives, and as possessing valuable and essential knowledge through their lived experiences (hooks, 1994). This lens is supported by cognitive science, which has established that people learn best by anchoring new knowledge to what they already know and have experienced (Ambrose et al., 2010). Finally, we connect these ideas to Self-Determination Theory which asserts that deep learning occurs when the educational environment supports students in feeling autonomous, competent and related (Ryan & Deci, 2017). Putting this into practice, we present a framework for OER development that serves both students and educators. For learners, we discuss how OER can prioritize contextualized inquiry by including assignments and reflection questions that prompt students to bridge course concepts with their individual and community interests. For example, rather than utilizing generic vignettes, materials for a developmental psychology class can invite students to engage content that relates to developmental policy issues (like early childcare) to empower them to be informed voters on related policies (Artez-Vega et al., 2023).At the same time, we advocate for the inclusion of robust "pedagogical marginalia” for teachers. These teaching notes can explicitly highlight how core concepts can be applied across varied family, work, and community settings. For example, in a management class, using examples of school, work and family situations to engage students in lessons on conflict management. Embedding multimedia links, and real-world narratives can further help the material "come alive" and maintain a focus on ensuring material holds practical and personal relevance for students.As caring educators, we recognize that our students arrive with divergent goals and values. Responsible pedagogy leverages this diversity as an asset rather than expecting or forcing students to learn the same way and for the same reasons (Rognile et al., 2025). By developing and intentionally using open materials that honors these lived realities, we do more than lower costs, we create a classroom space that enables learners to apply themselves and their knowledge toward a more just world.

Speakers

Kathryn Frazier

Associate Professor, Worcester State University

Kathryn E. Frazier, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Psychology department at Worcester State University. She earned her Master’s in Psychology and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Clark University. She publishes research on gender socialization and mental health, and... Read More →

Elizabeth Siler

Professor, Worcester State University

Elizabeth Siler is a professor at Worcester State University in the Business Administration and Economics Department. She teaches management classes to undergraduate students and almost exclusively uses open education resources, and is an advisor for the Fiber Arts Circle student... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

3:00pm EDT

The Future of Openness Is Shared: Co-Creating Communication Strategies

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 34026

This session explores an open education collaborative’s approach to developing a shared communication strategy for open education grounded in collective invention, practical tools, and adaptable frameworks. As open education initiatives expand across institutions and systems, the challenge is not only demonstrating impact, but communicating that impact in ways that resonate across diverse contexts, roles, and disciplines. This session positions communication as a core infrastructure for the future of openness that must be intentionally designed.This open education collaborative has engaged in an iterative process to co-create communication strategies that support open education advocacy, publishing, and program development. Rather than developing top-down messaging, participants have worked together to build communication practices. As a group they have tested language and built shared resources that can be contextualized for individual projects while also contributing to a broader, collective voice.This session highlights the process of inventing communication strategies together. Presenters will share how members of the collaborative identified common communication challenges such as translating open education work into disciplinary language, aligning with subject-matter conversations, and articulating impact beyond cost savings, and responded by co-developing practical tools. These include reusable templates for project workflows, social media campaigns, project descriptions, and stakeholder engagement, all designed to be adapted for each project. A central focus of the session is how these communication strategies function as living artifacts of collaborative practice. Presenters will demonstrate how quarterly communications, social media interactions and project templates were developed through cycles of contribution, feedback, and revision. Each communication strategy serves as an entry point for participation, creating space for new contributors to engage in open education communication work without starting from scratch. Examples will include communication plans with structured cadences, messaging frameworks aligned with student success language, and modular content that can be tailored to different audiences and platforms.Aligned with the conference theme, Catalyzing Human Connection, Creativity, and Curiosity to Thrive, this session emphasizes the future of openness as a participatory, co-constructed endeavor. It highlights how shared communication infrastructures built through open collaboration can support both consistency and flexibility, enabling open education work to be visible, credible, and connected across contexts.Attendees will leave with adaptable templates, strategies for collaborative message development, and a deeper understanding of how communication itself can be an open practice. The session will conclude with a facilitated discussion inviting participants to consider how they might engage in or initiate similar processes within their own networks, contributing to a more connected and communicative open education ecosystem.

Speakers

Kathy Essmiller

Coordinator, OpenOKState, Oklahoma State University

Kathy is an open education leader, librarian, and educator dedicated to advancing access to education and community through the adoption and creation of open educational resources (OER). As the Coordinator of OpenOKState at Oklahoma State University, Kathy collaborates with faculty... Read More →

Jojo Karlin

Scholarly Communications Manager, CUNY Office of Library Services

Dr. Jojo Karlin is the Scholarly Communications Manager at the CUNY Central Office of Library Services. As the manager of CUNY Academic Works, the system’s open access institutional repository, Jojo facilitates the development and legacy of student, faculty, and staff research... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

3:35pm EDT

From Evidence to Understanding: Aligning OER Research with Disciplinary Practice

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

3 Room I

ID: 33953

This panel brings together contributing authors from OER Research Case Studies: A DOERS Project to explore how the future of openness is being shaped through research that is grounded in disciplinary context and expressed through shared, field-specific language. As open education continues to mature, one of the central challenges is not simply generating evidence of impact, but communicating that impact in ways that resonate across academic and professional communities. The DOERS Collaborative includes state-, system-, and province-level open education leaders across North America who are committed to advancing student success through scalable, evidence-informed open education initiatives. This case study volume reflects that mission by documenting how contributors from a range of disciplines and institutional roles design and implement research on open educational resources (OER). The panel presentation will bring together authors whose work spans multiple fields and methodological traditions, each offering insight into how openness is interpreted, studied, and applied within their respective contexts. Aligned with the conference theme, Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness, this session focuses on the future of openness as a communicative and translational challenge. Panelists will share how they frame research questions, select methodologies, and interpret findings in ways that align with the established research languages of their disciplines, including learning science, nursing, social science, chemistry, psychology, and other professional fields. By doing so, these scholars position open education not as a parallel or niche movement, but as integral to broader scholarly conversations about student success, access, and institutional effectiveness. A central thread of the discussion will be the role of shared vocabulary in advancing open education research. Panelists will reflect on how aligning OER research with ongoing subject-matter conversations and established disciplinary frameworks can bridge gaps between open education advocates and other scholars in the field. They will also share strategies for translating open practices into the language of disciplinary research, enabling broader recognition, uptake, and sustainability. Each author/panelist will offer practical insights from their chapter, including how they developed research questions within their disciplinary context, navigated methodological choices, and collaborated across roles to ensure their work was both rigorous and relevant. Rather than focusing solely on outcomes, the panel emphasizes process: how researchers adapt, localize, and communicate their work to ensure it contributes meaningfully to the scholarship of both their field and the evolving landscape of open education. Attendees will leave with concrete strategies for situating open education research within their own disciplinary and institutional contexts, using shared language to foster understanding, collaboration, and impact. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion, inviting participants to consider how the future of openness depends not only on what we study, but also on how and with whom we communicate that work.

Speakers

Kathy Essmiller

Coordinator, OpenOKState, Oklahoma State University

Jennifer Pate

Director of OpenEd, Texas A&M University

Jennifer supports student success by leading textbook affordability initiatives for her campus and supporting broader OER efforts across the A&M system. She is a Founding Fellow with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's OER Fellowship program, a member of the Open Education... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
3 Room I MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

3:35pm EDT

Open as Resilience: Collaborations, Storytelling, and Solidarity in Contexts of Crisis

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

7 DR5

ID: 33503

In challenging political climates, Open Education is more than a public good - it is an act of resilience and in some cases, resistance. By amplifying voices from disrupted and conflict-affected contexts, open practitioners can foster connection, reciprocal learning, and meaningful global support.This session explores the Open as Resilience webinar series, co-created by the Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER), the North American node of Open Education Global, and SPARC Europe’s European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL), which centers educators working within conditions of conflict and instability. Through collaborations with colleagues in Ukraine,Palestine, and beyond, this work has made local experiences more visible while building pathways for sustained, cross-organizational support.Emerging from partnerships within ENOEL, and evolving in response to the ongoing war in Ukraine, this initiative demonstrates how distributed collaboration can adapt to changing needs. Open practitioners have leveraged existing resources, formed new partnerships, and responded to locally identified priorities through small but impactful actions.Bringing together voices from ENOEL, CCCOER, as well as a new voice, who will bring the perspective from a different generation researching Open practices in emergencies, this session highlights the role of storytelling as a tool for resilience, advocacy, and connection. Building on this work, we will also share insights from our Stories as Resistance workshops, which invite participants to engage in storytelling as a reflective and collective practice. We will explore how storytelling has shaped collaborations, including MIT Open Learning’s work with Ukrainian librarians to translate open textbooks from MIT OpenCourseWare into local language.We invite attendees to commit to discussion and engagement on topics around the opportunities and challenges of storytelling in open practice, including, but not limited to, the nuances of addressing sensitive topics and approaches that respect contextual needs, risks, and cultures.

Speakers

Paola Corti

Senior Open Education Expert, SPARC Europe

Paola Corti is a Senior Open Education Expert at SPARC Europe, and she manages the European Network of Open Education Librarians (ENOEL); she supports librarians in taking action to implement the UNESCO OER Recommendation. She also works part of her time at Politecnico di Milano (Italy... Read More →

Heather Blicher

Director, Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER), Open Education Global

Heather Blicher is the Director of the Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER) with Open Education Global, where she leads efforts to expand and support Open Education across community and technical colleges in North America. A passionate advocate for access, equity, and collaboration... Read More →

Adriana D’Amico

Education Policy Student - Intern Researcher @ Monash Virtual School, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Adriana D’Amico is a postgraduate student currently enrolled in an Erasmus Mundus Master program on education policies from global development. During her bachelor in Economics and social sciences she took part in both advocacy activities, working with a team to promote pluralism... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
7 DR5 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Panel

Speaker Modality Hybrid
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

3:35pm EDT

Beyond the Book: Hacking OER Infrastructures for Shared Maintenance and Governance

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

6 DR4

ID: 33899

Open educational resources are typically imagined as books: finite objects authored at a moment in time, released, and then adopted by others. This framing has shaped nearly every layer of the OER ecosystem, from funding programs and hosting platforms to the expectations adopting instructors bring to the materials they use. It also quietly places the weight of keeping a resource current on the shoulders of individual authors, a burden that becomes untenable in fields where the subject matter shifts from semester to semester along with inevitable demands for maintenance (Jhangiani, 2019). Drawing on our recent article in the Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication (Daly, Ahmad, & Schneider, 2026), this presentation argues for a different starting point: OER as a dynamic digital commons, more akin to an open source software project than a printed textbook, requiring ongoing maintenance and shared governance.We ground this argument in an autoethnographic case study of an OER textbook on social media, a topic in which knowledge and topics ceaselessly evolve (Daly, 2023). The original author created and maintained four overlapping editions over several years, navigating cloned versions, manual re-checks of openly licensed media, accessibility re-layering, a legal threat from an image-rights service, and warnings from a promotion committee that the labor was endangering professional advancement. When an adopting instructor proposed moving the textbook toward collective stewardship, the team pursued funding, drafted preliminary by-laws, and invited adopters into co-authorship. However, other adopting instructors either did not respond or graciously declined, defaulting to the reader role that book conventions had trained them to expect. Funders would also not pay the original author to keep improving the work, and the hosting platform offered no up-stream contribution or version-control affordances. The book in question is now archived, despite maintaining high numbers of readers or adopters.We read these obstacles against lessons from open source communities, where forking is a last resort and upstream contribution, version control, codes of conduct, and templated governance documents are common practice (Schneider, 2021). From that comparison we offer three directions for hacking the open ecosystem toward the public good. First, organize economic flows that pay for maintenance and governance, not only initial creation and adoption. Second, advocate for upstream revision affordances inside OER platforms, including version control, contributor identification, and embedded decision-making tools. Third, coordinate the cultural work of shifting adopter expectations from passive consumption to commons participation, including governance documents inside OER themselves.Libraries have repeatedly reshaped social expectations around access to knowledge. We invite the OEGlobal community to take up a parallel shift around stewardship, so that the promise of OER as growing organisms is matched by infrastructures that can support their lifecycles.

Speakers

Nathan Schneider

Associate Professor, Department of Media Studies, University of Colorado Boulder

Diana Daly

Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College of Information Science, University of Arizona

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
6 DR4 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

3:35pm EDT

Coding a Drawing Tool Together: Learning How to Contribute to Open Source Software

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

4 Room T

ID: 33970

The Processing Foundation’s mission is to promote software learning within the arts, artistic learning within technology-related fields, and to celebrate the diverse communities that make these fields vibrant, liberatory, and innovative. We work toward our goals by developing and distributing open source software (OSS) projects, Processing (Java) and p5.js (JavaScript). OSS has become one of the major cultural and technical achievements of the past half-century. Unlike commercial software, this work is a shared commons, built through collective knowledge, community practice, and sustained human effort. Unfortunately, there is often a significant gap between learning about OSS and developing the confidence to meaningfully contribute to it. Within communities that support Processing and p5.js, this gap is increasingly visible as we confront what Cabunoc Mayes and others have described as the “graying of open source,” a trend in which long-standing contributors are not being replaced by a new, diverse generation of participants (2025). As we celebrate 25 years of Processing, this moment calls for new approaches to access, participation, and recruitment through education. We developed a curriculum called Art + Code, which pairs with a professional development (PD) learning experience for K-12 educators with little or no prior coding background. The goals are to democratize access to computer science education and to reframe OSS contribution as a creative and collaborative practice. Throughout the PD, educators learn pedagogical practices for teaching creative coding while engaging as learners of the Art + Code curriculum. They explore foundational programming concepts through visually driven projects in p5.js. The culminating experience shifts from individual creation to collective contributions in the final project: the drawing tool. Here, participants develop custom “brushes” for a shared drawing tool, contributing code to a communal software project. Using OpenProcessing’s Live Collaboration feature, participants work together in a shared coding environment. This experience mirrors authentic OSS workflows while making visible the social dimensions of software development like attribution, remixing, negotiation, and collective ownership. For many educators, this is their first experience contributing to a shared codebase, reframing their understanding of what it means to “belong” in technical spaces.This session will share findings from pilot implementations of Art + Code across diverse educator cohorts. We will present qualitative insights and classroom observations that highlight how learners engage with core coding concepts through creative expression, as well as how participation in collaborative coding environments shifts their confidence and identity as potential contributors to OSS. We will also share educator feedback, including evidence of increased willingness to experiment, debug, and build on others’ work. This session is designed for educators, curriculum designers, and open education advocates by offering both a conceptual framework and practical strategies for bridging the gap between learning and contributing to OSS. Participants will leave with concrete approaches to integrating collaborative, open-source practices into their own teaching, as well as access to the freely available Art + Code curriculum. In an effort to invite a broader and more diverse community into open source, this project centers creativity, collaboration, and meaning-making.

Speakers

Roxana Hadad

Co-Executive Director, Processing Foundation

For the last 25 years, Roxana Hadad, PhD has led research and programming aimed at making STEM and computer science education experiences equitable and relevant to students from historically excluded communities. As a Co-Executive Director at Processing Foundation, she oversees initiatives... Read More →

Amy B. Woodman

Director, Fellowship Program, Processing Foundation

Amy B. Woodman is the Director of Fellowship Programs at Processing Foundation, where she supports artists and creative technologists developing open-source tools. She brings over a decade of experience designing programs across education, technology, and the arts, with a focus on... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality Online
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

3:35pm EDT

Strategic Alignment: Leveraging OER to Foster Transformative Faculty Partnerships

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 33984

ProblemFor academic libraries, building meaningful, sustained connections with teaching faculty is essential, yet this work is often constrained by transactional liaison engagement practices. To disrupt this pattern, Eastern Kentucky University librarians develop structured Library Program Plans that align information literacy instruction, collections, and outreach with student learning outcomes across program curricula. Moving beyond ad hoc instruction requests or one-off interactions such as collection requests, Program Plans create a shared framework that encourages ongoing dialogue between librarians and teaching faculty. Further, when Open Educational Resources (OER) are woven into program plans, faculty can more clearly see how OER support their academic freedom, pedagogical growth, and course-level student learning goals. In this context, Open Educational Resources (OER) - often framed simply as cost-saving initiatives - invite creative, program-level collaboration and offer a clear framework in which to develop meaningful, sustained faculty engagement, grounded in mutual goals for student success.InterventionThis session explores the ways that Program Plans can be developed to intentionally include Open Educational Resources (OER) and affordable course material strategies as a core component of faculty engagement. By embedding OER considerations directly into curriculum mapping — such as identifying high-enrollment courses, gateway sequences, and points of high student cost burden — librarians can facilitate more meaningful, context-aware conversations with faculty. By identifying specific learning outcomes first, and offering faculty quality, open alternatives to their existing course materials, OER emerge as solutions to instructional design challenges, positioning faculty as active instructional architects rather than consumers of static commercial content.ExamplesDrawing on practitioner experience, the session will highlight examples of OER-integrated Program Plan templates that include fields for documenting course material types, cost considerations, and opportunities for OER adoption, adaptation, or creation. These tools make visible where alignment already exists and where new opportunities for collaboration can be developed. Attendees will see how structured, curriculum-aligned approaches can support faculty decision-making while maintaining respect for disciplinary context and instructional autonomy.OutcomesParticipants will leave with practical strategies for using curriculum alignment to build resilient, relationship-centered partnerships with teaching faculty; integrating OER into program-level planning tools; and framing conversations around student outcomes, access, and instructional goals. By situating OER within a broader ecosystem of connection, creativity, and shared inquiry, this approach offers a replicable model for fostering collective thriving through sustained, program-level engagement.SignificanceBy centering OER in program planning, librarians can move beyond a narrow affordability narrative toward one focused on quality, agency, and student success. This shift strengthens faculty partnerships by aligning with core motivations — supporting student learning, preserving academic autonomy, and enabling the adaptation of course materials to meet the needs of students.

Speakers

Kelly Smith

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Eastern Kentucky University

Kelly Smith is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at Eastern Kentucky University Libraries where she directs library assessment, reporting activities, and policy development, and co-leads the Libraries’ open education program with Bailey Lake. She is currently working on an EdD... Read More →

Bailey Lake

Open Strategies Librarian, Eastern Kentucky University

Bailey Lake is the Open Strategies Librarian at Eastern Kentucky University Libraries, where she advocates for open education and facilitates OER creation in partnership with university OER champions. Bailey is especially passionate about open pedagogy projects and the impact of renewable... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
2 Room M MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

3:35pm EDT

The Inclusion Algorithm: Using AI Gems to Audit Equity in Open Education

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT

5 DR3

ID: 34031

We all want our course materials to reflect our students. You might already have great OER. But it is hard to catch every bias on our own. Even as experts, we have blind spots. We need a second pair of eyes.This session is about creating that partner using AI. We will use Gemini Gems to run quick equity audits on your current materials. I will share the specific script I use as an IDI certified professor. This is not about letting AI write your content. It is about using a diagnostic tool to spot representation gaps.In this 30 minute lab, we will get straight to work. You will learn how to set "rule based instructions" so the AI stays focused. You will see how it identifies Western centric biases or missing perspectives. You will leave with a functional AI Gem. It is a simple tool you can share with your department to help make your courses more inclusive.

Speakers

Ahmad Kareh

Associate Professor, Salt Lake Community College

Ahmad Kareh is a tenured professor at Salt Lake Community College. He is an entrepreneur who believes in the power of human connection. Ahmad is an Open Education Fellow and a UNSDG Faculty Fellow. He has served as a member of the Open Education Advisory Committee since 2016. As a... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
5 DR3 MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

Presentation

Speaker Modality In-person
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

AI, Openness, and Democracy: Ethical AI Education in Diverse Learning Contexts

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33964

This session explores the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), open education, and democratic participation, with a focus on how ethical AI education can be meaningfully integrated into diverse learning contexts across Europe. As AI technologies increasingly shape access to information, decision-making, and public discourse, education systems face a growing responsibility not only to develop digital skills, but also to strengthen critical thinking, ethical awareness, and active citizenship.The session draws on practice-based and research-informed insights from several European educational and social innovation initiatives, including programmes focused on digital inclusion, technology integration in education, and AI literacy development. These include work with teachers and learners in both formal and non-formal settings, particularly in rural and underserved contexts, where access to quality digital education remains uneven.Building on findings from teacher training programmes and curriculum innovation processes, the session presents how AI-related topics, such as algorithmic bias, information integrity, and the societal implications of automated systems - can be translated into pedagogically meaningful learning experiences. Evidence from projects involving over 200 educators highlights how teachers integrate emerging technologies into teaching practices, not as standalone topics, but as part of broader learning goals related to critical thinking, problem-solving, and civic engagement.A key focus is placed on the role of educators as mediators of complex technological knowledge. The session explores how teachers without technical backgrounds can be supported through structured methodologies, co-created learning materials, and iterative professional development cycles. Insights from multi-phase training models demonstrate how sustained engagement, peer learning, and reflection contribute to more confident and context-responsive teaching practices.The session also addresses systemic challenges identified across projects, including disparities in access to digital infrastructure, differences in institutional readiness, and the risk of reproducing inequalities through emerging technologies. These challenges are examined as critical entry points for rethinking the role of open education in ensuring equitable participation in increasingly digital societies.By linking AI education with democratic participation, the session highlights pathways through which learners can move from awareness to engagement, including connections to participatory mechanisms such as the European Citizens’ Initiative. This perspective positions education not only as a means of knowledge transfer, but as a foundation for informed and active participation in democratic processes.

Speakers

Eglė Celiešienė

AI, Openness, and Democracy: Ethical AI Education in Diverse Learning Contexts, Vilnius Business College

Eglė Celiešienė is an expert in digital education, social innovation, and democratic participation, working at the intersection of education, technology, and European policy. She serves as Chairwoman of the Board of the NGO Confederation for Children in Lithuania and the Lithuanian... Read More →

Gabija Skučaitė

Director, Vilnius Business College

Gabija Skučaitė is an entrepreneur, education leader, and founder with over three decades of experience in building and transforming educational institutions. She is the co-founder and Chancellor of SMK College of Applied Sciences and the owner and Chancellor of Kazimiero Simonavičius... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

4:15pm EDT

Bridging Global Open Education and Local Capacity Building: An Integrated Model from Paraguay.

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33976

In many emerging economies, access to high-quality education remains constrained by structural limitations, including restricted availability of advanced academic programmes, limited exposure to global knowledge networks, and insufficient development of analytical and digital skills. While open education resources (OER) and large-scale online learning initiatives have expanded access to knowledge, their integration into formal higher education systems remains uneven, particularly in Latin America.This session presents an institutional model developed in Paraguay that systematically integrates global open education resources into undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, with the aim of enhancing students’ analytical capacity, digital competencies, and global readiness. The model combines internationally recognised open learning programmes—such as the HarvardX Professional Certificate in Data Science and the MITx MicroMasters in Data, Economics, and Design of Policy—with locally delivered curricula, contextualised instruction, and structured academic support.A key innovation of this approach lies in moving beyond the passive consumption of open content. Instead, open courses are embedded within degree structures, aligned with learning objectives, and complemented by in-person facilitation, peer collaboration, and applied learning components. Students are not only exposed to world-class content but are also supported in developing the skills required to engage with it effectively, including academic English proficiency and quantitative reasoning.In parallel, the model incorporates a work-study scheme that connects students to real-world research projects and institutional initiatives, fostering the application of knowledge in practical settings. Additionally, participatory pedagogical approaches—such as the Pre-Texts methodology developed by the Harvard Cultural Agents Initiative—are implemented across courses to strengthen engagement, critical thinking, and collaborative learning.Emerging evidence from this experience suggests that the model contributes to substantial improvements in students’ data science capabilities, analytical performance, and confidence in engaging with international academic environments. Graduates from these programmes have been admitted to PhD programmes at leading universities such as University of California, Davis and University of Manchester, as well as master’s programmes at institutions including University of Chicago, London School of Economics, and University of Warwick. Furthermore, graduates have secured entry-level positions in organisations such as the Inter-American Development Bank, the Banco Central del Paraguay, and international data science firms, signalling strong alignment between training and labour market demands.The session will present the design principles, implementation process, and key lessons learned from this experience, with a focus on scalability and adaptability to other institutional and national contexts. By bridging global open education and local capacity development, this model offers a practical pathway for democratising access to high-quality education and strengthening human capital in emerging economies.

Speakers

José Molinas Vega

General Director, Instituto Desarrollo

Economist, academic, and researcher with extensive experience in public policy, development, and higher education in Paraguay. He has held senior positions in government and academia and has led multiple initiatives aimed at strengthening human capital and institutional capacity... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

Can Open Technology and AI Power a Global STEAM Educator Network for Under-Resourced Communities?

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33850

A teacher in rural India working on a low-bandwidth mobile phone, with limited infrastructure, multilingual needs, large class sizes, and complex pedagogical demands to navigate, integrating STEAM smoothly and effectively is a real challenge. And she is not alone. What does it take to build an open STEAM educator network that can not only survive, but truly thrive in under-resourced communities around the world?We have powerful examples to learn from. Fab Labs have built a globally distributed community of practice around making and STEAM, establishing thousands of centers across hundreds of countries and democratizing access to digital fabrication tools such as 3D printers and laser cutters. On the other hand, India’s Atal Tinkering Mission has set up thousands of open learning makerspaces in schools, where children learn to tinker, experiment, and solve real-world problems through structured programs. Both initiatives have demonstrated impact on students’ STEAM learning, innovation, and entrepreneurial skills.Yet common challenges persist: sustaining these spaces, building strong support networks, developing skills to operate and maintain equipment, ensuring access to resources at both individual and institutional levels, managing operational logistics, and integrating pedagogy into the curriculum. As a result, these models remain difficult to replicate or scale in under-resourced contexts where resources are scarce, teacher capacity is limited, and infrastructure is unreliable.Can open technology and AI change that equation?This session presents both the wins and challenges from existing networks and how these learnings are being used to build a proof of concept: ZubHub for Educators. ZubHub is an open-source, facilitation-first platform designed for under-resourced contexts: a community-driven tool for teaching creative, STEAM, and activity-based learning. It aspires to support an open STEAM educator network that can be scaled and sustained.ZubHub features low-cost activity alternatives, making hands-on learning possible even with limited resources. Its multilingual design includes AI-assisted translation for diverse language contexts. An AI-assisted content creation feature helps educators document and structure activities for reuse and sharing. A dedicated facilitation mode allows educators to enter a “teaching mode,” with built-in time tracking and community note-taking. Engagement tracking across sessions and resources helps surface widely used activities, encouraging adoption and inspiring more educators to facilitate them.Through this session, we’ll invite participants to reflect on how they would actively use ZubHub as educators for facilitating sessions, creating and adapting content, and engaging with communities. How might it fit into day-to-day teaching practice? How could its design support building open STEAM networks in local, regional, or global contexts? What would they change or adapt?Participants will leave with concrete ideas and practical starting points for using and shaping tools like ZubHub to build open, scalable, and sustainable STEAM educator networks.

Speakers

Srishti Sethi

Co-founder, Unstructured Studio

Srishti Sethi has worked in open education for over a decade through the design, development, and advocacy of open-source educational tools. She is co-founder of Unstructured Studio, a not-for-profit working with children and educators in rural India and other under-resourced contexts... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Exploring Emergent Technologies and the Future of Openness

4:15pm EDT

Creating Inclusive Multilingual Resources for all

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33725

Nowadays, it is difficult to preserve one's own languages, culture, and identity because of displacement; migration; wars happening in some parts of the world; the long-term effects of COVID-19; and the dominance of major world languages in educational and media spaces. Yet for many children who speak minority, heritage, or otherwise underserved languages, access to meaningful literacy resources remains limited. Children thrive when they can see, hear, and read themselves in the materials around them. Books, audio materials, digital stories, and other juvenile resources are often unavailable in the languages they use at home and in their communities due to the aforementioned factors. This lack of access is not simply a matter of missing materials; it also affects language maintenance, educational participation, cultural continuity, and a child’s sense of identity and belonging. When young people do not have access to their languages in spaces of learning, they may begin to see those languages as less valuable, less visible, or less worthy of preservation. Creating inclusive multilingual resources is essential for children and families who speak underserved and heritage languages to have meaningful access to literacy, learning, and cultural representation. In many communities, the shortage of books, digital stories, audio materials, and other juvenile resources in local or heritage languages limits not only educational opportunities but also identity, belonging, and long-term language maintenance. This proposal focuses on how open education and collaborative community-based practices can support the creation and sharing of multilingual resources that are accessible, culturally relevant, and responsive to the needs of underserved language communities. Drawing on the ongoing work through Indiana University Bloomington’s Books & Beyond and Multilingual Minds projects on Yoruba and Burmese-speaking communities in Indianapolis, this session highlights how community building, collaboration, and open educational practices can help writers, educators, illustrators, translators, and community members work together to produce resources for children and families. By centering open educational practices, this proposal asks how multilingual resources can be created in ways that are adaptable, shareable, and responsive to community needs. Open approaches make it possible to think beyond access in the narrow sense of cost alone. They allow us to consider who gets to create knowledge, whose language practices are recognized, and how communities can build resources that reflect their histories, values, and aspirations. In this way, open education becomes a means of supporting equity, accessibility, and participation rather than simply distributing materials more widely.The proposal also considers how broader issues such as linguistic dominance, limited funding, displacement, and unequal access to publishing opportunities shape the production of multilingual materials. We choose to prioritize accessibility, equity, and inclusion and invite participants to think about multilingual resource creation as both an educational and community-building practice that supports heritage language maintenance and strengthens identity and belonging.

Speakers

Comfort Adejoke Durojaiye

Indiana University, Bloomington.

Comfort Adejoke Durojaiye is a PhD student in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education at Indiana University Bloomington, where her work centers on language policy, cultural identity, multilingual education, and indigenous language revitalization. She is an educator, researcher... Read More →

Kaung Myat

Indiana University Bloomington

Kaung Myat is a Ph.D. student in Literacy, Culture, and Language Education at Indiana University Bloomington, with over a decade of experience in teaching, research, and community engagement across Myanmar and the United States. He currently serves as a Burmese Language Adjunct Instructor... Read More →

Jonas Fos

Indiana University, Bloomington.

Master's Student, Library & Information Science and Folklore & EthnomusicologyIndiana University BloomingtonJonas Fos is a Master's Student in Library Science and Folklore & Ethnomusicology at Indiana University Bloomington. His research interests focus on the intersection between... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

Don’t I Know You?: Re-Designing Open Programming for Inventive Collaboration

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33460

Open Education programming often favors the familiar, but curiosity and connection can take us somewhere meaningful and new. This talk explores what happens when we treat programming not as event planning, but as relationship-building. Grounded in this approach, it highlights how curiosity, informal conversations, and community feedback can lead to more inclusive, responsive, and collaborative programming that upholds knowledge as a public good.I’ll briefly share two experimental formats shaped by this philosophy: 1) From the Field, and 2) Open Exchange – both designed to create space for dialogue, not just delivery. In Open Exchange, for example, sessions aren’t recorded by design, encouraging participants to speak freely, reflect openly, and engage in richer, more candid conversations, reinforcing collective knowledge-building.Working in “inventive spaces” means making room for new perspectives, unexpected connections, and the kinds of conversations that don’t always fit neatly into a traditional webinar, but matter just the same. In a field that values openness, this is an invitation to consider not just what we share, but who we make space for, how we design it, and who we might become as a result of the shared reinvention of knowledge.

Speakers

Heather Blicher

Director, Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER), Open Education Global

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Catalyzing Human Connection Creativity and Curiosity to Thrive

4:15pm EDT

Experiences of online faculty in using open pedagogy to support social justice

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 32503

It is often assumed that open education, by virtue of improving access to education, de facto supports social justice, but this is not the case. Additionally, online learning is generally thought to improve students' access to education because of the flexibility in when and where to learn that is possible, but it can, in fact, be a site of social injustice for historically marginalized students. As a result, using open pedagogy in an online course to support social justice requires intentionality on the part of the instructor.For my dissertation, I completed a qualitative, interpretive phenomenological study underpinned by critical theory that sought to answer this central research question: What are the experiences of post-secondary faculty members who teach online using open pedagogy to support social justice? My study was situated within the context of one post-secondary institution located in British Columbia, Canada, and faculty who teach online courses using open pedagogy to support social justice were interviewed.The results revealed that faculty members conceptualize social justice in a variety of ways, primarily focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion of identities, as well as removing systemic barriers. They operationalize social justice through using open pedagogy by centring student voices, diverse perspectives, and learner agency. As well, faculty members engage in social justice leadership development by valuing lifelong learning; engaging in professional development on a variety of topics and in a variety of ways; and welcoming, valuing, and incorporating student feedback and input. The results also revealed they need to be more direct and explicit in expressing their support of social justice by using open pedagogy. Accordingly, I developed a social justice model of open pedagogy that faculty members could use to help plan how they will engage in open pedagogy to support social justice while avoiding the perpetuation of teaching practices that can be marginalizing. Despite some limitations of the research stemming from the study design and the geopolitical context, future research could more deeply explore the risks faculty members face when using open pedagogy in support of social justice.

Speakers

Melissa Ashman

Instructor, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Melissa Ashman is an instructor of business communications, public relations, and entrepreneurial leadership at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. An advocate for all things open, she has adapted and created open textbooks, developed and used open pedagogy assignments and practices... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

From Classroom to Community: Open Pedagogy for Inclusive Care

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 32982

This project reimagines open educational practice in junior-level nursing education by integrating open pedagogy, transparent AI use, and public-facing knowledge sharing to address real-world barriers to equitable health care. Embedded in an undergraduate Chronic Care course, nursing students engage with open educational resources (OERs) focused on special populations in public health, including faith traditions and spiritual worldviews, as well as stateless, displaced, refugee, asylum-seeking, and immigrant populations. The OER content provides students with a structured, accessible introduction to how culture, belief systems, migration histories, legal status, trauma exposure, and structural barriers can shape health behaviors, trust, access to care, and the continuity of care.Rather than presenting populations as fixed categories, the OER emphasizes complexity, intersectionality, and the limitations of labels. Students are encouraged to move beyond assumptions and instead approach care through cultural humility, trauma-informed practice, and patient-centered communication. The content introduces practical strategies for asking respectful questions, assessing barriers to care, using interpreters appropriately, and aligning care plans with patient values and priorities when clinically safe to do so. In this way, the OER serves not only as informational content, but also as a framework for helping students think more critically and compassionately about the lived realities that influence chronic illness management.Students then select one population focus and apply that learning to develop an evidence-based safety bundle for the management of a chronic condition covered in the course. Using AI transparently as a co-creator rather than a ghostwriter, students are supported in shaping and refining their bundles while remaining responsible for the clinical reasoning and final product. The assignment requires students to connect population-specific considerations to concrete nursing care and to translate broader public health and social context concepts into practical, patient-centered interventions. Each bundle includes evidence-based interventions, culturally responsive patient education, attention to faith and spirituality considerations or legal status and migration-related stressors, and SMART goals to support safe, individualized care planning. In doing so, students deepen their understanding of how inclusive care planning can improve safety, communication, adherence, and continuity in chronic disease management.Students then share their work as a “living poster,” creating an open-access learning resource that classmates can use and build upon. This public-facing component extends the assignment beyond individual course completion and positions students as contributors to a shared knowledge commons. By combining OER content, applied bundle design, and ethical AI-supported learning, this project demonstrates how open educational practices can foster deeper understanding, strengthen clinical judgment, and generate practical, practice-ready resources for the public good.

Speakers

Andrea Reed

From Classroom to Community: Open Pedagogy for Inclusive Care, Virginia Commonwealth University

Andrea Reed is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she teaches in the undergraduate nursing program, and is part of the National League of Nursing Social Determinants of Health 2026 Leadership Cohort. Andrea co-leads the VCU Institute for Women’s... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

4:15pm EDT

From Consumers to Contributors: Exploring How Participation in Open Publishing Influences Student Belonging

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 31857

Open pedagogy offers students the opportunity to move from passive consumers of knowledge to active contributors in public knowledge ecosystems. However, less is known about how students experience this transition, particularly when their work is shared beyond the classroom. This presentation shares insights from a qualitative study exploring students’ experiences with open publishing, including contributions to open-access publications and open educational resources (OER). It examines how participation in open publishing shapes students’ sense of belonging, inclusion, and academic identity, while also considering how these experiences may vary across different backgrounds, disciplines, and learning contexts.Drawing on student narratives, the session highlights emerging themes related to authorship, visibility, and legitimacy. Students describe how contributing to public knowledge resources influences their sense of belonging—feeling recognized, valued, and connected to both classroom and broader scholarly communities. Many students reported increased motivation, engagement, and confidence as they experienced themselves as legitimate knowledge creators, while also navigating concerns about vulnerability, imposter syndrome, and perceived credibility. By centering student voices, the study illuminates the human dimensions of open pedagogy and demonstrates how fostering belonging can strengthen participation, identity development, and learning outcomes.The presentation also provides an overview of the study’s methodology, including participant recruitment, ethical considerations, and thematic coding of interview data. Reflections on lessons learned as emerging researchers highlight practical strategies for supporting students’ agency, ensuring ethical research practices, and designing open assignments that promote belonging and inclusion.Situating these findings within the broader landscape of open education, the session underscores how open pedagogy supports collaborative, participatory, and globally connected learning. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of students’ experiences in open publishing and actionable insights for creating inclusive opportunities that strengthen belonging, encourage public contribution, and recognize students as co-creators of knowledge. This session will be particularly valuable for instructors, librarians, and researchers interested in understanding how open practices can both empower students and foster meaningful connections within learning communities.

Speakers

Ginelle Baskin

Assistant Professor and Open Education Librarian, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)

Ginelle Baskin is the Open Education Librarian at Middle Tennessee State University, where she leads campus initiatives to advance textbook affordability and the adoption of open educational resources (OER). She works closely with faculty, departments, and campus partners to support... Read More →

Kristen West

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

4:15pm EDT

From Numbers to Narratives: Using Data Storytelling to Demonstrate OER Impact and ROI

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33956

Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives require sustainable support from institutional stakeholders, and compelling data stories are essential for demonstrating their value. This lightning talk will showcase practical approaches for collecting, analyzing, and presenting data narratives that illustrate OER's return on investment (ROI) and institutional impact. Drawing from Texas A&M University's institutional experience, this session will highlight how to transform raw data into persuasive stories that resonate with various audiences. Attendees will learn how to leverage multiple institutional data sources including enrollment data, library usage statistics, and purchasing data to craft compelling narratives about OER adoption and impact. The presentation will demonstrate how to calculate and visualize student cost savings, analyze enrollment patterns in OER courses, and track adoption rates across departments and colleges in ways that tell meaningful stories that advance institutional missions around affordability and accessibility. A key focus of this session is moving beyond simple numbers to create narratives that illustrate the human impact of OER programs. Data storytelling allows practitioners to connect quantitative metrics—such as dollars saved and courses offered—to qualitative outcomes that matter to stakeholders: improved student access, reduced financial barriers, and institutional commitment to affordability. By framing data within these broader narratives, OER advocates can demonstrate how their work directly supports institutional goals and student success. Real-world examples from Texas A&M will illustrate how data storytelling can support advocacy efforts, secure funding for OER programs, and encourage faculty adoption. Attendees will see how presenting evidence of cost savings alongside adoption metrics through compelling narratives creates powerful arguments for program sustainability and expansion. The talk will explore practical visualization techniques and dashboard development that make complex data accessible and actionable for different audiences, from faculty champions to senior administrators.

Speakers

Lindsey Todorovich

Open Education Librarian, Texas A&M University

Lindsey Todorovich works as an Open Education Librarian at Texas A&M University, where she manages the OpenEd department’s data dashboard. Her work supports evidence-based decision making, strategic outreach initiatives, and efforts to advance course affordability across campus... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

4:15pm EDT

From Open Resources to Open Pathways: Leveraging OER to Expand Concurrent Enrollment Access

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33904

From Open Resources to Open Pathways: Leveraging OER to Expand Concurrent Enrollment AccessThis session will examine the maturation of Open Educational Resources (OER) practices within a statewide online public charter school, and how these practices have facilitated the development of strategic partnerships designed to enhance equitable access to concurrent enrollment (CE) opportunities. The presentation will detail the progression from initial open course publication to the current application of data-informed curriculum refinement, professional learning community collaboration, and emerging content development supported by generative AI. By sharing program outcomes, metrics of student success, and the relevant policy context, the session aims to illustrate how coordinated secondary–postsecondary partnerships can effectively bolster transfer readiness, improve academic performance, and establish scalable pathways that align the philosophy of open education with institutional objectives for access, persistence, and workforce preparation.

Speakers

DeLaina Tonks

Executive Director, Mountain Heights Academy

Dr. DeLaina Tonks has been involved in education since 1991, as a teacher, instructional designer, and administrator. Prior to coming to Mountain Heights Academy, she taught high school French and Spanish in Upper Arlington, Ohio. DeLaina is a 2020 “Best of State – Administrator... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

Integrating Interactive 3D Physics Simulations into Open Educational Resources and Textbooks

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 32762

Physics is often seen as abstract and difficult, especially when students only learn from static text and equations. In my teaching experience, many students struggle to visualize what is really happening. This session introduces 3JCN Physics Simulation, a free online platform with over 330 interactive 3D simulations that help make complex physics concepts easier to understand through visualization and interaction.In this session, I will share how I use these simulations in my classes and how they can be integrated into open educational resources (OER) and physics textbooks. Instead of only reading formulas, students can change parameters, observe results, and build intuition step by step. This approach helps connect theory with real physical meaning and supports different learning styles.I will demonstrate several simulations from topics such as mechanics, waves, electricity and magnetism, and modern physics. I will also show simple ways to embed these simulations into online materials or digital textbooks without requiring advanced programming skills.This work is based on my experience teaching physics for more than 20 years, where I have seen that visualization and interaction can significantly improve student understanding. I will also briefly discuss teaching strategies such as active learning and using simulations for concept exploration and discussion.Participants will leave with practical ideas on how to use interactive simulations in their own teaching. All simulations are freely available, and I hope this work can support wider access to quality physics education around the world.I welcome feedback, ideas, and possible collaboration from the open education community.

Speakers

Thomas Nguyen

Adjunct Physics Instructor, Palomar College

Thomas Nguyen is an adjunct physics instructor in San Diego, California, with over 20 years of teaching experience in the United States and Vietnam. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and two master’s degrees in physics and computer science. Thomas specializes in developing... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

MIT OpenCourseWare To Go: Extending Open Knowledge to Mobile Learners Globally

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33950

MIT OpenCourseWare To Go (https://ocwtogo.mit.edu/) reflects MIT’s long-standing commitment to upholding knowledge as a public good by expanding access to free, open educational resources for learners everywhere—especially those with limited or intermittent connectivity. OCW To Go enables learners to download curated MIT OpenCourseWare courses to mobile devices for offline use, including videos, making open learning portable and inclusive. As open education continues to expand globally, ensuring that knowledge is not limited by infrastructure remains a critical challenge. This session shows how open, offline‑capable technologies can help uphold knowledge as a public good, particularly for learners in mobile‑first and low‑connectivity contexts.For more than twenty-five years, MIT OpenCourseWare has embodied a vision of unlocking knowledge for the benefit of all. Since its launch in 2001, OCW has grown to reach over 500 million learners globally. Yet achieving the vision of anytime, anywhere learning has often depended on reliable Internet access, sufficient bandwidth, and a computer whether a laptop or desktop. The growing use of mobile devices to access OCW, 30% on average with some countries exceeding 50% mobile use, led the team to explore how to better serve these users. OCW To Go overcomes prior constraints by bringing the OCW experience into a learner’s pocket without Internet connectivity.OCW To Go addresses long-standing technical barriers posed by mobile operating systems, which traditionally prevent full websites from being stored and viewed locally. Learners browse a curated list of courses, select a course to download including optional videos and view them in a web browser on their mobile device while offline. The result is a soon-to-be open source, progressive web app that functions as a self-contained local web server on a learner’s device. Course materials are stored in the browser’s local storage and accessed offline, with video downloads available based on learner selection to respect bandwidth and storage limitations.OCW To Go empowers learners to engage with open education on their own terms—wherever they are and whenever they want. As a work in progress, OCW To Go invites collaboration, feedback, and shared invention from the global open education community as we collectively advance open practices and safeguard access to knowledge for the benefit of all.

Speakers

Curt Newton

Director, MIT OpenCourseWare, MIT Open Learning

Curt Newton leads MIT OpenCourseWare in supporting millions of global learners and educators every year with freely shared materials from over 2,500 MIT courses. He joined OpenCourseWare in 2004, shortly after its launch, captivated by the promise of open education, and worked as... Read More →

Brandon Muramatsu

Hardi Vajir

MBA Candidate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Hardi Vanir is a product leader passionate about building technology at the intersection of AI and social impact. At MIT Sloan, I am conducting AI research on communication and empathy, leading mentorship initiatives as VP of Sloan Women in Management, and pursuing a certificate in... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

OER and General Education as “Good, Necessary Trouble”

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 30934

Those who teach general education courses or who advise frequently hear the dreaded question: “Why do I have to take this course?” In higher education, there is a near-constant battle concerning the worth of a college education. Yet, we do not often have effective student-facing ways to frame why we have such requirements.The open access textbook Why Do I Have to Take This Course? A Guide to General Education, published with the Remixing Open Textbooks through an Equity Lens project, helps students think about why they take General Education courses through the lens of U.S. Representative/Civil Rights activist John Lewis’ philosophy of “good, necessary trouble.” Building on S.R. Lambert’s “Changing our (dis)course” (2018), this approach has underscored the value of OER and open education more broadly as ways to engage students with how general education provides a basis of knowledge and skills for creating social change, helping us to move from where we are to where we aspire to be.

Speakers

Kisha Tracy

Professor, English Studies, Fitchburg State University

Dr. Kisha G. Tracy is a Professor and Chair of English Studies and Chair of the General Education Program at Fitchburg State University. She received her Ph.D. in Medieval Studies from the University of Connecticut. In addition to several articles, her first book was published by... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

Open Access 3D Printed Anatomical Models for Health Sciences Education

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33981

Human anatomy is foundational to health science education and a core course in many undergraduate degree programs, including pre-med, pre-nursing, pre-dental, biomedical engineering, kinesiology, and exercise science. Anatomy instruction relies heavily on hands-on 3D tools, including human cadaveric body and organ donation, plastic models, and skeleton models, which are essential for teaching anatomical relationships and spatial reasoning. While these tactile resources are among the most important pedagogically, they are also the most expensive (ranging from $100 - $10,000 per model), a burden which increases lab fees for students and makes them financially inaccessible for many institutions. The recent explosion of 3D printing technology has the potential to revolutionize anatomy education by lowering the cost of anatomical models, thereby improving access to resources across health sciences programs. The Modern Human Anatomy Program at University of Colorado Anschutz recently launched an open-access repository, called the Colorado OER Anatomy Hub, that hosts 3D-printable models of human organs paired with teaching guides for classroom implementation. Models can be downloaded and printed for free by anyone in the world with access to a 3D printer at a fraction of the cost of commercial models. We piloted 3D printed heart and brain models in 7 anatomy courses across 5 universities in Colorado and solicited feedback through a student survey assessing helpfulness, ease of use, engagement, and satisfaction. Across 821 completed surveys, respondents rated the models highly on all measures (mean Likert scores: 4.0–4.2 out of 5), with 78–87% agreeing or strongly agreeing that the models aided spatial visualization, were easy to use, enhanced engagement, and positively contributed to their learning experience. Moreover, 82% of students recommended the 3D printed models for future students and provided suggestions for modifications and improvements. This presentation will discuss these findings along with the theoretical, practical, and ethical considerations for 3D printing in anatomy education. Ultimately, we aim to empower educators to develop, use, and share OER 3D printed organ models to enhance student access and engagement in health sciences education.

Speakers

Zachary Stetter

Academic Services Principal Professional, University of Colorado Anschutz

Zachary D. Stetter, MS, is a human anatomical and 3D modeling Principal Professional in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. They manage the 3D printing lab within the Modern Human Anatomy program, alongside providing... Read More →

Maureen Stabio

Associate Professor & Executive Director, Modern Human Anatomy Program, University of Colorado Anschutz

Maureen E. Stabio, PhD (née Estevez) is an associate professor in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology and Executive Director of the Modern Human Anatomy (MHA) Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. She directs neurosciences courses... Read More →

Ezra Heeschen

Business Services Principal Professional, University of Colorado Anschutz

Ezra Heeschen is the OER program manager in the Modern Human Anatomy Program in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz.Ezra Heeschen is the OER program manager in the Modern Human Anatomy Program in the Department of Cell & Developmental... Read More →

Steven Summers

Medical Student, University of Colorado Anschutz

Steven Summers is a Medical Student attending the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Anschutz. He has interest in 3D printing, student education and mentoring, and ophthalmology.

Chelsea Lohman

Associate Professor & Executive Vice Director, Modern Human Anatomy Program, University of Colorado Anschutz

Chelsea Lohman, PhD is an associate professor in the Department of Cell & Developmental Biology and Executive Vice Director of the Modern Human Anatomy (MHA) Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. She directs gross anatomy courses in both... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge

4:15pm EDT

Promoting the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals with Institutional Repositories

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 32242

In 2025, Excelsior University launched its first institutional repository, known as SOAR. Its mission is to showcase the work of the Excelsior University community, including faculty, staff, and students. All of the work featured on SOAR is openly available. An institutional repository is also a great way to promote the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Research has shown that aligning an author’s work with the SDGs increases citation rates, research visibility, and policy changes. This presentation will share how SOAR incorporates the SDGs into its metadata. Additionally, authors are asked to choose the Goal that best reflects their work in SOAR’s submission form. By having authors think about the goals early on in the submission process, authors can envision the global impact of their works.

Speakers

Melissa Chim

Scholarly Communications Librarian, Excelsior University

Melissa Chim is the first Scholarly Communications Librarian at Excelsior University where she both created and manages the university’s scholarly publishing platform and institutional repository. She holds an MLIS from St. John’s University and an MA in History from Queen Mary... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track (Re)Inventing our Shared Global Vision Together

4:15pm EDT

Reinventing assessment as an open educational practice: an experience in a posgraduate course in Uruguay

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Video

ID: 33147

In this presentation, we address the course "Assessment: a general perspective and a focus on the classroom," which is part of the Specialization and Master's Program in Didactics of Higher Education (Instituto Educación, Universidad CLAEH).Since its original version, which I have been responsible for since 2015, the proposal has evolved over time, particularly following its redesign into a fully online format due to the health emergency (2020). As we will describe in this communication, the course's evolution reflects a growing openness, both in my own teaching practice regarding assessment and in the associated involvement of its participants, who engage as peer colleagues and protagonists in their own assessment and the overall experience.The course’s guiding threads seek to foster in participants the development of an assessment model oriented toward learning, grounded in informed, well-founded reflection on theory and classroom practice. The module is organized around assessment in university classrooms; this theme is present not only in the content but also serves as a foundational pillar in the development of activities and feedback, as part of continuous assessment within a participatory, collaborative, and critically reflective approach that runs throughout the course. The course design interweaves different frameworks: on the one hand, the didactic model, inspired by teaching for understanding; on the other, the design of online teaching, strongly influenced by collaborative learning and learning communities (Czerwonogora, 2025). This articulation generates a novel framework that combines theoretical perspectives expressed through situated praxis. Assessment and feedback are central throughout the course's trajectory, in a constant back-and-forth between theory and reflection on participants’ teaching practices, as well as the collaborative construction of a "task situated in a real context" with peer assessment.In keeping with my commitment to the open movement and the aim of providing a transparent and collaborative learning experience (open teaching, Couros, 2010), the course also promotes critical consumption of content, the use of free and/or open-source tools and software, the incorporation of open licenses, and the synthesis of knowledge through the shared development of learning networks. For students, the experience proves to be "demanding, engaging, ethical, intense, dizzying, different, yet highly enriching; challenging, yet empowering"; it fosters "constant critical reflection and encourages creativity in my thinking."This reinvention of assessment presented here is grounded in an expansive conceptualization of open educational practices, allowing for multiple points of access and pathways to openness (Cronin & MacLaren, 2018). The broad definition of OEP underlying this proposal does not rely on the inclusion of open educational resources. Rather, it is expressed as emancipatory praxis (Grundy, 1987) that challenges the traditional approach to assessment in teaching practices.

Speakers

Ada Czerwonogora

Universidad CLAEH (Centro Latinoamericano de Economía Humana)

She holds a PhD in Natural Sciences (Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo) and a PhD in Philosophy (Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación) from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina; a Master's degree in Virtual Learning Environments (Universidad de Panam... Read More →

Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Video

Lightning Talk (View Anytime)

Speaker Modality Online
Track Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good

OEGlobal 2026

From $195.00

Success you have shared X tickets.

8:45am EDT

9:00am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

10:30am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:05am EDT

11:50am EDT

11:50am EDT

11:50am EDT

11:50am EDT

11:50am EDT

11:50am EDT

12:25pm EDT

12:25pm EDT

12:25pm EDT

12:25pm EDT

12:55pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

1:40pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

2:15pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

3:35pm EDT

3:35pm EDT

3:35pm EDT

3:35pm EDT

3:35pm EDT

3:35pm EDT