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Subject: Innovating Open Content to Democratize Knowledge clear filter
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Friday, October 9
 

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
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
avatar for Bethany Eldridge

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

10:30am EDT

Indigenous Languages, Multimedia, and OER: From Decolonising the Mind to Democratising Knowledge
Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
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.
Friday October 9, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
4 Room T MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA

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
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
avatar for Lance Eaton

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.
avatar for Danielle Leek

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

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
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
avatar for Christopher Bolden

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

11:05am EDT

Innovating Open Simulation: Transforming Healthcare Education Through Open Content, Access, and Equity
Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
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
avatar for Teresa Connolly

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 →
avatar for Fara Bowler

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

11:05am EDT

Scaling OER Adoption in the Arab Region: The OER SMART Model
Friday October 9, 2026 11:05am - 11:35am EDT
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
avatar for Mahmoud Hawamdeh

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

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
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
NS

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

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
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
avatar for Loveline Yaro

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

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
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
avatar for Bryan McGeary

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

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
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
avatar for Jennifer Venegas Espinoza

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 →
avatar for Lorena Santos

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

1:40pm EDT

From Collections to Classrooms: Unlocking Cultural Heritage for Open Education
Friday October 9, 2026 1:40pm - 2:45pm EDT
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
avatar for Jennryn Wetzler

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 →
AF

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 →
avatar for Christian Dawson

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

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
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
avatar for Jessica Kirschner

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 →
avatar for Victor Tan Chen

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 →
avatar for Gabriela León-Pérez

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

3:00pm EDT

Beyond the Textbook: Innovating Open ASL Curriculum for Equitable Access
Friday October 9, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
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
avatar for Melanie Nakaji

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

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
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
avatar for Kathryn Frazier

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 →
ES

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

3:35pm EDT

The Inclusion Algorithm: Using AI Gems to Audit Equity in Open Education
Friday October 9, 2026 3:35pm - 4:05pm EDT
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
avatar for Ahmad Kareh

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

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
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
JM

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

4:15pm EDT

Creating Inclusive Multilingual Resources for all
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
avatar for Comfort Adejoke Durojaiye

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 →
avatar for Kaung Myat

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 →
JF

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

4:15pm EDT

Experiences of online faculty in using open pedagogy to support social justice
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
MA

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

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
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
avatar for DeLaina Tonks

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

4:15pm EDT

Integrating Interactive 3D Physics Simulations into Open Educational Resources and Textbooks
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
avatar for Thomas Nguyen

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

4:15pm EDT

MIT OpenCourseWare To Go: Extending Open Knowledge to Mobile Learners Globally
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
avatar for Curt Newton

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 →
HV

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

4:15pm EDT

OER and General Education as “Good, Necessary Trouble”
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
avatar for Kisha Tracy

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

4:15pm EDT

Open Access 3D Printed Anatomical Models for Health Sciences Education
Friday October 9, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
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
ZS

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 →
avatar for Maureen	Stabio

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 →
EH

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 →
SS

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.
CL

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
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Filter sessions
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Filtered by Date -