Name: From Conference Spark to Campus Change: Students as Co-Creators of Open Practice
Start: 2026-10-08T11:50:00-0400
End: 2026-10-08T12:20:00-0400

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

From Conference Spark to Campus Change: Students as Co-Creators of Open Practice

Thursday October 8, 2026 11:50am - 12:20pm EDT

2 Room M

ID: 31878

What happens when a student encounters open education for the very first time, not in a classroom, but in the dynamic, participatory space of a conference? This session explores that question through the shared journey of an experienced open education practitioner and an undergraduate education student who, just two years ago, attended an open education conference together. For the student, the experience was transformative. What began as exposure quickly evolved into curiosity, and now into action: a senior capstone project designed to investigate and expand open education awareness at her home institution, where knowledge of open practices remains limited.Framed within the conference theme “Come Invent With Us! Innovating Open Practices to Uphold and Uplift Knowledge as a Public Good,” this session positions students not as passive recipients of open education, but as active agents in “hacking” and reshaping the open ecosystem. Together, the presenters will share their intergenerational and cross-role perspectives on entering, navigating, and contributing to the open education movement.At the heart of the session is the student’s emerging research design. She is developing a faculty survey to assess awareness of, and interest in, open educational practices, alongside plans for student-centered outreach and focus groups. These efforts aim to surface both barriers and opportunities for open education adoption at her institution, while also elevating student voice as a critical yet often underrepresented dimension of open praxis. Participants will be invited to contribute feedback on survey design, question framing, and strategies for engaging both faculty and students in meaningful dialogue about openness.This interactive session aligns with the “Hacking the Open Ecosystem and Praxis for the Public Good” track by centering experimentation, co-creation, and grassroots innovation. It highlights how small, relational entry points, such as bringing a student to a conference, can catalyze broader institutional and cultural shifts. Attendees will engage in rapid ideation activities to help refine the student’s research instruments and outreach strategies, effectively becoming co-designers in a real-time open education initiative.The session is also grounded in emerging literature on the value of student participation in academic conferences and high-impact practices. Research suggests that undergraduate engagement in scholarly communities enhances students’ sense of belonging, professional identity, and academic motivation (Kuh, 2008; Lopatto, 2010). Additionally, involving students as partners in educational innovation aligns with calls for more inclusive and participatory approaches to knowledge creation (Cook-Sather, Bovill, & Felten, 2014).By weaving together lived experience, research design, and participatory engagement, this session invites attendees to consider: What might be possible if we more intentionally invited students into the open ecosystem, not just as beneficiaries, but as co-inventors of the future of knowledge as a public good?

Speakers

Sydney DelMastro

Student, Endicott College

Sydney DelMastro is a student at Endicott College, majoring in English Secondary Education with a minor in Spanish. Her academic work and field experiences have focused on supporting diverse learners and creating inclusive, engaging classroom environments. She has completed field... Read More →

Lisa Young

Founder & Principal, EduEssentials Consulting

Dr. Lisa Young is a longtime advocate for open education and learner centered innovation in higher education. She recently retired after more than 30 years with the Maricopa County Community College District, where she served in several leadership roles, including Faculty Administrator... Read More →

Thursday October 8, 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

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OEGlobal 2026

Sydney DelMastro

Lisa Young

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Success you have shared X tickets.

OEGlobal 2026

Sydney DelMastro

Lisa Young

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