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. It highlights how curiosity, informal conversations, and community feedback can lead to more inclusive and responsive programming. I’ll 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.
Working in “the space between” means making room for new perspectives, unexpected connections, and the kind of conversations that don’t always fit neatly into a traditional webinar format, but matter just the same. 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.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Reframe programming as relationship-building, understanding how curiosity, informal conversations, and community feedback can guide more responsive and inclusive programming.
- Apply design strategies for dialogue, recognizing how experimental formats, like unrecorded peer discussions, can create safe spaces for candid conversations and richer engagement.
- Explore how intentionally designing for connection and new perspectives can enhance the impact of Open Education efforts.
