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Tuesday, October 27
 

12:15pm EDT

Another Kind of Open: What a Community Pow Wow Can Teach Us About Openness
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V5
Open education often emphasizes digital access and sharing, but I’ve been thinking more about the relationships that actually make openness possible. In this session, I reflect on a community Pow Wow hosted at Cambrian College as an example of “another kind of open.”

As someone working in reconciliation education, I’ve come to see the Pow Wow as more than an event. It’s a space where learning happens through connection, respect, and reciprocity, a space where social justice and intercultural exchange are lived and felt. I see Indigenous pride and allyship in action. Helpers each play a unique role in creating an inclusive space rooted in Anishinaabe culture.

The Pow Wow encourages me to question the idea that openness is primarily digital, and to think about how the ethos of open education lives in relationships and community practices. I’ll invite attendees to reflect on how these observations might influence their own work and understanding of openness beyond the screen.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe how a community Pow Wow can function as a site of relational learning and “another kind of open”.
  • Reflect on how relationships, roles, and responsibilities shape meaningful open practices.
  • Identify ways that openness can extend beyond digital spaces into community-based contexts.
  • Consider how reconciliation education, allyship, and Indigenous-led spaces can inform their understanding of open education.
  • Apply insights from this session to re-think their own approaches to openness in their teaching or work.
Speakers
avatar for Jessica O'Reilly

Jessica O'Reilly

Professor, Cambrian College
From humble beginnings scooping ice cream at her grandparents' Supply Post, Jess now spends her time serving up scoops of decolonial truths (tastes awful, but it works)! In the Truth and Reconciliation course she facilitates, Jess endeavours to disrupt colonial narratives in a gentle... Read More →
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

12:15pm EDT

Beyond “Good Enough”: Co-Designing the Future of High-Trust OER
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V4
How do we move OER from "free to use" to "trusted by all"? Join project leads from the U.S. federally funded Open 4 Peer Review initiative for a first look at a new framework designed to promote OER excellence. We’ve developed six rigorous rubrics covering the essentials: Accessibility, Copyright, Copyediting, Disciplinary Appropriateness, Instructional Design, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

This isn't just a presentation—it’s a lab. In this interactive session, you will gain access to the rubrics, "live-test" a rubric on an OER excerpt, and compare your findings with colleagues from around the world. Your feedback will directly shape the final version of these tools before they are published globally. Come help us build the infrastructure for high-quality, high-trust open education.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Apply specialized OER quality rubrics to evaluate academic content for specific criteria such as accessibility, copyright compliance, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).
  • Integrate a peer review framework into your local institutional OER workflows to increase faculty trust and streamline adoption, adaptation and/or creation of OER.
Speakers
DL
AS
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

12:15pm EDT

From Essays to Evidence: Open Assessment and Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V2
As generative AI disrupts traditional assumptions about student writing, many instructors have responded with increased control and surveillance. This session argues for an alternative solution grounded in open education and assessment literacy. Drawing on a redesign of an ENG101 course, the presentation explores a shift from teaching essay writing as a product to using essays as representations of critical thinking within a transparent assessment framework. The session highlights a critical gap in higher education: limited faculty preparation in designing valid and reliable instruments for measuring learning. By clarifying learning constructs, aligning assignments with evidence claims, and openly sharing rubrics and criteria, this approach improves transparency, equity, and instructional coherence. The session positions open assessment as a necessary evolution of open education and a pedagogically sound response to AI.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain why traditional essay-based assessments often produce invalid or unreliable inferences about student critical thinking, especially in AI-mediated learning environments.
  • Identify the key components of an open assessment framework, including construct definition, evidence alignment, and transparent criteria.
  • Describe how open education principles—such as transparency, shared practice, and learner agency—apply to the design of assessments, not just course materials.
  • Recognize common misconceptions about measuring learning (e.g., equating product quality with cognitive processes) and how these misconceptions contribute to inequity.
  • Articulate how openly shared rubrics, prompts, and assessment criteria can improve instructional coherence and support AI-resilient, equity-centered teaching practices.
Speakers
JL
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:15pm - 12:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:00pm EDT

The Dots Between Vision and Launch: OER Program Startup Costs and Case Studies
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:25pm EDT
V2
What does it take to launch and sustain an OER program? This session examines how five community colleges built OER programs from the ground up, with an honest look at the startup and ongoing costs involved. Drawing on a cross-institutional study, presenters will share cost estimates, common patterns, and key differences in how colleges allocated resources. We’ll explore startup ingredients, such as staffing models, faculty incentives, infrastructure investments, and institutional support. Whether you're in early planning stages or looking to expand an existing initiative, you'll leave with real-world examples and a clearer picture of what it actually takes to connect vision to launch.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify key cost factors involved in launching and sustaining an OER program.
  • Compare case studies of how five community colleges structured and launched their OER programs to recognize common patterns and key differences that can contribute to wider OER adoption and program sustainability.
  • Use evidence on OER's academic impact to inform implementation decisions at their institutions.
Speakers
avatar for Molly Ledermann

Molly Ledermann

Librarian, Washtenaw Community College
SB
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:25pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

1:00pm EDT

The OCTOPUS Project: Integrating Open Pedagogy and Open Science
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:25pm EDT
V4
Despite its potential to democratize science, strengthen public trust, and address urgent global challenges, Open Science has not yet become the default practice in research. Undergraduate science education could play a pivotal role in shaping this cultural shift. We argue that preparing students to practice Open Science requires more than technical training in open tools and data-sharing: it must include critical engagement with ethical aspects of pursuing Open Science. The OCTOPUS project supports educators to utilize Open Pedagogy as a powerful strategy to embed critical engagement with Open Science into undergraduate education, positioning students as co-creators of knowledge and fostering democratic, collaborative, and justice-oriented approaches to science. We highlight examples for integrating Open Science and Open Pedagogy into courses and programs that can prepare both future scientists and citizens to engage in science as a collective, open, and socially responsible endeavor.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Learn about the goals of the OCTOPUS project.
  • Find out how to access and use the OCTOPUS resources.
  • Understand the connections between Open Science and Open Pedagogy.
  • Learn how to engage in the OCTOPUS community.
  • Understand the necessity of bringing a broader scope of the Open Ecosystem to our Open Education movement.
Speakers
SD
KC
ML
CG
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:00pm - 1:25pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

1:30pm EDT

Advancing AI Literacy Through Open Pedagogy in Public Speaking Courses
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
Generative AI is transforming how students access, produce, and evaluate information, requiring higher education to move toward critical, ethical, and discipline-specific AI literacy. This session introduces Beyond the Podium: AI, Speech, and Civic Voice, a fully accessible OER that embeds AI literacy into introductory public speaking courses to support equitable, future-ready learning.

This project examines what it means to integrate AI literacy not as an add-on, but as a core component of communication pedagogy. Presenters will share how the OER helps students develop as both effective speakers and critical users of generative AI. Designed through cross-unit collaboration among faculty, librarians, and student partners, the OER includes adaptable assignments and activities for broad adoption.

Attendees will gain practical strategies for embedding AI literacy into disciplinary contexts and leveraging OER to expand access, reduce inequities, and support innovative teaching.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify strategies for embedding AI literacy into discipline-specific courses, particularly within public speaking courses.
  • Describe how OER can be used to promote equitable access to AI knowledge, tools, and skill development for diverse student populations.
  • Apply a collaborative, cross-unit model to develop scalable, adaptable teaching materials that support AI literacy and open pedagogy.
Speakers
avatar for Sherry Rice

Sherry Rice

Faculty Engagement Specialist, Penn State, TLT
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 →
avatar for Tiffany Petricini

Tiffany Petricini

Associate Teaching Professor, Communication and Media, Penn State Unversity
Tiffany Petricini is an Associate Teaching Professor in Media and Communication at Penn State Erie, the Behrend Campus. She is co-chair of Penn State’s Joint Standing Committee on Responsible and Effective Use of Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education. She also leads the Penn... Read More →
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

1:30pm EDT

OER Wins Call for Cake: How Milestone Celebrations Advance the Work
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V4
In 2026, librarians from University of the Pacific and Middle Tennessee State University each marked $3 million in student savings with campus celebrations designed to spotlight the impact of their OER programs. This lighthearted session explores how “throwing a party” can serve serious strategic goals—advancing advocacy, building administrative support, attracting faculty, and deepening campus understanding of OER’s pedagogical value. Presenters will share candid stories about planning challenges (from competing campus events to unpredictable attendance) alongside unexpected successes, such as leadership amplification through social media. Drawing on experiences from two very different institutions (in enrollment, dedicated staffing, location, and program longevity), this session offers practical, adaptable strategies for designing celebrations that elevate program visibility, strengthen long‑term sustainability, and support librarians seeking fresh ways to grow their OER initiatives.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify the essential elements of planning an OER milestone celebration that increases campus awareness and supports long-term program sustainability.
  • Recognize common event-planning challenges—and learn practical, adaptable strategies for navigating timing conflicts, attendance issues, and campus dynamics.
  • Generate creative, purpose-driven celebration ideas that effectively engage administrators, faculty, and students in understanding and supporting OER.
Speakers
avatar for Ginelle Baskin

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 →
avatar for Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

Head of Publishing and Scholarship Support, University of the Pacific
I currently work as the Head of Publishing and Scholarly Support at the University of the Pacific managing Scholarly Commons: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/


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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

1:30pm EDT

The Work at the Hinge: Mini Structures That Make Open Education Enterable
Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V6
Open Education often assumes people already know where to begin, have time to spare, and are not doing the work alone. In practice, those “in-between” moments decide whether participation becomes possible or quietly stalls.

In this session, I share a set of mini structures that make Open Education enterable without lowering rigor: bounded, human-sized supports that reduce ambiguity and isolation right when they show up. Drawing from two semesters of program design at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, I will introduce four reusable “hinge details” (time containers, “what counts” guidance, risk reduction, and documentation-as-scaffolding) and show concrete artifacts that bring them to life (mini-lessons, trackers, evaluation lenses, and landscape briefs).

Participants will complete a quick “hinge audit” of one real initiative (onboarding, workshops, mini-grants, badges, faculty support, or student engagement) and leave with 2–3 small changes they can implement in the next 30 days.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify the “threshold moment” where participation stalls in an Open Education initiative (not knowing where to start, starting alone, or both).
  • Apply four mini-structure design patterns (bounded time containers, “what counts” guidance, risk reduction, and documentation-as-scaffolding) to reduce ambiguity and isolation without lowering rigor.
  • Draft 2–3 mini structures (for example: a mini-lesson, starter tracker, evaluation lens, template, or office hour) that make entry into their initiative more doable.
  • Build a simple support loop for their context (Learn → Try → Document → Reflect → Get support) that replaces private heroics with visible, reusable infrastructure.
  • Name one concrete change they can implement in the next 30 days to make Open Education more enterable in their program or department.
Speakers
avatar for Megan Zara

Megan Zara

The University of Texas at Arlington
I’m the Open Educational Resources Librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I help faculty and students explore how openness can transform teaching, learning, and access. I’m passionate about building systems and cultures that center care, curiosity, and collaboration.You... Read More →
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:30pm - 1:55pm EDT
V6
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

2:00pm EDT

Finding Your Accessibili-Buddies
Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V2
For some, accessibility and the Title II requirements are a requirement that feels like an insurmountable feat. For others, accessibility is the window into stronger instructional design and along the way - connections to colleagues that inspire, connect and unite us. Open Education's tenants of inclusion, iteration and innovation have long driven advances in the Educational Technology world, but it's the opportunity to genuinely work together in small groups, finding new partners along that way that centers Open Ed colleagues as leaders in the accessibility movement. This panel will allow you to hear from and ask questions of people who are creating spaces for moving beyond compliance of Title II and into the space of creating genuinely accessible OER. This panel will spark your connections to other like-minded leaders who see Accessibility as a "how might we..." opportunity and lead to finding your own Accessibili-buddies.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Participants will receive an update on Accessibility Practices as related to OER.
  • Participants will analyze example collaboration resources for building Accessibility Communities of Practice.
  • Participants will reflect on their own questions about creating Accessible OER to consider next steps they might take.
  • Participants will join a broader community of colleagues who are committed to Accessible OER.
Speakers
JS
LP
AA
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

2:00pm EDT

How We Did It: OER Authors Share Four Approaches to Textbook Development
Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V3
The motivations and practices that instructors bring to open education can vary widely, particularly for those interested in publishing open textbooks. Institutional and disciplinary norms can influence how authors approach their textbook’s content, design, and format choice. In this panel, four OER authors across the disciplines of Agronomy, Biology, Food Science, and Applied Linguistics will share their experiences developing OER with support from Iowa State University's Digital Press.

In addition to coming from different disciplines, the authors have also taken different approaches to OER development, including adapting existing material, updating and republishing older works, and developing new content from scratch. During the panel, the authors will introduce the audience to their publications, explain their project design priorities, and share lessons learned. The session will conclude with a Q&A to delve deeper into the authors’ experiences.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify the steps required to develop an open textbook.
  • Describe four different approaches to OER development.
  • Reflect on how local support systems and priorities may affect their capacity to develop an OER.
  • Apply lessons learned to design or improve their own approach(es) to OER development.
Speakers
AE
KG
CM
AG
AA
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

2:00pm EDT

Scaling Open Education With Student Success and Institutional Innovation
Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V5
As open education initiatives expand, the next challenge is connecting OER to broader institutional and statewide priorities such as student success, workforce readiness, and digital learning innovation. This session explores how open education moves beyond affordability to become an integrated part of innovative success strategies. Using statewide initiatives as practical examples, presenters will share how open education efforts can be connected to student success, institutional partnerships, and emerging innovation to expand reach and impact. Attendees will explore how positioning OER within broader student success efforts expands opportunities for collaboration, sustainability, and buy-in. Participants will explore resources and partnerships designed to support institutions as they scale open education initiatives. This session will highlight practical strategies for connecting OER efforts with broader institutional goals and ensuring open education continues to expand its impact.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Connect OER initiatives to broader organizational priorities, positioning open education as part of institutional and statewide success frameworks.
  • Identify ways to expand collaboration across institutional units and partnerships to strengthen and scale open education initiatives.
  • Examine practical examples of resource hubs, OER playbooks, and innovation frameworks that support institutions in expanding the reach of OER.
  • Consider how integrating open education into student success conversations can increase visibility, sustainability, and impact for OER programs.
Speakers
ET
MM
GM
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 2:00pm - 2:40pm EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

3:00pm EDT

Connecting the Dots: Advancing Continuing Professional Education Through OER
Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V4
Presenters and attendees in this session examine the benefits/impact of OERs in continuing professional development for professions that require continuing education. This mixed-methods pre-post OER intervention study with 77 registered nurses investigates nurses' perceptions of OERs before and after participating in a continuing educational activity using an OER. Pre-to-post RN perceptions of OERs improved, with participants noting their quality, economic benefits, increased equitable access, and convenience for professional development. Educators should incorporate OERs into professional development offerings. RNs affirmed the benefits of including OERs in continuing nursing education and professional development. Their feedback stressed the vital role these resources play in promoting access, equity, and persistent learning within the profession.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the role of open educational resources (OERs) in continuing professional development.
  • Examine key findings from a mixed-methods pre–post study evaluating the impact of OER use in professional education.
  • Identify perceived benefits of OERs, including quality, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and convenience for continuing education.
Speakers
NL
LS

Laura Schwarz

Assistant Professor, Nursing, Minnesota State University, Mankato
I have been an RN for 23 years and have over 18 years of teaching experience including many years of online teaching. I am also a Certified Nurse Educator and Certified Quality Matters Peer Reviewer. I am an expert in the areas of online nursing education and the use of technology... Read More →
EV
AH
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

3:00pm EDT

Critical Open Educational Practices: Educators Redesigning Courses for Meaningful Change
Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V5
What would it look like if every course you taught was more inclusive, more transparent, and more centered on the learners in front of you? At a time when educators are being asked to do more with less, and to do it more equitably, Critical Open Educational Practices (Critical OEPs) offer a framework for meaningful change. This session centers the practitioner experience of seven MinnState educators who arrived at Critical OEPs through different pathways, and whose engagement with the framework affirmed their values, expanded their practice, and moved their teaching in new directions. Grounded in four pillars, collaborative dialogue, critical reflection, inquiry-based learning, and transformative action, Critical OEPs offer a path toward pedagogical transformation. This session explores how educators negotiated authority, practiced equity, and sustained change within institutional constraints. Attendees will reflect on their practice and leave with concrete ideas for their classrooms.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify the four pillars of Critical OEPs and connect them to their own existing teaching practices.
  • Describe how educators negotiated authority, equity, and learner agency within real institutional constraints.
  • Articulate at least one concrete next step for deepening their engagement with Critical OEPs in their own classroom.
Speakers
LB
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:00pm EDT

From Values to Practice: Folio Thinking for Open Education
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V4
Educators new to open education are often already stretched. Approaching them with new practices to adopt risks positioning open education as one more demand rather than a useful strategy.

This session introduces a different approach to open education professional development: folio thinking, a reflective practice framework that centres personal meaning-making. Rather than beginning with skills, the Open Education Workbook (KPU) invites educators to connect open education principles to their own values and teaching context throughout. The result: open education becomes a practical strategy for acting on values educators already hold, rather than a new set of demands.

The workbook is available on PebblePad (with optional ATLAS facilitator support) and as an openly licensed Pressbooks resource for adaptation.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe how a values-first, folio thinking approach to open education development works — and how anchoring learning in the principles of accessible, effective, and equitable teaching can lower barriers for educators new to open education.
  • Determine whether and how a values-first approach to open education development might apply in their own institutional context.
  • Focus on topics that align with their own open education journey, applying open educational concepts directly to their teaching context.
Speakers
avatar for Amanda Grey

Amanda Grey

Open Education Strategist, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Amanda Grey, MLIS, is the Open Education Strategist at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in British Columbia, Canada. Over the past several years, she has worked across the full spectrum of open education practice, supporting educators in textbook affordability, OER adoption and... Read More →
NP
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:00pm EDT

Open as a Strategic Imperative for Sustaining Public Systems
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V3
When public institutions work together and pool resources to address common curriculum and educational technology needs, there are many benefits. These collaborative projects can leverage collective expertise, generate efficiencies, and distribute workload and costs. This session looks at the findings from a two-year initiative in British Columbia, Canada, that investigated models and mechanisms for enabling this kind of institutional collaboration. We will explore key things that foster and sustain collaborative ventures as well as the structural barriers, and make a case for investing in open approaches on a system level, including open communities, technologies, content, and infrastructure.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the benefits of institutions working together on shared curriculum and technology projects.
  • Define sustainment and describe considerations that play into sustaining collaborative projects, including open projects.
  • Explain the benefits of open from a system point of view.
  • Draw upon the lessons learned by existing collaborative initiatives.
Speakers
JG
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:00pm EDT

Reading Shakespeare Between the Lines: OER, Bardbot, and Critical AI Literacy
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V2
How can a Shakespeare course teach students to think critically about AI while also building AI literacy skills? This session shares Bardbot: Reading Shakespeare in the Age of AI, an openly licensed literature course built on a CC BY-NC Pressbooks textbook and open education resources. Shakespeare is not an arbitrary choice: his works are among the most overrepresented texts in any LLM training corpus—public domain, fully digitized, and surrounded by centuries of secondary criticism. That saturation makes AI outputs about Shakespeare a perfect test case for AI literacy training, offering students a familiar target for interrogating the false confidence of a model trained on SparkNotes. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for embedding AI literacy in open humanities courses without abandoning academic rigor. We will also explore strategies to support AI literacy without requiring AI tool use.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Apply at least two strategies for embedding AI literacy into existing open education courses without displacing core disciplinary learning goals.
  • Distinguish between unreflective AI use and the "hybrid writing" model, and explain how transparent, bounded use can model ethical practice for students.
  • Analyze why texts overrepresented in LLM training data (such as Shakespeare) create productive conditions for teaching critical evaluation of AI-generated analysis.
  • Locate and adapt openly licensed course materials, including the Critical Worlds Pressbooks textbook, for use in a specific institutional context.
  • Evaluate course design approaches that build AI literacy for students who choose not to use generative tools.
Speakers
LL
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avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:00pm - 5:25pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:30pm EDT

Connecting OER Publishing Spaces: Aligning Collective, Local, and Institutional Priorities
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V4
As post-secondary institutions increasingly emphasize impact and open scholarship/science initiatives, OER publishing programs can consider strategic alignment across collective, local, and institutional spaces. This presentation examines the evolution of an OER publishing program’s support resources developed to support a grassroots consortium of representatives with their own local institutional programs, while also coordinating shared provincial practices and workflows. With organizational changes and new opportunities for creators, we explore how OER workflows and resources have aligned with research and institutional priorities through an Open Education Alberta Institutional Representative Toolkit for launching or reframing OER publishing aligned with centralized workflows while enabling flexible local implementation. It offers practical insights for OER publishing services navigating evolving priorities, and connections to research and education for OER creators.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Consider, adopt, or adapt components of the Open Education Alberta Institutional Representative Toolkit to support or evolve their own local OER publishing services.
  • Understand the service model and shared workflows of Open Education Alberta’s Pressbooks-hosted OER publishing program, including how centralized infrastructure supports locally implemented services.
  • Reflect on navigating these interconnected spaces between and within education, research, and institutional priorities for OER publishing as service support staff and as creators.
Speakers
avatar for Sarah Adams

Sarah Adams

Open Education Librarian, University of Calgary
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:30pm EDT

Opterna AI Study Companion: Open Principles When Working With GenAI
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V2
This session will provide an overview of the BCcampus Open GenAI project. This 3-year project is funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The goal of this project is to create an open GenAI study companion prototype (Opterna) and to build the capacity of post-secondary educators in B.C. with respect to open.

The creation of Opterna was guided by the design principles of collaboration, open pedagogy, inclusivity and equity, learner empowerment, and ethical criticality. It was informed by several open frameworks including the traditional 5R permissions of OER (Wiley, (2014), Sinkinson’s (2018) , Jhangiani’s (2019), Clarke-Gray’s (2025), and Hegarty’s (2015)) . Opterna utilizes Amazon Web Services (AWS) and uses the B.C. Open Collection corpus. It was designed for use by instructors and students in support of student learning.

This presentation will speak to the design considerations and introduce the draft framework for ethical AI, and an overview of Opterna.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the goals for the BCcampus Open GenAI project.
  • Examine the functional Opterna prototype.
  • Identify opportunities and challenges of working with open GenAI in teaching and learning.
  • Describe ethical considerations for using open GenAI tools.
  • Explore how to use open GenAI with open educational resources.
Speakers
avatar for Harper Friedman

Harper Friedman

Coordinator, Open Textbook Publishing, BCcampus
At BCcampus, I am a Coordinator in Open Textbook Publishing. Through my work in Open Education, I have developed an interest in accessibility and love doing the behind-the-scenes work of creating accessible resources. As a newly disabled person myself, I am always interested in learning... Read More →
RD
EC
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

5:30pm EDT

With Us: Designing OER With and for Postsecondary Adults With Intellectual Disabilities
Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V3
As OER and Universal Design for Learning grow, many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) continue to be excluded from Open Education conversations. As inclusion opportunities grow in post-secondary education, this exclusion represents a missed opportunity to align open education values with real learner lived experiences.

This session explores how to meaningfully include adults with IDD in the creation, use, and evaluation of OER. Participants will learn practical strategies for designing OER that support cognitive accessibility, plain language, and real-world relevance, while centering lived experience and ethical co-creation. Drawing from UDL practices, attendees will leave with concrete ideas for expanding OER to better serve adult learners with IDD.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe key gaps in accessibility practices and the learning needs of post-secondary adults with IDD.
  • Identify concrete design principles that support cognitive accessibility and usability in OER for adult learners.
  • Apply inclusive OER strategies that could apply to workforce or higher ed programs.
Speakers
avatar for Annie Draeger

Annie Draeger

Eastern Oregon University
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Tuesday October 27, 2026 5:30pm - 5:55pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (25 min)
 
Wednesday, October 28
 

9:30am EDT

Between Hype and Practice: Faculty Perceptions of AI in OER Creation
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V4
Generative AI promises to transform OER by easing creation, adaptation, and discovery, potentially overcoming traditional barriers like time. Yet faculty navigate a complex "space between" institutional enthusiasm and classroom realities. This mixed-methods study, part of the OER Research Fellow Program with Hewlett Foundation support, surveys faculty on using tools like ChatGPT for course materials and OER. Grounded in UTAUT2 (explaining technology adoption via usefulness, ease, social influence), it examines what drives or hinders adoption. Quantitative analysis reveals patterns in performance expectancy, trust, effort, and ethical concerns. Focus groups unpack nuances: How do faculty verify AI outputs? When is AI-assisted OER "good enough" for the classroom? Join as we explore these intersections. Attendees will see survey results, hear anonymized faculty voices, and discuss implications for OER programs and policy. Perfect for OER practitioners seeking evidence-based insights.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify key factors (from UTAUT2) shaping faculty perceptions of using generative AI to create and adapt course materials.
  • Discuss ethical concerns faculty express about AI-generated or AI-assisted course materials, such as authorship, accuracy, and transparency.
  • Describe implications of faculty perceptions for teaching centers, instructional design, and institutional AI policy.
Speakers
avatar for Dawn (Nikki) Cannon-Rech

Dawn (Nikki) Cannon-Rech

Information Services Librarian, Georgia Southern University
Associate Professor, Librarian. OER Librarian. Science Librarian
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

9:30am EDT

Collaboratively Developing Open Resources Across Cultural Boundaries
Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V5
This session will describe the development of an OER by collaborators in India and Canada. The original idea for this project arose out of a thought that, like common journalists, teachers and students are not capable of reporting, writing and analyzing the news information they want to share with the academic community.

The team engaged in a joint collaboration on an Open Education for a Better World (OE4BW) project in 2021-22. The OE4BW project involved the creation and delivery of a MOOC in Educational Journalism. This then led to a collaboration by the three participants in the development of an open resource through the Pressbooks platform.

One of the goals of the project was to create a more accessible and interactive resource for educationists/academicians in educational journalism.

An additional goal of this presentation is to describe the best practices for selection of cross-cultural teams, digital tools, interactive multimedia and strategies for maintaining openness.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the challenges involved in cross-cultural open education collaborations.
  • Identify strategies for addressing challenges to maintaining downstream openness.
  • Explore processes for identifying appropriate digital tools for open content development.
  • Identify the skills needed to pursue cross-cultural open content creation projects.
  • Gain insights into how to create effective cross-cultural teams for open educational projects.
Speakers
IM
KR
KL
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

A Multilingual Wikipedia Editathon for Knowledge Equity
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V4
This session presents a scalable, classroom-based Wikipedia Editathon model implemented at JSS Medical College to advance open educational resources (OER), multilingual knowledge production, and digital equity. Students contributed to underrepresented topics in communication sciences and disorders by creating and translating content into regional languages (e.g., Kannada), aligning with principles of participatory knowledge and inclusive access. The session highlights instructional design, training workflows, and assessment strategies (pre–post–delayed measures) used to evaluate student learning, engagement, and sustainability. Attendees will gain practical guidance on integrating Wikipedia-based assignments into curricula to promote open pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, and global knowledge sharing.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Design a classroom-based Wikipedia Editathon aligned with OER and open pedagogy principles.
  • Implement multilingual content creation strategies to support knowledge equity.
Speakers
JA
AA
MN
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

Between Us: Connection, Not Expertise, Sustains Open Learning
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V3
Open education expands access, but access alone does not sustain learning. When learners or instructors feel uncertain, disconnected, or unsupported, expertise is not enough to keep them engaged. Drawing on research in volunteer retention and learner-centered pedagogy, this session explores how connection, belonging, and psychological safety shape participation in open learning environments. Using The Carpentries as a case study, we highlight how community-driven teaching practices shift the focus from performance to participation by normalizing mistakes, encouraging collaboration, and centering the learner experience. Participants will reflect on moments when connection influenced their own learning and identify practical strategies to foster belonging in their contexts. This session reframes open education as not just what we share, but how we support one another in the space between us.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Analyze a learning environment to identify where connection and belonging are lacking.
  • Distinguish between teaching approaches that emphasize performance versus participation.
  • Design a small, actionable intervention to improve learner engagement or instructor support.
Speakers
SH
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

Beyond Cost Savings: Making Multi-Dimensional ROI Visible in OER Grantmaking
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V5
OER funding decisions at the university level are often driven by a narrow ‘return on investment’: how many dollars saved, how many students reached. But meaningful open education work—especially projects with ripple effects beyond our campuses—generates value that is qualitative, communal, and long-term. This session explores the “space between” quantitative and qualitative ROI in OER grant project evaluation, sharing a tool and strategies for making multi-dimensional impact visible and actionable for grant makers and practitioners alike.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Generate and prioritize examples of non-monetary ROI geared to their respective institutions.
  • Construct a customized copy of the shared rubric for non-monetary ROI.
  • Incorporate elements of non-monetary ROI in their grantmaking work to illuminate the broader and deeper impact of funded OER projects.
Speakers
JW
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

From OER Adoption to Course Redesign: Building Structure That Scales
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V2
Many institutions have made progress in adopting Open Educational Resources (OER), yet a gap remains between individual adoption and consistent, course-level redesign. This session shares how one technical college with a strong transfer focus shifted from a largely self-directed OER adoption model to a more structured approach to course redesign.

The presentation focuses on three key changes: builder-faculty partnerships, a structured OER course space that guides faculty through selection, alignment, and course design, and milestone-based checkpoints that support accountability and progress. Together, these changes improved course consistency, alignment, and clarity.

The session will also introduce early indicators of student experience, such as navigation, engagement, and course success patterns, as part of an ongoing effort to understand impact. Attendees will leave with a clear, adaptable framework for moving from isolated OER adoption to scalable, sustainable course redesign.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Assess how structured faculty support models influence alignment, accessibility, and course coherence.
  • Describe a milestone-based approach to increase accountability without diminishing faculty autonomy.
  • Identify practical indicators of course design effectiveness and student experience.
  • Adapt a scalable framework for transitioning from individual OER use to coordinated course redesign.
Speakers
EH
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

Warmth, Competence, and the Politics of Openness: How OER Advocates Gain Influence
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V1
Considerable research in social science disciplines explores how an individual’s perceived warmth and competence greatly influence the amount of power and influence they can exert in the workplace (Fiske’s SCM model, for example). OER advocates tend to be women, librarians, and/or student-services staff, and people in these roles are often systematically perceived as high warmth but low assertiveness. This unfair perception can limit OER advocates’ power and prevent them from achieving their goals on campus.

However, there is increasing evidence that even small actions can signal competence (without compromising warmth) in a way that shifts status and increases influence. These strategies signal to others that you know what you’re talking about and can be trusted to make initiatives successful. While the strategies are especially useful for women, OER advocates of all identities can benefit from learning these politically savvy strategies for gaining status.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Analyze how biased perceptions of warmth and competence limit the influence of OER advocates on campus.
  • Develop a portfolio of small, actionable strategies to strategically signal competence and increase professional status.
  • Apply politically savvy strategies to specific campus scenarios to increase status and achieve OER initiatives.
Speakers
avatar for Mandi Goodsett

Mandi Goodsett

OER & Copyright Advisor / Perf Arts & Humanities L, Cleveland State University
I am the OER & Copyright Advisor at Cleveland State University in Ohio. I would love to chat with others about incentive programs, publishing, professional development, and course markings.
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:00am - 10:25am EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:30am EDT

You Need a Map! Fostering Open Educational Practices and Social Justice Through Mapping
Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:55am EDT
V2
Maps and spatial data are a powerful way to communicate, connect, and visualize data across languages and disciplines. With the advent of the internet, digital maps and apps, the use of maps has become part of our daily lives and presents exciting opportunities to integrate open pedagogical practices in the classroom and beyond.

This presentation showcases activities centered on students’ collaborative mapping that foster connectedness within and beyond the classroom, how Open Street Map can be used as a critical lens to visualize openness and mapping for the public good, and the use of mapping on a community-based curriculum on environmental justice and community organizing. The case studies are drawn from the literature and the collaborative work of the presenter on her courses and with community organizations in the Bronx, NY.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain how mapping can be used in open pedagogical practices.
  • Describe examples of collaborative mapping platforms.
  • Explain how Open Street Map can be used in the classroom and for humanitarian purposes as a non-disposable assignment.
  • Incorporate collaborative mapping activities on their own teaching or community work.
Speakers
EM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 10:30am - 10:55am EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

11:15am EDT

Beyond Fair Use: Section 121 for Title II Accessibility Compliance
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V5
Are you using Section 121 of the Copyright Act (the Chafee Amendment) as a tool for meeting the Title II Digital Accessibility Mandate? Academic libraries typically rely on fair use analysis or pursue permissions from publishers when creating accessible formats of copyrighted materials. But these tactics can cause delays that leave students without the materials they need.

With Section 121, libraries are given explicit statutory permission to create accessible formats for patrons with print disabilities--no fair use analysis is required, and no publisher permission is needed. Unlike fair use, market impact doesn't matter: libraries can create accessible versions even when publishers sell their own "accessible" products.

Through real scenarios--urgent textbook needs, inadequate publisher "accessible" versions, and institutional transition planning--attendees gain confidence using Section 121 to serve students legally and effectively while building sustainable, proactive accessibility.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Distinguish between fair use analysis and Section 121 authorization, identifying when each applies to creating accessible formats and why Section 121 provides clearer legal protection for libraries.
  • Explain how Section 121 authorizes libraries to create accessible formats without publisher permission for patrons with print disabilities, supporting Title II Digital Accessibility Mandate compliance.
  • Apply decision frameworks for library accessibility work: prioritizing born-accessible acquisitions, evaluating vendor accessibility claims, and using Section 121 when accessible versions are unavailable or inadequate.
  • Develop library policies integrating Section 121 into reserves, interlibrary loan, and special collections while avoiding common mistakes that forfeit legal protection.
Speakers
avatar for Beth Chenette

Beth Chenette

Associate Librarian, Texas A&M University Libraries
Elizabeth Chenette is an Associate Librarian, member of the OpenEd team, and Reserve Services Coordinator at Texas A&M University Libraries in College Station, Texas. With an MLS from the University of North Texas, Elizabeth has worked in higher education for 13+ years. She has Creative... Read More →
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

11:15am EDT

Connecting Open Educational Resources to K-12 in Dual Enrollment
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V4
Dual enrollment is expanding rapidly, but textbook costs remain a hidden barrier that limits who can participate and which courses are offered. In many states, responsibility for these costs is unclear, creating uneven access for students and programs.

Open Educational Resources (OER) offer a powerful opportunity to close this gap by eliminating textbook costs and enabling more flexible, relevant learning experiences. Yet adoption in dual enrollment remains uneven, shaped by policy, partnerships, and faculty support.

This session shares findings from multi-state research led by MHEC and SREB, bringing together policy analysis and practitioner perspectives. Featuring both researchers and educators, we will explore how OER can bridge the gap between access and opportunity in dual enrollment.

Participants will leave with practical strategies to support adoption, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and expand access to college coursework for all learners.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Understand how textbook costs impact access to dual enrollment and how OER can reduce these barriers.
  • Analyze how policy and funding structures influence OER adoption in dual enrollment programs.
  • Identify practical strategies to support faculty adoption of OER across K–12 and higher education partnerships.
  • Explore approaches for aligning OER with dual enrollment curriculum, quality expectations, and student needs.
  • Apply actionable ideas to expand equitable access to dual enrollment through OER in their own institutional or program context.
Speakers
AB
AM
TN
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

11:15am EDT

OER-oboros: What We Can and Should Learn From Mutual Aid Before the Open Movement Eats Itself
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V1
Part call to action, part practical guide, this session offers a new frame for considering open education work. Beginning with a brief overview of why values-based work matters, this session will aim to problematize some of the common working assumptions of open education and then argue for a new approach. It will highlight several key parallels between the stated goals of open education work and several of the core principles of mutual aid, including: solidarity, non-hierarchy, intersectionality, and collective action. Finally, it will invite the audience to imagine what other lessons can be gleaned from organizing and mutual aid practices that might better position open education work to continue its impact for the long haul.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the importance of values-based work.
  • Identify the ways in which open education work can prop up existing systems of exploitation and oppression.
  • Recognize the overlap between the basic tenets of mutual aid and open education work.
  • Devise strategies for integrating mutual aid principles and organizing tactics into open education work.
Speakers
AC

Abbey Childs

OER Librarian, Virginia Commonwealth University
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

11:15am EDT

The Space Between OER & Gen AI: A Temporary Situationship or an Ongoing Relationship?
Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V3
The presenters will apply the stages of a situationship to analyze the evolving relationship between Gen AI and OER, offering a critical lens on how the two intersect. The session will begin by considering the initial spark, which is a period of experimentation in the Gen AI/OER situationship when educators use Gen AI to adapt and create OER and ancillary materials. The session will then explore the stage of growing comfort with integrating Gen AI and OER, including using Gen AI to evaluate OER and support open licensing. The presenters will then examine how Gen AI can advance accessibility by considering a commitment to an inclusive future through AI’s potential to expand access for all learners. Next, the session will consider the ethical gray areas in the Gen AI/OER situationship, including bias and inaccuracies. Alternatives to applying Gen AI to open practice will be discussed, encouraging attendees to use AI critically and to define their own relationships between Gen AI and OER.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explore how to apply generative AI tools to evaluate OER and open textbooks, make licensing decisions, and develop supplemental materials to enhance teaching and learning.
  • Improve accessibility in OER by applying generative AI tools to generate alt text and simplify content.
  • Critically assess the challenges of integrating generative AI with open educational practices.
Speakers
JS
JL
PH
BM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 11:15am - 11:55am EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

From Hidden Affordability to Student Choice: A ZTC Degree Feasibility Study
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
Students love OER—and they want real meaningful ways to choose it. Many CA community colleges now claim to have ZTC pathways built with OER. Join us as we examine the space between the concept of a ZTC degree pathway and what it would take for students to actually find, choose, and follow one. This session shares findings from a mixed-methods ZTC Degree Feasibility Study funded by the Michelson 20MM Foundation Spark Grant at Irvine Valley College. Centering student voice and autonomy, the project examines how colleges can move from hidden affordability to student-facing opportunity. OER is an equity measure, and to benefit students most marginalized in higher education, student choice and autonomy may need to be built into these systems. Student and librarian researchers will share findings, plus practical ideas colleges can use to make ZTC and OER pathways more visible, usable, and navigable.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Differentiate between OER/ZTC as an institutional label or practice and OER/ZTC as a student-navigable pathway and choice.
  • Interpret mixed-methods evidence to identify where students lose access, trust, or choice in OER/ZTC pathway navigation.
  • Analyze how ambient discoverability operates in registration and planning systems and identify common friction points that limit intentional student choice.
  • Apply a student-ready feasibility framework to assess how visible, usable, and navigable OER/ZTC pathways are in their own context.
  • Identify 2–3 actionable next steps aligned to local constraints, such as scheduling, IT, advising, and faculty reporting, to improve students’ ability to intentionally choose OER/ZTC options.
Speakers
avatar for Rachel Fleming

Rachel Fleming

OER & Equity Librarian, Irvine Valley College
Rachel Fleming, MLIS, is the OER and Equity Librarian at Irvine Valley College. She earned her MLIS from San José State University and is currently completing her first year in the CSU Channel Islands Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Equity and Justice (DELEJ) program. Over... Read More →
CB
SM
HE
LV
EB
SN
DZ
SS
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

Sustaining Yourself as a Leader in These Times: Voices From the Rebus Luminary Fellowship
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V2
Open education asks a lot of its people – to advocate, build, facilitate, and sustain – often without recognition, compensation, or a space to ask how they are actually doing. The result for many of these leaders is quiet exhaustion and a growing sense that they are carrying this work alone.

The Rebus Luminary Fellowship for Education Leaders brought together fifteen postsecondary leaders across Canada and the United States for a three-month program designed around one core belief: that the people doing this work deserve to be taken care of, too. In this panel, Luminary Fellows speak honestly about what it means to lead in these times – the burnout, the isolation, the moments of doubt – and what has helped them keep going.

This session offers both solidarity and strategy. Attendees will leave with concrete practices for sustaining themselves and their communities, as well as the reassurance that they are not alone in this work.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify shared experiences of burnout, isolation, and doubt that open education leaders commonly face.
  • Describe concrete strategies for sustaining themselves and their communities in times of uncertainty and change.
  • Reflect on their own leadership practice in light of insights shared by Luminary Fellows.
  • Apply at least one strategy or insight from Luminary Fellows to their own professional context.
Speakers
avatar for Kim Grewe

Kim Grewe

Instructional Designer, Northern Virginia Community College Online Learning
Kim Grewe, PhD is an instructional designer and OER lead at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA Online), where she advances open education, inclusive course design, and innovative online teaching. Her work focuses on helping faculty create asynchronous online learning experiences... Read More →
avatar for Megan Zara

Megan Zara

The University of Texas at Arlington
I’m the Open Educational Resources Librarian at the University of Texas at Arlington, where I help faculty and students explore how openness can transform teaching, learning, and access. I’m passionate about building systems and cultures that center care, curiosity, and collaboration.You... Read More →
avatar for Christine Rickabaugh

Christine Rickabaugh

Open Education Librarian, University of Arkansas Libraries
Christine Rickabaugh is a former early childhood educator who traded crayons and glitter for Pressbooks and Creative Commons licenses — and hasn't looked back. Now the Open Education Librarian at the University of Arkansas Libraries, she leads the university's OER program, chairs... Read More →
AH
AA
VV
JG
GW
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

The Space Between Adoption and Relevance: Libraries, Consortia, and OER Localization
Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V5
This panel explores the “space between” OER adoption and increasing the relevance of OER through localization—the intentional adaptation of open materials to reflect local cultures, curricula, communities, and learner experiences.

The session draws on Recentering Relevance: Exploring the Role of Academic Libraries and Library Consortia in Supporting OER Localization, a 2023 IMLS grant awarded to the University System of Maryland. Panelists will highlight project components, including a national forum of OER library leaders and a national survey, followed by lessons learned: how localization is understood in practice; the gaps between values, policy, and impact; and the strategic roles libraries and consortia can play in bridging them.

Participants will gain an understanding of localization, glean practical takeaways for how libraries and consortia can support localization as a community-centered practice, and assess their readiness to embark on or deepen OER localization efforts.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Define localization.
  • Connect institutional mission and priorities to specific localization use cases.
  • Articulate unique library/consortial contributions to localization efforts.
  • Assess their current institutional and library/consortial priorities for OER vis-a-vis localization.
  • Assess readiness to embark on or deepen OER localization efforts.
Speakers
avatar for Nancy O'Neill

Nancy O'Neill

Executive Director, Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation University System of Maryland
EH
CM
EO
AM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

2:00pm EDT

Connecting the Dots: Workforce Educational Modules to Link Practice With Digital Open Resources
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:25pm EDT
V6
This study bridges academia, industry, and public sectors through OER development for municipal drinking water workforces. We created learning modules for continuing education, co-developed with industry professionals. These modules are built by and with users, closely considering their end use throughout the creation process. We show that while OERs advance accessibility for learners, digital commoning through boundary organizations also ensures that users can contribute to or create content that reflects their community’s concerns, historical knowledge, and specific skills.

The presentation reports on use of Gala, an open educational tool, to collaboratively design learning modules on water flushing and disinfectant by-products for water utility professionals. These modules were conceived in university partnerships with civic utilities, developed and beta-tested in partnership with boundary organization The Water Tower via a networkshop and in-person piloting in Spring 2026.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Understand the importance of bridging academic and technical pedagogical pathways, particularly for the public sector.
  • Ideate a method of collaborating with intersectoral partners to develop learning tools intended for workforce development and on-the-job training.
  • Understand the co-creation process for building OERs, from research and early development, to alpha and beta testing, to piloting and launching.
  • Participate in educational digital commons through Gala as a platform for hosting collaborative and living case studies.
Speakers
AM
PK
RH
CI
CL
EW
MV
MG
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:25pm EDT
V6
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

2:00pm EDT

From Shock to Shutdown: The 6-Month Campaign to Halt Automatic Textbook Billing
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:25pm EDT
V1
During the spring 2025 semester, CSUF OER advocates were blindsided by the news that our campus was adopting an automatic textbook billing program. After years of working with faculty, the bookstore, and university administrators to build our OER program, we feared this was the end of the road. After our moment of shock and despair passed, we rallied our advocates across campus to push back against this oncoming program. Within six months, we raised the issue from hand-wringing in the library to a campus-wide discussion that existed beyond our original contact points and successfully halted its implementation. This session will describe the approach we took to developing cross-campus collaborations that halted the launch of this program. The practical strategies developed to reflect the ethics of openness will be shared with other OER advocates for implementation. This session will help participants prepare for unexpected shifts, enabling them to move from shock to action immediately.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Craft a response plan that can be enacted in the face of sudden shifts in campus priorities.
  • Frame objections to automatic textbook billing using data for student-centered arguments.
  • Craft effective messages for reaching different campus constituents.
Speakers
avatar for Michaela Bettez

Michaela Bettez

Senior Associate OER Librarian, California State University, Fullerton
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:00pm - 2:25pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

2:30pm EDT

AI as a Living OER for STEM Assessment
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V4
How can we bridge the space between teaching complex theory and making an assessment accessible? This session reframes Generative AI as a living OER for high-quality STEM assessment. Moving beyond basic automation, we explore how AI acts as a technical partner in designing project-based learning.

Using a group project on relativistic effects for a trip to Alpha Centauri as a case study, the presenter will demonstrate how AI audits student logic for time dilation and length contraction. Participants will then engage in AI-assisted assessment building to create their own rubrics aligned with Quality Matters and WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including generating ARIA labels for digital interactives. Attendees will leave with a scalable framework for coordinating consistent, accessible, and inclusive digital materials across STEM departments.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Define and apply the AI-as-OER framework to transition from static teaching materials to dynamic, adaptable STEM assessments that align with specific Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs).
  • Construct a multi-stage project rubric for complex scenarios, such as relativistic time dilation in deep-space travel, that ensures transparent grading and high student engagement.
  • Perform an accessibility and quality audit on AI-generated content to ensure all digital assessment materials meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards and Quality Matters benchmarks.
Speakers
MK
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

2:30pm EDT

Podcasting as Pedagogy for the Public Good
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V1
Through our Libraries services, we have supported faculty who are engaging in open pedagogy projects, specifically student-created podcasts. We identified a gap in resources for the use of student-created podcasts and imagined an opportunity to embody the open value of reciprocity. Faculty integrated podcasting into their instruction with similar aims of creating spaces in their classrooms to explore themes of justice, access, inclusion, and belonging. Enabled by a state-level grant, the instructional designers developed a unique opportunity for faculty to gather and meet multiple goals. In this session, we will share the process we created and facilitated with four faculty that resulted in an openly licensed teaching guide. The faculty will reflect on their experiences of co-creating an OER. We are defining this unique space between us as the intersection of professional development, publishing process, and pedagogical reflection, which is grounded in open values and practices.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify the key components of the process used to develop a co-created interdisciplinary OER grounded in the values of open.
  • Experience examples of various pedagogical uses of student-created podcasts as open pedagogy projects.
  • Consider how they might adapt and/or learn from our experiences and the OER as we all seek to create learning spaces that are more innovative and inclusive through our open work.
Speakers
avatar for Nicole Wilson

Nicole Wilson

Instructional Designer, James Madison University
EK
MA
AF
DG
KM
KM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

2:30pm EDT

What Comes After OER? Supporting Faculty Beyond Their Initial Open Education Project
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V3
In open education work, using the materials/pedagogy in class is often the end goal. But what if it’s actually just the beginning?

In this session, we ask authors, instructional designers, librarian program managers, and others to consider open education work as a springboard to new opportunities such as publications and presentations. This can be a good way to get additional “credit” for the work (i.e., scholarship in P&T) and share with colleagues who may be unaware of OER.

Participants will be invited to discuss where “OER as a springboard” fits into the open education landscape:

* What programs (e.g., Open Education Research Fellows) currently support this perspective?

* Do institutions and/or grant programs also have a role to play?

* Do authors need additional support for publication/presentation authorship? Co-authorship from program managers?

We hope that together we can create a framework for how we can best support open education practitioners beyond classroom use.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain how open education work can function as a springboard for scholarly and professional opportunities beyond classroom adoption.
  • Identify existing programs, initiatives, and professional pathways that support publications and presentations emerging from open education work.
  • Assess the role institutions, grant programs, and organizational structures can play in supporting OER-based scholarship.
  • Discuss common barriers open education practitioners face when translating OER work into publications or presentations and potential strategies to address them.
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 →
JM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 2:30pm - 2:55pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

3:15pm EDT

Bridging the Gap: The Workforce OER Playbook for Higher Education and Industry
Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:55pm EDT
V3
In the fall of 2025, Rebus and the Driving OER Sustainability for Student Success (DOERS) collaborative united to turn a shared conviction into action: open educational resources (OER) have the power to fundamentally transform workforce preparation. This session introduces the Workforce OER Playbook—a practical guide born from cross-sector dialogue. We’ll unpack the collaborative process behind its creation, highlighting both successes and challenges. Attendees will learn concrete examples of how the playbook supports educators and industry partners in building mutually beneficial partnerships. Learn how to map shared goals, co-create relevant OER, and sustain collaborations beyond short-term grant cycles. Whether you’re new to OER or leading workforce initiatives, this session offers actionable strategies to bridge classroom learning and labor market needs.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe key workforce skills gaps, including soft skills, digital literacy, and AI literacy, drawn from focus groups with educators and industry leaders.
  • Apply strategies from the Workforce OER Playbook to build cross-sector partnerships between higher education and industry.
  • Use open licensing and open pedagogy to develop sustainable, accessible curriculum that stays relevant beyond the classroom.
  • Leverage industry advisory boards, micro-credentials, and service learning to align academic programs with workforce needs.
Speakers
AH
avatar for Kaitlin Schilling

Kaitlin Schilling

Programs and Community Manager, Rebus Foundation
Kaitlin Schilling is the Programs and Community Manager at The Rebus Foundation, a role that aligns with her passion for open education and fondness for working with people.  She is the author of Making Ripples: A Guidebook to Challenge Status Quo in OER Creation and one of the... Read More →
JH
MN
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:55pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

3:15pm EDT

Teaching the Space Between: Designing Open Assignments With the Open Speculative Pedagogy Framework
Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:55pm EDT
V4
As generative AI enters classrooms, many educators are searching for ways to respond that go beyond policy, detection, or tool demonstrations. This session introduces the Open Speculative Pedagogy Framework, or OSPF, as a practical model for designing open assignments that support human centered AI literacy. Using a visual framework built around reflection, openness, speculation, and materiality, the presentation shows how instructors can translate broad values into concrete classroom practice. Attendees will see three adaptable assignment models that invite students to analyze AI outputs against sources, create openly shareable speculative artifacts, and remix existing open materials for new audiences. The session positions open pedagogy as a space for critique, imagination, authorship, and evidence based inquiry, while offering participants clear strategies for revising assignments in their own courses and contexts.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the Open Speculative Pedagogy Framework as a model for human centered AI literacy in open education.
  • Identify how reflection, openness, speculation, and materiality can function as assignment design dimensions.
  • Compare three assignment models that translate critical AI pedagogy into open classroom practice.
  • Adapt at least one OSPF informed design move for use in their own teaching context.
Speakers
avatar for Mackenzie Salisbury

Mackenzie Salisbury

Curriculum Innovation Librarian, Northwestern University
Curriculum Innovation Librarian with sustained leadership in open education, information literacy, and creative research practices. My work focuses on building scalable programs, mentoring faculty and librarians, and advancing open pedagogy through speculative design and critical... Read More →
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 3:15pm - 3:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

5:15pm EDT

Do Androids Dream of OER? A Framework and Toolkit to Humanise Open Education in the Age of AI
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V1
We argue that AI hasn’t made OER obsolete, but instead makes them more urgent. To respond to the challenges created by AI, we present a framework and toolkit for intentional human-centred OER design. In a world of abundant information and instant AI-generated answers, the key challenge for learning is no longer open access alone, but trust, context, critical thinking, and meaning.

Our session challenges dominant AI‑and‑OER narratives by suggesting that the future is less about AI‑assisted OER content creation and more about trusted, human-centred OERs that humanise the training data from which AI learns.

Our toolkit provides practical ways to embed authentic educator presence, transparent standpoint, intentional learning design, and community accountability into OER - qualities AI struggles to offer. This approach addresses the paradox of AI efficiency - where instant answers erode critical thinking and “desirable difficulty” - and shows how open pedagogies can restore these qualities.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Critique the pedagogical challenges created by AI, particularly the tension between instant information access and the erosion of critical thinking and desirable difficulty.
  • Reframe the value proposition of OERs from access alone towards a human-centred approach grounded in deliberate learning design, verifiable provenance, and transparent standpoint.
  • Apply an OER ideation framework to design learning experiences that prioritise intentional human-centred design, educator presence, and rich context to complement AI-mediated learning.
  • Recognise the critical role of trusted, human-curated OERs in sustaining the integrity and educational value of future generative AI learning ecosystems.
  • Use the framework and toolkit to articulate and advocate for the value of human-curated OERs to colleagues, leaders, and institutional stakeholders in an AI-mediated learning environment.
Speakers
JP
SC
HR
RT
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

5:15pm EDT

From the Field, for the Field: A National Research Agenda to Guide Open Education
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V4
The open education field has no shortage of dedicated researchers but it lacks a shared map. Studies are siloed, datasets go untapped, many groups pursue parallel efforts that rarely connect. The result: duplicated work and missed opportunities for the kind of cumulative, policy-relevant evidence the field urgently needs.

This session presents the NCOER National Research Agenda, a practitioner-informed, field-wide framework developed through 126 survey responses and 15 in-depth interviews with researchers, faculty, librarians, and system leaders. Grounded in what the field itself is saying, the agenda offers a bird's-eye view of where open education research stands today, where the critical gaps are, and what to prioritize next.

We will highlight six national research priorities and invite attendees to reflect on where their own work fits, and what meaningful collaboration might look like from here.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the six national research priorities identified through the NCOER research agenda and explain the evidence gaps each one addresses;.
  • Situate their own open education research or practice within the broader landscape of what the field is calling for;.
  • Identify at least one area of potential collaboration or research alignment with existing groups such as DOERS, the Open Education Association, or regional consortia;.
  • Articulate why a coordinated, field-wide research infrastructure matters for advancing policy-relevant evidence in open education; and.
  • Explain how the agenda was developed to be representative of diverse roles, institutional types, and regions across the U.S.
Speakers
avatar for Amanda Coolidge

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 →
KB
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

5:15pm EDT

OER That Don’t Look Like OER: Designing Learning That Meets Students Where They Are
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V5
Students today engage with learning in spaces like short-form video, podcasts, interactive apps, and social media, yet many open educational resources still rely on traditional formats like textbooks and PDFs. This workshop challenges that assumption by exploring how OER can be reimagined in formats students already use and enjoy.

Participants will explore strategies for creating non-traditional OER, including social-media-style content, audio, interactive media, comics, and microlearning modules, while emphasizing practical ways to maintain openness, accessibility, and impact.

A hands-on activity invites participants to take a concept and reimagine it as a short video, microlearning chunk, podcast segment, or visual/comic resource, collaborate to share ideas, and reflect on engagement and accessibility. Designed for instructors, designers, librarians, and open education advocates, this session provides actionable ideas to create resources that truly meet learners where they are.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify non-traditional OER formats, such as social-media-style content, audio resources, interactive media, comics, and microlearning modules, and explain how these formats can increase learner engagement and accessibility.
  • Take a concept or learning objective and reimagine it in a format that aligns with learners’ habits and preferred platforms.
  • Evaluate how different formats support diverse learners, promote accessibility, and enhance meaningful engagement with content.
  • Outline practical steps for adapting or creating OER in non-traditional formats, including starting small, layering formats, and co-creating with learners.
Speakers
avatar for Pranjal Saloni

Pranjal Saloni

Open Education Lab Supervisor, Ontario Tech University
I manage the Open Education Lab at Ontario Tech University, where I oversee student-driven projects that advance open educational practices and the creation of open resources. With a Bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering and Management, I bring an interdisciplinary perspective... Read More →
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

5:15pm EDT

Overcoming Barriers to OER Adoption, Adaptation, and Creation
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V2
If you’re an OER author or program manager, you’ve probably encountered a number of obstacles on your open education journey. You are not alone! A lack of time, funding, collaborators, administrative support, OER awareness, subject coverage, and ancillary materials are very common issues. So are challenges with silos, OER discoverability, maintenance, and accessibility. There can be technology hurdles, confusion around copyright and fair use, and concerns about OER quality. Competition from commercial publishers and automatic billing programs can be fierce. Promotion and tenure guidelines may fail to recognize OER work and usage. The good news is that there are tried and tested ways to address many of these obstacles. While there are no magic one-size-fits-all solutions, this session will share a variety of approaches you can try. It also will introduce a wealth of community resources to help you. Bring your thorny OER problems to this session and we’ll seek solutions together.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Skillfully respond to objections to OER from faculty, administrators, and students.
  • Proactively overcome barriers to open education at your institution.
  • Find community resources to build or strengthen your open education program.
Speakers
avatar for Cheryl Casey

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 →
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Wednesday October 28, 2026 5:15pm - 5:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (40 min)
 
Thursday, October 29
 

9:30am EDT

Not Everything Should Be Open: Ethics and Care in Open Education
Thursday October 29, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V3
Open education is often framed in terms of access, sharing, and innovation. But what happens when openness creates risks for learners? This session explores open educational practices through a different lens, asking not only what we open, but what we protect. Drawing on experiences in carceral classrooms and work with marginalized communities, this presentation examines how openness is neither neutral nor inherently liberatory. Participants will consider how knowledge can be shared, appropriated, or weaponized, and how educators make intentional decisions about when to open knowledge and when to protect it. This session reframes open education as a relational and ethical practice rooted in care, responsibility, and lived experience. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how to approach openness with intentionality in their own contexts.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe how open educational practices can function as relational and ethical practices, not just access-based approaches.
  • Identify risks associated with openness, particularly for marginalized communities.
  • Analyze how decisions to share or protect knowledge shape learning environments.
  • Apply intentional decision-making when implementing open practices in their own contexts.
  • Reflect on how care, authorship, and responsibility influence their approach to openness.
Speakers
RN
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 9:30am - 9:55am EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

10:00am EDT

From Learning to Earning: Building Workforce Skills for the Next Generation Using Customized OER
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V4
Across disciplines and institutions, instructors face growing challenges regarding student engagement and academic integrity. These challenges are compounded by the emergence of AI and shifting workforce needs. Our workforce requires students to develop an ever-increasing set of skills to obtain entry-level jobs. Traditional print textbooks can't keep pace with these shifts, but OER can!

Drawing on data from the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, this session highlights the skills and competencies increasingly valued by employers worldwide. We’ll share practical strategies for customizing OER to support skill development, respond to emerging technologies, and meet local and industry-specific needs, all while maintaining academic rigor and relevance. Participants will leave with an AI prompt template to create five ready-to-implement, skills-based assignments that align with emerging workforce needs, meet course objectives, and incorporate OER content.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify key challenges facing college educators, including maintaining student engagement, managing the impact of AI, and equipping students with ever-changing, in-demand career skills.
  • Analyze emerging workforce skills from the World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 and their relevance in specific academic disciplines.
  • Explain how OER can be customized to support skill development while maintaining academic rigor.
  • Apply a structured AI prompt template to generate 1) skills-based learning activities aligned with course objectives, open content, and industry needs, and 2) aligned instructional support materials (e.g., grading rubrics, scaffolding for struggling students).
  • Refine AI-generated activities to ensure they support individual course contexts, follow accessibility best practices, and meet activity design preferences.
Speakers
LJ
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


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Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V4
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

10:00am EDT

From Trust to Textbooks: Project Management Strategies to Strengthen OER Teams
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V3
Strong teams are the bedrock of successful OER projects. Across three federal grant initiatives LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network has sustained long-term team participation using a cohort model to produce sixty OER textbooks and accompanying LMS courses. This panel will discuss how LOUIS uses project management techniques to build resilient teams to ensure project success through - building a culture and atmosphere of trust, empowerment, and engagement. Cohort Leaders from the most recent “Building a Competitive Workforce” project will address common challenges, such as change, conflict, and distributed teams, and solutions to maintain team morale and momentum. Tailored to new or aspiring leaders of amazing humans and project leaders, this discussion emphasizes lessons learned and actionable insights participants can apply immediately to strengthen team dynamics.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain project management strategies to build strong OER teams through a culture of trust, empowerment, engagement and resilience in OER project teams.
  • Recognize common challenges and identify effective solutions for building resilient OER project teams.
Speakers
avatar for Jared Eusea

Jared Eusea

Assistant Professor of Nathematics, River Parishes Community College
avatar for Amelia Brister

Amelia Brister

LOUIS: The Louisiana Library Network
MW

Michael Waller

Government Documents & Applied and Natural Sciences Librarian, Louisiana Tech University
JW
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

10:00am EDT

Mix-and-Match Modular OER: From Concept to Campus-Wide Implementation
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V5
What if the gap between instructor autonomy and institutional consistency didn't have to be a compromise?

This session tells the story of modular OER in action — from framework to failed pitch to campus-wide adoption. Melissa Williams will introduce Minnesota State's mix-and-match model, where discrete learning modules snap together like building blocks, giving instructors creative freedom while preserving shared outcomes. Christine Rickabaugh will then share how she brought this model to a first-year seminar at the University of Arkansas- 160+ sections, one very flat initial pitch, a two-week about face, and an iterative OER creation structure that actually stuck.

They'll show what lives in the space between top-down mandates and every-instructor-for-themselves: a scalable, sustainable, instructor-owned approach to OER that works across platforms and contexts. You'll leave with a transferable framework and the kind of honest, hard-won lessons that only come from doing it together.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Design modular OER content that supports instructor customization while preserving shared learning outcomes and assessment.
  • Identify key components of a governance and maintenance plan for multi-section courses using customizable OER modules.
  • Apply strategies for building stakeholder buy-in for modular OER adoption.
  • Outline an implementation pathway for adapting the mix-and-match approach to their own institutional context.
Speakers
avatar for Christine Rickabaugh

Christine Rickabaugh

Open Education Librarian, University of Arkansas Libraries
Christine Rickabaugh is a former early childhood educator who traded crayons and glitter for Pressbooks and Creative Commons licenses — and hasn't looked back. Now the Open Education Librarian at the University of Arkansas Libraries, she leads the university's OER program, chairs... Read More →
MW
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V5
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

10:00am EDT

The Open Nebraska (ONE) List: Developing a System of Academic and Publishing Authority Tags for OER
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V1
This session shares the ONE List, a tagging framework developed at the University of Nebraska Omaha to make visible the authority signals often missing from OER discovery systems: author credentials, publisher type, editorial oversight, revision history, accessibility features, and more. Grounded in information literacy and the ACRL frame “Authority Is Constructed and Contextual," this project aims to develop an objective system for categorizing OER according to standard notions of publishing authority through application of relevant metadata. This provides potential faculty adopters with ready markers of publishing authority when scanning for materials. The session will also discuss a newer phase of the work: investigating the feasibility of AI assistants in a human-in-the-loop workflow to assist with tagging while preserving transparency, evidence, and librarian review. Attendees will leave with a practical model for improving OER discoverability, trust, and adoption support.

It is not claimed that this system should be the primary method for categorizing and recommending OER to potential adopters, nor that traditional notions of publishing authority are the exclusive qualifiers of potential source quality. Rather, this presents a way to promote objective categorization, address common adopter concerns, reward the existence of still-important publishing attributes, and ultimately improve the toolkits we use in adoption and promotion.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify common metadata gaps that may be initial barriers to OER adoption.
  • Describe how an objective tagging attribute framework can surface markers of academic authority.
  • Apply fundamental information literacy tenets to OER discovery and selection.
  • Adapt key elements of the ONE List model to local OER, library, or instructional design workflows.
  • Evaluate the benefits and limits of using human-in-the-loop AI to support metadata creation in open education settings (this portion of the project is still in-progress).
Speakers
SF
YD
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 10:00am - 10:40am EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

Dive Into the Warp: The Need for Standard Operating Procedures in OER Programs
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
Every day, we hit warp speed. Every day, we forget what it means to warp. If Open Education programs want to survive, our captains need to stare into The Warp, the Immaterium, the Unspace: The Space Between.

The early years of open education management included what many leaders called "building the plane as we flew it." Open Education organizations and initiatives were assembled for pilot projects like grant programs or workshops - sometimes built solely around the existence of funding or an idea for one event. As OE programs mature, what used to be "the plane" now travels faster than light. But do we know enough about how we travel? Do we understand what it means to warp?

Through the cosmic lenses of Star Trek, Warhammer 40K, and Adrian Tchaikovsky, Jeff will take you through the sometimes-painful creation of an open Standard Operating Procedures document and how this practice could help build transparency and ethical automation into the fundamental processes that make Open happen.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify standard definitions and explain their open education programs within these terms.
  • Adapt and create a Standard Operating Procedures document for their own open education program.
  • Build accessibility into existing processes and target accessibility-by-default in both publishing and work procedures.
Speakers
JG
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

OER Developers’ Perspectives on Creating Mathematics Visuals With GenAI
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V3
This presentation shares preliminary findings from an ongoing research project on OER developers’ needs, preferences, and practices in generating mathematics visuals for curriculum materials using GenAI tools. Drawing on interviews from ten mathematics OER developers, the study explores how visual production workflows are evolving in response to emerging technologies. Early analysis suggests that developers increasingly adopt hybrid workflows that combine traditional design tools with AI support, using iterative processes to refine visual accuracy and pedagogical alignment. Findings highlight the advantages of AI in streamlining visual development while also identifying challenges related to the accuracy and accessibility of AI-generated content. Additional time is needed to present emerging findings, illustrate visual development workflows, and discuss practical recommendations from developers to support the responsible AI integration in mathematics OER development.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe key needs and preferences of OER developers regarding the generation of mathematics visuals in curriculum materials.
  • Identify common practices and hybrid workflows used by developers when generating mathematics visuals using generative AI tools.
  • Explain the advantages and challenges of using generative AI for mathematics visual development.
  • Describe practical recommendations from developers regarding AI tool development and integration to support a sustainable content development environment for OER developers.
Speakers
avatar for Virginia Clinton-Lisell

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 →
MT
avatar for Candace Walkington

Candace Walkington

Southern Methodist University
Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
Dejav.
Dejav who?
Knock, knock.
More Info
avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V3
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

1:15pm EDT

Publish and Publicize: How to Help Your Open Textbook Find Its Audience
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V2
Many authors spend months or years laboring over their open textbooks and find themselves faced with a similar challenge: how to get their book in front of the audience it was written for.

In this session, we’ll help first-time and experienced authors and publishers understand simple but effective things that they can do to ensure their publications find the audiences they were designed for. We'll cover how to add and improve your book's metadata, and how to add publications to institutional repositories, search engines, indexes, and popular open directories. We’ll discuss how to generate metadata exports that can be ingested in library catalogues and other discovery platforms. Finally, we'll share practical advice about promoting your published books, including tips for reaching a wider audience through email, online communities, social media and more. No matter what publishing platform you use, you'll leave with actionable next steps for increasing your books' visibility and impact.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • (1) evaluate and improve the quality of their book's metadata to improve its discoverability.
  • (2) identify key indexes and directories for OER submission.
  • (3) apply a practical promotion strategy to help their publications reach wider audiences and more potential adopters.
Speakers
avatar for Cheryl Casey

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 →
SW
JM
HM
FA
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avatar for Presentation (40 min)

Presentation (40 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 1:15pm - 1:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (40 min)

2:00pm EDT

From Silos to Shared Strategy: K-12 and Higher Ed OER in Conversation
Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT
V2
Open education often lives in the “space between”—but one of the least examined divides is between K–12 and higher education. Why have these OER ecosystems largely developed in parallel, and what would it take to align them toward a shared national agenda?

This interactive panel brings state leaders into conversation across sectors to surface the tensions and opportunities at that boundary. K–12 OER is shaped by standards alignment, district adoption, and system-level funding, while higher ed centers faculty autonomy and affordability. Where do these models clash—and where might they connect?

Panelists will engage the audience in tackling shared challenges—accessibility, sustainability, awareness, and responsible AI use—while exploring practical points of alignment, from pre-service teacher preparation to dual enrollment course design. The goal: move beyond comparison to identify where collaboration is necessary, and possible.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Identify key policy and practice differences shaping OER in K–12 and higher education.
  • Examine why these systems have evolved in parallel—and where alignment is emerging or possible.
  • Compare state and organizational strategies for sustaining OER across distinct governance and funding models.
  • Explore shared challenges across sectors.
  • Apply cross-sector insights to opportunities such as pre-service teacher preparation and dual enrollment.
  • Engage in dialogue to identify practical strategies for building a more connected, national OER agenda.
Speakers
avatar for Barbara Soots

Barbara Soots

OER and Instructional Materials Program Manager, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
In her role as Assistant Director, Open Education and Instructional Materials, at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in Washington, Barbara Soots implements state legislation directing collection of K‚Äì12 OER resources aligned to state learning standards... Read More →
RL
RH
AM
AE
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avatar for Panel (55 min)

Panel (55 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (55 min)

2:00pm EDT

Launching Skills: Open Education’s Role in the Future of Work
Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT
V1
As education shifts toward skills-based learning and credentials, a critical question emerges: what lies in the space between open education and workforce-aligned recognition? This panel explores that space where values of openness intersect with the growing demand for verifiable, skills-based credentials. Panelists from community colleges, universities, and international open education leadership will share perspectives on how open practices can support more transparent, equitable pathways to employment.

Through a high-level demonstration of a microcredential authoring platform and a real-world use case, the Open Financial Services Essentials project, attendees will see how open, skills-based content can be designed, validated, and recognized. Grounded in practice and policy, this session invites participants to consider how we can bridge the gaps between learning and work, and reimagine what is possible when openness meets skills.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Articulate the relationship between open education and skills-based credentials within evolving workforce ecosystems.
  • Describe how open practices can support more equitable and transparent pathways from learning to employment.
  • Connect policy, practice, and technology to advance open, skills-based credentialing initiatives.
Speakers
avatar for Kevin Corcoran

Kevin Corcoran

Assistant Vice Provost, University of Central Florida
Kevin Corcoran is the Assistant Vice Provost of the Center for Distributed Learning. Kevin has over 25 years of experience in the development and support of strategies for the effective use of digital learning tools and content that focuses on quality standards and practices, student... Read More →
avatar for Amanda Coolidge

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 →
LY
TM
More Info
avatar for Panel (55 min)

Panel (55 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 2:00pm - 2:55pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (55 min)

3:00pm EDT

An Open Competency Framework to Recognize the Skills and Knowledge of Open Education Professionals
Thursday October 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V1
People working in open education develop their knowledge and skills in open education in a range of ways. While some may take formal courses or training, often it is built through hands-on projects, the day-to-day work, and peer relationships. As such, BCcampus is working to develop a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) framework for open education, a process to evaluate and provide formal recognition for the skills, knowledge, and experience gained through work, volunteer, and life experiences. This session discusses why BCcampus is pursuing a PLAR approach to recognition and badging, and shares the openly licensed competency and assessment frameworks being developed.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain the purpose of PLAR and its value for open education practitioners;.
  • Describe competencies that enable open education work in a post-secondary context;.
  • Identify flexible methods and options for demonstrating competencies; and.
  • Understand the assessment framework for evaluating mastery of competencies.
Speakers
JG
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V1
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

3:00pm EDT

From AI Disclosure to Human Declaration: Centring Human Authorship in OER Creation
Thursday October 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V2
As AI tools become increasingly common in OER creation, the question is no longer whether authors use them — it's how to disclose that use honestly and transparently.

The KPU AI Declaration Framework for OER Creation takes a human-centred approach, asking not "what did AI do?" but "what was the relationship between the author and AI?" The framework adapts Kari D. Weaver's AID Framework for OER contexts, identifying ten categories of activity relevant to publishing projects. It incorporates the Me & My Machine labels — adapted for a North American context — to capture the spectrum from fully independent human creation to AI-generated content, making human effort and creative direction visible even where AI plays a significant role.

A self-assessment rubric, interactive rubric tool, and Pressbooks front matter template support authors in building their own declaration statement. While developed for OER, the framework applies to any resource creation project.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the KPU AI Declaration Framework for OER Creation — including its categories, label system, and self-assessment rubric —and identify how it differs from existing approaches to AI disclosure.
  • Determine whether and how a human-centred approach to AI disclosure might be implemented in their own institutional or publishing context.
Speakers
avatar for Amanda Grey

Amanda Grey

Open Education Strategist, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Amanda Grey, MLIS, is the Open Education Strategist at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) in British Columbia, Canada. Over the past several years, she has worked across the full spectrum of open education practice, supporting educators in textbook affordability, OER adoption and... Read More →
KM
More Info
avatar for Presentation (25 min)

Presentation (25 min)

Concurrent sessions take place virtually on Zoom. At the time of the event, a button will appear in the session description you can click to join. All sessions are recorded and posted by the next day. 


... Read More →
Thursday October 29, 2026 3:00pm - 3:25pm EDT
V2
  Concurrent Session (25 min)

4:00pm EDT

A Brave Choice: Zero-Textbook Cost at CCA or You’re Already Doing the Work
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
In unveiling the 2025-2030 Strategic Plan for the Division of Academic Success as CCA, we were presented with 5 “Brave Choices” or goals to focus on. The first Brave Choice is to “embrace ZTC pathways in our top 10 transfer programs and in our 15 highest-enrollment gateway courses.” This seemed like a formidable ask, until we ran the numbers. Sifting through the data, we discovered that CCA a) already has ZTC pathways for 3 degrees, b) we’re making good progress on all the degrees impacted by this goal, and c) 10 out of 15 of the highest-enrolled GT courses are OER! This lightning talk describes the ways the OER team at CCA gathered, sorted through, and distributed this data, showing attendees how they can do the same at their institutions to visualize the progress toward their Open goals.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Participants will.
  • Understand how their institutions are already building Zero-Textbook Cost pathways.
  • Understand what data to gather when tracking goals related to Open.
  • Leave inspired to run the numbers and track their own Open progress.
Speakers
AP
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Amplifying Open at the Intersection of Science and Education
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
This lightning talk will introduce the Open Education Ecosystems Research Coordination Network (OEE-RCN) and highlight our work at the intersection of open science and open education. We are a diverse community of open science service providers, education reform projects, professional communities, open education specialists, and teaching faculty. The integration of open science resources (data, protocols, tools, collaborative spaces, publications) with open education practices has the potential to transform undergraduate STEM education. The goals of this project include surveying the landscape at the intersection of open science and open education to highlight emerging opportunities and identify barriers to adoption. We are currently seeking partnerships with projects, organizations, and individuals interested in joining the conversation to catalyze adoption of open practices in science classrooms. https://oee.qubeshub.org

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Gain familiarity with the Open Education Ecosystem project.
  • Find additional information about how to collaborate with the OEE-RCN.
  • Recognize some of the opportunities and challenges associated with working to integrate open science and education.
Speakers
SD
DL
DR
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Bridging the Space Between: Using AI and UDL to Open Access in Higher Education
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
The space between traditional course design and truly open, accessible education is where too many students get lost. This session presents a practical framework for using generative AI through a Universal Design for Learning lens to close that gap — making course materials more flexible, inclusive, and openly adaptable. Drawing on real examples from economics and finance courses at Berklee College of Music, participants will see how AI tools can help faculty move from rigid, one-size-fits-all content toward open educational practices that meet every learner where they are. Three key takeaways: (1) How UDL principles function as a prompting framework for AI-assisted course design; (2) A replicable workflow for creating openly adaptable course materials using AI; (3) Strategies transferable across disciplines and institution types.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain how UDL principles function as a framework for open, AI-assisted course design.
  • Use generative AI to create or adapt course materials that reflect open educational practices.
  • Identify at least two strategies for moving their own courses toward greater accessibility and openness.
Speakers
FG
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Building a Foundation for an OER Badge
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
The course badge was designed to educate students from San Antonio College about open educational textbooks/resources. After many redesigns, over a span of two years, it has grown to be a badge available for anyone (students, faculty, staff). It is now an advocacy tool to give a foundation component to open educational practices and resources.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Develop a sample course map relating to the course badge.
  • Describe the process of creating a course badge.
  • Utilize the badge as a gateway for open advocacy.
Speakers
BC
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Co-DREAM OER: An End of Project Update on Innovative STEM Open Resources
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
In 2021, Co-DREAM OER, a multi-institutional project to develop 9 innovative open textbooks and interactive ancillary materials on robotics, mechatronics and advanced manufacturing for the associates, bachelor's and graduate levels, received a $2 million US Department of Education’s Open Textbook grant. In 2026 the project is near completion. This presentation introduces all the works of the project and discusses the critical gaps in STEM OER that they fill. It also discusses the many features that they contain to support the learning needs of all learners, which includes availability in print and online format, ability to be used online and offline, the inclusion of multimedia resources, such as videos, interactive simulations and animations, programming packages, and well as compliance to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The presentation concludes with a discussion of the first implementation of the books, as well as attempts to build a community who can improve and sustain them over time.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Learn the purpose of the Co-DREAM project and the important gaps in OER that its textbooks fill.
  • Identify the benefits of new textbooks produced by the project, the types of institutions, courses, and programs they are designed for and the innovative features they contain.
  • Discover how the accessibility and other features of the books meet the needs of a variety of learners.
  • Hear about the project's efforts to build a community of users by having a small group of faculty conduct a trial implementation of each textbook.
  • Describe the educational research being conducted to assess the impact of the textbooks.
Speakers
avatar for Yang Wu

Yang Wu

Open Resources Librarian, Clemson University Libraries
Yang Wu, Open Resources Librarian at Clemson University, South Carolina is a OER specialist with experience in many types of Open Education activities. He served on several major OER organizations, including the Open Education Network Steering Committee and OpenEd Conference Advisory... Read More →
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Designing an Open Tutorial for Accessible Lecture Capture Using Embedded Audio Description
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
This session presents the design, pilot testing, and dissemination of an open tutorial that trains faculty to integrate embedded audio description (AD) into lecture capture videos. Grounded in digital accessibility and universal design principles, the tutorial positions AD as an extension of existing teaching and recording practices rather than an added burden. Beyond improving accessibility for learners with disabilities, the session argues that targeted training in accessible multimedia production can substantially enhance the overall quality, clarity, and usability of OER video content. Data from a pre–post study—including survey outcomes and think-aloud reflections—will illustrate changes in faculty knowledge, self-efficacy, and implementation intentions. The tutorial will be released as a Creative Commons–licensed OER, enabling broad reuse and adaptation.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Describe the role of embedded audio description in enhancing accessibility of lecture capture videos.
  • Explain how accessible multimedia practices can improve the overall quality of OER artifacts.
Speakers
AA
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Do Open Textbook Grants Reach Students Who Need Them Most?
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
Do Open Textbook Grants Reach Students Who Need Them Most?

This session presents the first cross-institutional evaluation of the U.S. Open Textbooks Pilot (OTP) program, examining whether federal OER investments translate into measurable student outcomes and reach the highest-need institutions. Using College Scorecard, IPEDS, and American Community Survey data, we employ propensity score matching, panel difference-in-differences, event-study diagnostics, and empirical-Bayes benchmarking to compare 12 OTP grantees against matched controls. Results show a significant 6.9 percentage-point completion rate increase at four-year grantees (p = .044), with null debt effects. However, the grantee pool is concentrated in the four-year sector with a mean Pell rate below the national median, revealing a persistent gap between federal investment and realized equity impact -- the space between policy intent and student benefit.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain the difference between course-level OER evidence and institution-level OER policy evaluation.
  • Describe how matched comparison and panel methods can be used to study open education initiatives.
  • Identify the main findings of this evaluation of the Open Textbooks Pilot program.
  • Assess how competitive grant design may shape who benefits from open education funding.
  • Consider policy and implementation strategies for making OER investment more equitable.
Speakers
IM
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Don’t I Know You?: Re-Designing Open Programming for the Space Between
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
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.
Speakers
HB
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Expanding Education: Narrative Role-Playing Games and Open Education Resources
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
Despite growing interest in game‑based learning and the rising cultural popularity of role‑playing games (RPGs), most narrative RPG materials remain commercially produced and sold, making them difficult to license and adapt for educational use. As a result, educators and education researchers interested in narrative roleplay often rely on purchased systems, create their own materials from scratch, or attempt to adapt the limited number of existing RPG‑focused OERs, many of which may not suit their specific teaching contexts or learner needs. This lightning talk briefly highlights the unique capacity of narrative roleplay to foster intrinsic motivation, agency, and engagement across age groups. The session then explores existing RPG OERs and research‑informed entry points that educators can use to navigate this emerging area of open, narrative‑driven pedagogy, and, if inspired, contribute to the development of new, openly shared narrative RPG tools.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Define key components of game-based learning, including distinctions between gamification, game-based learning, and gameful learning, and describe how these approaches differ in goals and implementation.
  • Articulate the pedagogical promise of narrative role-playing games, particularly their capacity to support learner motivation, agency, collective meaning-making, and engagement with complex ideas through storytelling and play.
  • Identify existing open educational resources related to narrative RPGs, as well as gaps in current literature and resource availability, in order to imagine how their own teaching, research, or open education work might contribute to this emerging area.
Speakers
AP
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Generating Reach by Embedding OER in Volunteer Formats for Sustainable Marketing Programs
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
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Open Educational Resources (OER) are promoted in different ways around the world. In the US, this work is often called “OER advocacy,” while in South Africa the Open Education Influencers MOOC (https://oe4bw.org/project/open-education-influencer/) is a notable example.

This lightning talk shares how the University of Innsbruck is reaching a wider audience:

* OER practitioners talked about the creation and the publication of their projects in The JOERney@UIBK: Experience Talks (https://oerworldmap.org/resource/urn:uuid:75e1c2a7-8540-4ff2-b2c6-04b2f23b3cda?language=en).

* The Aqua MOOC, a 2021 citizen science MOOC on water communities, was presented at a local district club. Volunteers from Computerias and libraries were invited.

The findings from this talk may inspire attendees of the lightning talk to leverage local venues, themselves; using a single, high-interest MOOC or resource, other OER and the OER repositories can be cross-promoted to potential re-users and interested people.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • …find connections between marketing OER at their institutions and involving local volunteers in the dissemination of information about OER.
  • …think outside "the box", aka their institutional limits, and reach for a wider audience.
  • …generate new leads for their OER practitioners to create OER for and broadening their understanding or who their ideal audience might include.
  • …gain an understanding for the value of “old” OER and the sustainability efforts included in the production and the active advertising of a MOOC with so-called "ever-green contents" that is intended for a "long run".
Speakers
EF
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Individuals & Institutions: The Structure of Change and the Open Education Network
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
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In this presentation, Robin DeRosa, Executive Director of the Open Education Network, will explore the theory of change that undergirds the OEN. In a community that focuses its activities on the grassroots work of educators (including faculty, librarians, instructional designers, technologists, and other support staff), the OEN’s membership structure centers around institutions and consortia. What is the relationship between individuals who engage with open practices and the systems that contain, support, and sometimes thwart them? How can organizations that leverage open education to make change respond to the needs of learners and teachers while building support from the surrounding educational systems that don’t always center those needs? Hear about the rationales, hopes, and tensions that animate the OEN’s model, and the current ways we are envisioning our role in advancing open education and building a more equitable future for higher education.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Reflect on the tensions and synergies between individual practice and systemic support in the open education movement.
  • Articulate reasons why both grassroots practice and institutional commitment are key sustainable and impactful open education progress.
  • Understand the approach of the Open Education Network, and how it leverages institutional commitment to make structural change in higher education.
Speakers
avatar for Robin DeRosa

Robin DeRosa

Executive Director, Open Education Network
Dr. Robin DeRosa is an educator and community leader who has served in many roles over the span of her career. She has been a middle school theater teacher, a high school literature and writing teacher, and a college professor of both English and Interdisciplinary Studies. She has... Read More →
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Mapping OER to State Numbering Systems
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
This session focuses on finding ways to reduce the cognitive load for faculty, and faculty supporters, interested in adopting OER for the general education courses in Texas, with potential replicability for other states. This is done through the overview of the following resources:

* Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS),

* Academic Lower Divison Guide for Texas Higher Education courses,

* Open Educational Resources, and

* University specific course numbering systems

The overview is followed by an exploration of how these systems work together to create an articulated interface, the Core to Open tool, that facilitates quick and wasy to understand OER discovery for faculty and faculty support providers. The presentation wil conclude with a demonstration on how to use the Core to Open tool itself. From investigation to deliverable, the process emphasizes learning, making connections, and supporting iterative design.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain the relationship between course numbering systems, course learning objectives, and OER – as well as how this could be replicated for their state or system.
  • Choose a relevant gen ed course and navigate to OER for that course.
Speakers
IA
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Reducing Students’ Psychological Distance From Climate Change: Design of an Open Mapping Assignment
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
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This session introduces an open (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) climate distance mapping assignment designed to help students connect climate change to places, systems, and near-future conditions relevant to their lives. Drawing on the concept of psychological distance, we examine why students may understand climate change but struggle to situate it in their own contexts.

Participants will learn how assignment design can reduce abstraction without pressuring students toward personal or potentially traumatic disclosure. The session demonstrates how structured choice allows students to engage at varying levels of personal proximity while still making meaningful, place-based and life-path connections.

Educators, instructors, and those teaching late high school and introductory college courses may find this session most useful.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain how psychological distance influences students’ perceptions of climate change.
  • Identify why students may struggle to connect climate change to their own lives.
  • Model assignment design that reduces abstraction without requiring personal disclosure for students.
Speakers
LW
DM
NB
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Reframing Medical Education Through Theater of the Oppressed, Critical Pedagogy, and Open Education
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
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This session explores innovative approaches to medical education through the integration of art-based methodologies, open educational resources (OER), and virtual learning communities. Grounded in the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire and Augusto Boal, it challenges traditional technicist models by promoting dialogical, participatory, and human-centred practices. The presentation highlights how the Theatre of the Oppressed can foster empathy, active listening, and nonviolent communication among future health professionals. Additionally, it examines the role of collaborative digital environments and OER in expanding access to knowledge and enabling co-creation. Participants will engage with the concept of virtual communities as spaces for experimentation, shared learning, and the development of more inclusive and ethical healthcare practices.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain Theatre of the Oppressed can be applied in medical education.
  • Identify strategies to foster empathy, active listening, and nonviolent communication in healthcare training.
  • Analyze the role of Open Educational Resources (OER) in promoting inclusive and collaborative learning environments.
  • Critically reflect on the limitations of traditional technicist models in health education and propose human-centred alternatives.
Speakers
CS
avatar for Catharina Santos
CG
NR
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Sowing Discord for Iterative Discovery: AI Roundtables Built on Friction
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
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Ask generative AI a question, and you get a confident answer. What you don't get is a second read, a dissenting take, a reason to dig deeper. When open educators use AI to create and remix resources that others will reuse, that untested confidence travels with the work.

The counterintuitive fix? Sow discord. Not by asking AI to see both sides, but by designing personas with named stakes that structurally conflict, then putting them in the same room. When multiple perspectives are built for friction, disagreement surfaces ideas neither would reach alone. Then run the output back through a critical lens, round after round, until what remains has been earned by both sides.

Open educators make decisions alone that deserve a panel, and this roundtable method convenes one on demand. Attendees leave with a replicable roadmap for building and running their own expert panel, no subject matter expertise required.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Explain why single-prompt AI use produces untested confidence and why that matters when the work will be reused by others.
  • Apply the roundtable method by assigning personas with structurally conflicting stakes to surface complex ideas no single perspective could reach alone.
  • Use iterative review loops to pressure-test AI output and recognize what repeated scrutiny reveals that a single pass misses.
Speakers
CM
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

The Interstitium: An Emergent Practice for the Spaces Between
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
Western scientists recently “discovered” a new organ in our bodies: the Interstitium. This collagen scaffolding had long been discarded by conventional medicine and belief systems as static and generally in the way. However, a fresh look with modern tools at LIVING tissue (!) revealed that the Interstitium has myriad life-sustaining functions, previously unrecognized or underappreciated. It activates the Spaces Between within our bodies.

The Interstitium is also a powerful metaphor and a generative frame of reference for situations where reciprocal flows of knowledge, creativity, and care are vital yet unnoticed. This metaphor, brought to light in a 2023 Radiolab podcast, has spurred a growing community of practice for “Interstitionaries” who do this essential but often unsung bridging work. In this talk, I’ll introduce the Interstium as metaphor and methods, and highlight how its methods (including a self-assessment and discussion prompts) might serve the open education community.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Understand the Interstitium as an inspiring and useful metaphor for any socially-connected work.
  • Use the Interstitium model and its practices to help unlock new approaches for relational and recognition challenges and opportunities in open education work.
Speakers
CN
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk

4:00pm EDT

Visible Impact: Creating Effective Alt Text With Students
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
Alternative text (alt text) is important, though often a secondary thought, when creating digital resources. When creating open educational resources, the written content is often the focus, with visuals added to support it. Accessibility requirements mandate that written descriptions be added to visual content in educational resources. With recent advances in AI, many are using AI to generate alt text for images in OERs. This can be done relatively quickly, but still requires significant time for reviewing, editing, and correctly inserting alt text so screen readers can access it and provide detailed descriptions. This talk advocates working with students to develop alt text to focus on the educational component of OERs. Students are eager to work with faculty on meaningful projects and can successfully develop alt text and assess its effectiveness. This talk will discuss how to do this, the benefits, and the challenges.

Attendees of this session will be able to:
  • Develop and refine alternative text.
  • Incorporate students in the process of developing and refining alternative text.
  • Encourage student involvement in OER development and creation.
Speakers
AH
CR
EH
More Info
avatar for Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning Talks (View Anytime)

Lightning talks are short, pre-recorded videos that can be viewed anytime during the conference. Most lightning talks are released a week early and will remain available after the conference. Don't miss this incredible collection of quick takes!
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00pm - 4:10pm EDT
View Anytime
  Lightning Talk
 
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  • Break
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  • Concurrent Session (25 min)
  • Concurrent Session (40 min)
  • Concurrent Session (55 min)
  • Keynote
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  • Program Topic
  • Between Here and There: Examining how strategic open education work can get us from where we are to where we aspire to be.
  • Between the Lines: Examining the intersections and implications of emerging technologies in open education.
  • Between Us: Exploring how open values and practices can improve the educational experience for all learners.
  • Beyond Borders: Exploring open education projects and perspectives from outside the US and Canada.
  • Blank Space: Open space for any other open education related topics.
  • Connecting the Dots: Expanding the reach of open education to wider audiences.
  • Region
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Canada
  • Euope
  • Europe
  • Global Focus
  • Latin America & the Caribbean
  • Oceania
  • Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA)
  • United States
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  • Advanced
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Education Level
  • Community & Technical Colleges
  • Higher Education
  • Informal Learning/Other
  • Primary & Secondary (K-12) Education
  • Trades and Vocational Training
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