Open Education Week

Open Education Talks- Utilizing GenAI and Technology in Supporting OE and OER
2026-03-11 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Denver) | Calgary, Canada, Calgary, AB, Canada
Open Education Talks is a series of 15-minute lightning talks and digital posters about facets of open education. These talks aim to create an accessible, virtual space for conversations about open education. We welcome proposals from educators, students, administrators, librarians, instructional designers, and all other roles related to the design, delivery, and evaluation of open education in post-secondary institutions. We encourage student-led or partnered talks that showcase the critical role of student leadership and student-educator collaborations in open education. To register for these Zoom sessions, visit: https://ucalgary.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpfuuhqjsiE9xwLFkoS4uK-KLd0bwXMbkC
Utilizing GenAI and Technology in Supporting OE and OER

Beyond Openness: Transdisciplinary Collaboration as the Heart of Open Education in the Age of AI – Sandra Abegglen, Mohammadmadhi Zanjanian, Alexandra Poppendorf (University of Calgary – Alberta, Canada)
Building Trust Through AI Transparency in OERs – Amanda Grey and Karen Meijer (Kwantlen Polytechnic University – British Columbia, Canada)
Opterna: BCcampus Open GenAI Project – Elizabeth A. Childs (Royal Roads University – British Columbia, Canada), Robynne Devine, and Harper Friedman (BCcampus – British Columbia, Canada)
Thinking Outside the Box! Creating and Implementing a Secondary Database as a Teaching Tool for Dental Students – Nazlee Sharmin and Ava Chow (University of Alberta – Alberta, Canada)
A Critical Examination of the Economics of Open – Mima Diab (University of Calgary – Alberta, Canada)

The Power of Free Knowledge: How MIT Open Learning is Shaping Tomorrow’s Open Education Landscape
2026-03-12 10:00 - 10:45 (America/New_York) | Cambridge, United States, Cambridge, MA, United States
“The Power of Free Knowledge: How MIT Open Learning is Shaping Tomorrow’s Open Education Landscape” with Dana Doyle and Curt Newton
An Open Conversation hosted by Yvonne Ng
Thursday, March 12, 2026
10:00AM – 10:45AM EST
Question and answer session at the end.

Please join us for a lively and inspiring conversation with Dana Doyle, Senior Director of the MITx Program, and Curt Newton, Director of MIT OpenCourseWare. Together, they’ll share standout moments from their decades of championing open education, reflect on the global impact of free and accessible learning, and offer a forward-looking take on what’s next for the open education movement.
About the speakers

Dana Doyle has been working at MIT Open Learning for over 10 years and has held roles from project management of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) creation to her current role as the Senior Director of the MITx Program.
As the Senior Director, Doyle manages a team of 20+ to support faculty in creating online open courses for the world. She also works with other units across Open Learning and MIT to further MIT’s mission. Doyle holds a Master of Education from Northeastern University.
Curt Newton leads MIT OpenCourseWare in supporting millions of global learners and educators every year with freely shared materials from over 2,500 MIT courses. Newton joined OpenCourseWare in 2004, shortly after its launch, captivated by the promise of open education, and worked as a Publication Manager and Site Curator prior to becoming Director in 2018.
Newton is also a recognized leader in building more effective and equitable climate action through open knowledge practices and resources, at MIT and around the world, through a wide range of professional and civic engagements.
Yvonne Ng is the Annual Giving and Donor Relations Officer for MIT Open Learning, where she leads annual giving strategy, donor stewardship, and development communications to support programs such as MIT OpenCourseWare and MITx. She manages stewardship for roughly 2,400 donors each year and contributes to fundraising efforts. Previously, she spent more than a decade advancing digital outreach and fundraising for MIT OpenCourseWare. Yvonne has worked in communications and digital media since 2000 and holds a BA in Spanish and Anthropology from Bowdoin College.

Open Education Talks- Enhancing OER Publishing and Connections with Open Scholarship
2026-03-18 12:00 - 13:30 (America/Denver) | Calgary, Canada, Calgary, AB, Canada
Open Education Talks is a series of 15-minute lightning talks and digital posters about facets of open education. These talks aim to create an accessible, virtual space for conversations about open education. We welcome proposals from educators, students, administrators, librarians, instructional designers, and all other roles related to the design, delivery, and evaluation of open education in post-secondary institutions. We encourage student-led or partnered talks that showcase the critical role of student leadership and student-educator collaborations in open education. To register for these Zoom sessions, visit: https://ucalgary.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpfuuhqjsiE9xwLFkoS4uK-KLd0bwXMbkC
Enhancing OER Publishing and Connections with Open Scholarship

From Research to Reach: Open Education and OER for Knowledge Mobilization – Mélanie Brunet (University of Ottawa – Ontario, Canada)
OER and the Future of Open Science – Melissa Chim (Excelsior University – New York, USA)
Trusting OERs: Peer Review for Open Textbooks – Irena Knezevic (Carleton University – Ontario, Canada)
Empowering Open Education through Wikimedia: The EduWiki Hub Experience – Barakat Adegboye and Bukola James (EduWiki Hub – Nigeria)
The Forge: A Next-Generation Platform for Open Pedagogy and Resource Co-Creation – Delmar Larsen (LibreTexts, University of California, Davis – California, USA)

The Price is Wrong: Free or Low-Cost Alternatives in Higher Education (Concordia University)
2026-03-18 15:00 - 16:30 (America/Toronto) | Montreal, Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Sometimes, the cost of academic publishing can feel very wrong. Costs might feel wrong for students facing higher living and tuition costs, and for researchers seeking to make their work open access.
Textbooks, course packs, journal articles, academic books, and related online resources carry various price tags; some of which are shockingly high or low. Uncover the publishing costs in academia and learn about for-profit publishing alternatives. Participants who guess the accurate price will win prizes as we reveal how pathways within open scholarship and open education can lessen the financial burdens on students, educators, and researchers.
In twelve spins, our version of Price is Wrong features useful information, several slices of humour, and prizes for our winners. In this collaboration, Rachel Harris and Zo Kopyna from the Concordia University Library’s Open Educational Resources Team, Ryan Van Huijstee from Concordia University Press, and Douglas Moffat from 4TH Space act as game-show hosts, radio announcers, and design magicians. Together, we encourage students, professors, librarians, and staff members to join us… as volunteer game-show contestants and audience members, take your seats!
…
How can you participate? Join us in person [4TH SPACE in the J.W. McConnell Building] or online by registering for the Zoom Meeting or watching live on YouTube.

> Learn more
> Part of open education month at Concordia University

Bridging knowledge gaps through collaboration: Wikimedia in South Africa and the UK
2026-03-24 12:00 - 13:00 (Europe/London) | Leeds, United Kingdom, Leeds, United Kingdom
This Knowledge Equity webinar focuses on advancing knowledge equity through Wikimedia initiatives and open education, with a particular emphasis on South African and UK perspectives. During this session we will explore how collaborative efforts between Wikimedia communities, Open Education and Open Research networks can:
• Empower local knowledge creation and representation.
• Address systemic barriers to access and participation in digital knowledge platforms.
• Highlight successful models of community engagement
• Foster cross-regional collaboration to build inclusive, sustainable knowledge ecosystems.
The session will look at practical strategies for increasing the reach of Wikimedia, the importance of language diversity, and the ethical dimensions of open knowledge production. We will also reflect on how global partnerships can support local and regional initiatives.
Tuesday 24 March, 12:00 – 13:00 GMT / 14:00 – 15:00 SAST

Guest speakers:
Herschal Jackson is the inaugural Executive Director of Wikimedia South Africa (Wikimedia ZA), leading the chapter’s transition toward greater professionalisation of its operation, strategic growth and the amplification of its presence within the global Wikimedia community.
Previously serving as Executive Coordinator of Wikimedia ZA, he strengthened organisational systems, advanced program delivery, and facilitated the 2023 Strategic Planning Meeting. He has played key roles in major initiatives, including co‑organising WikiIndaba 2024 and leading on SWiP Phase 2, a multilingual knowledge‑equity project supporting student contributors across South Africa and neighbouring SADC countries, working in their own languages.
Herschal was instrumental in guiding the development and ratification of Wikimedia ZA’s 2024–2026 strategy and established governance subcommittees to support its implementation. His leadership continues to shape a resilient, collaborative, and future‑focused chapter for Wikimedia ZA.
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Lucy Crompton-Reid joined Wikimedia UK as Chief Executive in October 2015, where she has spearheaded a focus on equity and inclusion on Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects. Lucy leads the charity’s work in advocating for a healthy online information ecosystem, and promoting Wikimedia as an important tool in the development of vital media and information literacy skills.
Lucy sits on the British Library Advisory Council, the Board of Advisors for the Khalili Foundation and the External Advisory Board for AI For Collective Intelligence (AI4CI), a UKRI National AI Research Hub. She also Chairs the local arts charity where she lives in rural Scotland.

Prácticas de conocimiento abiertas y equitativas en el mundo de habla hispana
2026-03-25 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Madrid) | Leeds, United Kingdom, Leeds, United Kingdom
Esta sesión inaugural examinará tanto los fundamentos filosóficos como las aplicaciones prácticas de la Equidad del Conocimiento en el mundo hispanohablante, destacando cómo se están desarrollando enfoques abiertos, inclusivos y centrados en la comunidad para abordar las desigualdades estructurales en el acceso al conocimiento.
La sesión explorará cómo tecnologías emergentes, como la IA generativa, se intersectan con las prácticas de conocimiento equitativas; cómo la educación abierta puede apoyar a estudiantes de comunidades con menor acceso a oportunidades educativas y de contextos socioeconómicamente desfavorecidos mediante espacios de aprendizaje flexibles y adaptativos; y cómo los esfuerzos de inclusión digital, especialmente en la educación primaria, pueden ayudar a garantizar que niñas y niños tengan un acceso temprano y significativo a las herramientas y habilidades digitales necesarias para participar plenamente en los ecosistemas contemporáneos del conocimiento.

Prácticas de conocimiento abiertas y equitativas en el mundo de habla hispana
2026-03-26 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Regina) | Leeds, United Kingdom, Leeds, United Kingdom
The Knowledge Equity Network (KEN), Open Education Latin America (OELATAM) and the Universidad Nacional del Sur (UNS) are pleased to announce a new collaboration to deliver a series of online sessions focusing on Knowledge Equity and Open Scholarship in the Spanish speaking world.
This partnership brings together three organisations committed to widening global access to knowledge, strengthening open scholarly ecosystems and amplifying the achievements of Spanish‑speaking colleagues, institutions, organisations and communities across Latin America and Europe.

Open & Knowledge Equity Praxis across the Spanish Speaking World
This opening session will examine both the philosophical foundations and practical applications of Knowledge Equity across the Spanish‑speaking world, highlighting how open, inclusive and community‑centred approaches are being developed to address structural inequalities in access to knowledge.
Please note this session will be in Spanish.

Esta sesión inaugural examinará tanto los fundamentos filosóficos como las aplicaciones prácticas de la Equidad del Conocimiento en el mundo hispanohablante, destacando cómo se están desarrollando enfoques abiertos, inclusivos y centrados en la comunidad para abordar las desigualdades estructurales en el acceso al conocimiento. La sesión explorará cómo tecnologías emergentes, como la IA generativa, se intersectan con las prácticas de conocimiento equitativas; cómo la educación abierta puede apoyar a estudiantes de comunidades con menor acceso a oportunidades educativas y de contextos socioeconómicamente desfavorecidos mediante espacios de aprendizaje flexibles y adaptativos; y cómo los esfuerzos de inclusión digital, especialmente en la educación primaria, pueden ayudar a garantizar que niñas y niños tengan un acceso temprano y significativo a las herramientas y habilidades digitales necesarias para participar plenamente en los ecosistemas contemporáneos del conocimiento.

Contemplative pedagogy and practices in the classroom launch
2026-03-27 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Toronto) | Montreal, Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
In an increasingly fractured world, how can we cultivate deeper, more connected ways of learning? Contemplative practices and pedagogy (CP&P) offers a response by engaging the ‘whole person’ – mind, body, and spirit – in teaching and learning.
Join Concordia University’s Centre for Teaching and Learning to launch the new open educational resource (OER) on Contemplative practices and pedagogies in the classroom. This collection was co-created with our faculty interest group in 2025 with contributions from faculty, staff, students and guest speakers. Contributors documented testimonials, insights and practices that free to access and adapt for the Concordia community and beyond.
Agenda:

Opening remarks from Dr. Rosemary Reilly and Cristina Galofre Gomez, co-facilitators of the faculty interest group
Process of co-creating the open-access resource with faculty and preview of the contents with Josephine Guan
Framing this work as evidence of teaching excellence with Margo Echenberg, CTL, and Dr. Rachel Harris, Scholarly Publishing Librarian
Breakout discussions on focused topics led by the speakers:

Contemplative pedagogy in higher education led by Dr. Reilly
Hands-on dossier workshop with Margo and Dr. Harris

All Things Open 2026
2026-04-06 13:00 - 2026-04-09 16:00 (America/New_York)
Curious about open access, open data, or open educational resources? Join us virtually for Kennesaw State University Libraries’ fourth annual All Things Open Conference from April 6-9 as we celebrate all Open Movements, including…

Open access journals and publishing
Open data
Open educational resources
Open pedagogy and equitable teaching practices
Open repositories
Open science
Open-source software
Open licensing and fair use
Open “hidden gems”
And any other efforts to increase access and equity!

Sessions begin at 1PM ET each day and span undergraduate scholars in open access publishing, zines in open pedagogy, funding and licensing OER, and more!
Our keynote speaker Dr. Katherine Rose Adams is the Higher Education Leadership and Practice (HELP) Doctoral Program Coordinator at the University of North Georgia. She’s a teacher and mentor to graduate students and adult learners, and her research revolves around university-community partnerships and open educational resources.

Universal Design for Learning and Open Education: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion
2026-04-15 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Regina) | Regina, Canada, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Join the University of Regina, Centre for Teaching and Learning for our final 2025/2026 Open Education Speaker Series presentation “Universal Design for Learning and Open Education: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion” with Dr. Ann Gagné and Kosar Dakhilalian (Brock University)
📅Date: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
🕰️Time: 11:00am – 12:00pm
🗺️Time Zone: CST/Saskatchewan Time
📌Register at https://uregina.libcal.com/event/4004017 (This link will open in a new tab).
Abstract: This session will explore the three main principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines, to provide examples of how open education can foster engagement, give options for representation, and demonstrate learning. The speakers will provide examples of resources, tools, and assessments from their co-created OER on Accessible Adoption, to allow participants to reflect on how UDL can be an attainable and sustainable way to approach accessibility and inclusion in Open in their specific disciplinary contexts.
Dr. Ann Gagné (she/her) is Senior Educational Developer, Accessibility & Inclusion at Brock University. She has worked in higher education for over 22 years. Her work focuses on the need for accessible pedagogies through awareness of disabled lived experiences. She regularly facilitates workshops on accessible and inclusive pedagogy and trauma-informed UDL.
Kosar Dakhilalian is an Educational Developer, Open Educational Resources at Brock University since 2023. She facilitates workshops to respond to the OER needs of the instructors, offers consultations, and helps with design and creation of OER and interactive elements.

How Do Course Materials Impact Student Belonging? Insights from User Experience Research (CCCOER Webinar)
2026-04-15 12:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Concord, United States, Concord, MA, United States
Explore how course materials – especially OER – shape students’ sense of belonging through insights from a user-experience-informed research study with undergraduate learners. This CCCOER webinar highlights key questions faculty authors should ask themselves about course reading language, organization, and purpose, in order to further student belonging.
Attendees will take away practical strategies for editing OER with student needs in mind, along with research approaches that can be adapted across higher education settings, including community colleges. This session offers a concrete example of how thoughtful inquiry can guide the creation of more inclusive, engaging, and student-centered course materials.
Presenters:

Sarah Hare, MLIS, Open Educational Resources Librarian, University of California, Santa Cruz
Alexandra Marcaccio, MA, MLIS, Atlantic OERLead, The Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries/Conseil des bibliothèques postsecondaires de l’Atlantique (CAAL-CBPA)

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join us on April 15. This meeting will be recorded and the recording will be sent out to all registrants as well as posted on the event web site..
This webinar is produced in collaboration with CCCOER’s Research and Impact Committee.

ISKME OER Summit
2026-04-29 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Half Moon Bay, United States, Half Moon Bay, CA, United States
This free event will be hosted virtually on April 29 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm Pacific Time. Taking inspiration from resilient redwood forests, ISKME’s OER Summit will focus on how being deeply rooted and connected in our communities helps us to rise and thrive together. Stay up to date about this event on the OER Commons 2026 OER Summit Hub.
We’ll seek to develop connections, showcase best practices, and provide opportunities for OER leaders to learn from each other to advance their OER work. We’ll highlight our partners’ inspiring and impactful OER initiatives from around the world during the Summit’s Opening Session with National Geographic Society, and the OER Showcase Sessions featuring presentations from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, US Virgin Islands, and more.
This event is free for everyone, with a suggested donation of $25 to support ISKME’s continued work in developing OER communities, the OER Commons digital library, and free access to knowledge globally.
