2021 Conference Archive
The Open Education Conference is an annual convening for sharing and learning about open educational resources, open pedagogy, and open education initiatives. The 2021 Open Education Conference was held on October 18-22 as a virtual event, drawing more than 1,800 participants from 60 countries and all 50 U.S. states.
2021 News
Featured Speakers
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Leslie Chan
Leslie Chan is Associate Professor in the Department of Global Development Studies at the University of Toronto Scarborough and the director of the Knowledge Equity Lab. Leslie’s teaching and professional interests centre on the geopolitics of knowledge production and circulation, with a focus on how networking technologies are enabling new forms of open collaborations, critical pedagogical practices, while also amplifying and reproducing embedded power relations and inequality in the academy and beyond.
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Kathleen Fitzpatrick
Kathleen Fitzpatrick is Director of Digital Humanities and Professor of English at Michigan State University. Fitzpatrick is author of Generous Thinking: A Radical Approach to Saving the University. At MSU, Fitzpatrick directs a research and development unit, MESH, which focuses on building open infrastructure for the future of scholarly communication. She is also project director of Humanities Commons, an open-access, open-source network serving 28,000 scholars and practitioners across the humanities and around the world.
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Mays Imad
Mays Imad received her undergraduate training in Philosophy from the University of Michigan and her graduate training in Cellular & Clinical Neurobiology from Wayne State University-School of Medicine. After completing her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Arizona, she joined the faculty at Pima Community College, where she later founded their Teaching & Learning Center. Mays's research focuses on stress, self-awareness, advocacy, and classroom community, and how these relate to cognition, metacognition, and, ultimately, student learning.
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Reggie Raju
Reggie Raju is the Director of Research & Learning at the University of Cape Town Libraries. He has been in academic libraries for more than 30 years and holds a Ph.D. in Information Studies. His research focus is on research librarianship with an emphasis on open access and library publishing. He is currently a member of the Academic and Research Libraries Standing Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Reggie is currently the Chair of SPARC Africa and is driving the social justice agenda of open access for Africa.
Theme
The theme of the 2021 Open Education Conference is “Making Open for All.” This theme puts action for equity and inclusion at the center of this year’s event, building on last year’s focus on reimagining open education as a solution to urgent challenges.
The idea of “all” has always been at the heart of open education. Openness is about enabling everyone, everywhere to participate in sharing knowledge, recognizing that education is a universal human right. There are many ways that open education has succeeded at breaking down barriers and expanding participation, yet there is much work ahead to reach the ideal of all.
“Making Open for All” is not a destination. It is a process that involves ongoing, intentional action to build resources, practices, and systems that are open for all people, languages, cultures, and contexts. It also involves understanding the limits to openness, such as its intersections with privacy and Indigenous knowledge. This year’s conference seeks to inspire the open education field to work together toward a more equitable and inclusive future.
TOPICS
Open Education 101: The Basics and How to Get Started
The Meaning of “All”: Examinations of Equity, Anti-Racism, Indigenization, Decolonization, and Social Justice
Ethical Education: Issues of Agency, Labor, Privacy, and Consent
Designing for Inclusion and Accessibility: How to Build and Create for All
Exchanging Knowledge Across Borders: Open Education Around the World
Teaching and Learning Through Open: Open Pedagogy and Practices
Open Education in K-12: Approaches in Primary and Secondary Education
Understanding Open: Sharing Case Studies and Contributing to the Body of Literature
Building and Sustaining a Culture of Open: Strategies, Policies, Best Practices, and Advocacy
The Joy of Open: Celebrating Community, Care, and Collaboration
Session Types
Lightning Talk
Pre-Recorded Video With Live Viewing • 10 min
Lightning talks are short pre-recorded videos that were a popular part of last year’s program. Lightning talks will be available for on-demand viewing throughout the conference and each will also be streamed live at a specific time with simultaneous chat.
25 MIN Presentation
Pre-Recorded Video With Live Viewing • 25 min
Pre-recorded 25-minute presentations are created and submitted in advance. The presentation video will be published for on-demand viewing throughout the conference and will also be streamed live at a specific time. Presenters can join via simultaneous chat to answer questions during and after the video.
40 min Presentation
Live Session (Will Be Recorded) • 40 min
Live presentations are 40 minutes and delivered during the conference with a live audience. Proposals should address how the session will engage participants, and least 5 of the 40 minutes should be reserved for questions. A maximum of 4 presenters is recommended.
Discussion
Live Session (Not Recorded) • 40 min
Discussion sessions provide space to engage participants in an exchange of ideas or experiences during the conference. Up to 10 minutes may be used to frame the session, and the remaining time should be interactive. Proposals should address how the session will be facilitated.
Panel
Live Session (Will Be Recorded) • 55 min
Panels engage multiple speakers in a discussion about a common theme. Panel topics should be broader than presentations, and each panelist should offer a unique perspective. At least 10 of the 55 minutes should be reserved for audience questions. A maximum of 4-6 panelists is recommended.
Open Space
Live Session (Recording Varies) • 55 min
The Open Space format is an opportunity to propose activities or session types that do not fit within the categories above. Proposals should clearly specify a vision for the session, including the proposed length (10, 25, 40 or 55 min) and a plan for facilitation.
2021 supporters
2021 Organizing Partners
