5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Virtual Events: A Guide for State & Regional Leaders
By Spencer Ellis, Director of Educational Innovation, Colorado Department of Higher Education & MJ Bishop, Associate Vice Chancellor and Director, William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation, University System of Maryland
Virtual conferencing for education professionals has run the full spectrum throughout the course of the last year: from emerging, widespread practice to refined, holistic, and engaging personal/professional experience. The Open Education Conference (OpenEd) offers a variety of sessions, presenters, platforms and opportunities for building knowledge and community through practice and exploration.
With the 2021 OpenEd call for proposals deadline approaching on June 21st and registration now open, we thought it would be useful to brainstorm and share ideas for state and regional leaders looking to make the most of OpenEd as an opportunity to engage and enhance their communities through virtual conferencing. Below is our summarized collection of suggestions from regional and state leaders who supported group attendance at OpenEd last year.
Hosting Pre/Post Event Connections: As state and regional leaders, we are often central hubs for communication, connection and convening. To build regional alignment and networks, leaders can use the conference as an opportunity to advance collaboration on local goals and needs. This could be in the form of an additional virtual meetup or informal connection event (like some Tweetups organized last year) to discuss the conference content, or a more formal meeting to allow for alignment as your region works together to make meaningful progress toward your open education and OER goals. Hosting this type of side event can help group leaders build community among their stakeholders, while sharing a common professional development experience.
Encourage Proposals, Volunteers, and Newcomers: The core of any conference is its participants, contributors, and creators who establish the content and set the tone for meaningful professional and community focused events. This is true for OpenEd, and the conference offers opportunities for community members to be involved at every stage: planning, volunteering, submitting proposals, and serving on various subcommittees. Encouraging this participation from your groups, including newcomers and students, will enable further engagement, and often leads to growth of networks and opportunities for collaboration, especially for those who may be new to the field of open education.
Consider Securing Prepaid Registration Codes: Conferences cost money, but leaders can leverage their resources to provide central support for individuals who may not have financial access to attending worthwhile professional development events. Last year, several groups offered pre-paid registration codes for members of their states, regions, and/or communities to boost engagement and reduce barriers to participation. By establishing central support for this conference, group leaders can also leverage OpenEd to springboard current and future priorities to make meaningful impact at scale. The registration rate is US $75 and $25 for students, and registration codes can be purchased for groups of 20 or more by emailing contact@openeducationconference.org.
Engage Students as Partners: Not only does OpenEd offer professional development opportunities for students, but their presence will help all attendees from your state or region to stay centered in their work and engagement during the event. Last year, attendees embraced and encouraged student perspectives, voices, and participation at all levels, and this year’s conference seeks to engage students even more broadly. Group leaders can enrich their own networks by encouraging or sponsoring student participation in OpenEd this year, which will be mutually beneficial for everyone attending the conference.
Listen, Engage, and Accelerate: The theme of this year’s OpenEd conference is Making Open for All. This theme strikes a chord for educators who are constantly in pursuit of equity and access, two pillars of the open education and OER movement. With dozens of session types, topics, and modalities for connecting at the conference, OpenEd attendees can engage in the conference to accelerate and enhance the work they are doing locally within their communities. Group leaders can encourage this intentional impact and growth through the conference by also using the conference as a time to actively listen, learn, engage and chart their work for meaningful impact in their state or region.
The OpenEd community is certainly growing—in size, scope, and momentum. This year’s conference will continue to foster opportunities for individuals, groups and regions alike, as the field expands. Make sure to save the date for #OpenEd21 (October 18-22), sign up for emails to make sure you don’t miss a beat, and join us at one of our monthly community meetings to be part of the planning process.
