Five Reasons to be Excited that #OpenEd21 is Virtual
By Katie Pierce, Scholarly Communication & OER Librarian at Dick Smith Library - Tarleton State University. Katie is also a member of the #OpenEd21 Communications Committee.
While we all miss the days of welcoming smiles, hearty handshakes, and unexpectedly bumping into friends and colleagues at an in-person conference, there are plenty of reasons to be excited that the 2021 Open Education Conference will be virtual.
Openness is about affordability and accessibility, two things which can’t be beat with an online conference. Last year presenters, attendees, faculty, students, researchers, librarians, and everyone in between logged on across the globe to participate in the conference. The 2021 Open Education Conference hopes to capture that connectivity again by staying virtual and affordable for everyone. So while in-person may have benefits, online conferences have perks too. Here are my top five favorite things about attending a conference online.
RECORDINGS
With so many amazing speakers and topics, I couldn’t possibly fit them all in. The born digital recordings from virtual conferences are easy to rewatch or review when I have more time. There’s no shaky camera, no static background noise, plus most of the recordings have captions, making it easier to follow along. Conferences can provide an overwhelming amount of information. This way I can review the important highlights at a click of a button. The more than 200 recordings from #OpenEd20 are a great example.
COST
Like most institutions, budgets have been cut, travel is restricted, and vying for professional development funds can be competitive at the best of times. Without the overhead of lodging, presentation rooms, and equipment setup, virtual conferences can offer significantly lower registration costs. The Open Education Conference will keep this year’s registration fee affordable and offer scholarships and discounts to help anyone who is interested attend. It’s much easier to make a case to attend something online than convince the budgeting office to spring for airfare and hotel.
AFTER HOURS
Who didn’t love that #OpenEd20 offered Taco Tuesday? Unless someone wants to get creative with a hot plate, there's no spontaneous taco cook off at an in person conference. Being virtual means unlimited possibilities for fun after hours activities all from the comfort of home. While I wasn’t adventurous enough to try Dungeons and Dragons during #OpenEd20, I did practice yoga on breaks. And if I fell over during one of the poses, no one but my cat was there to witness it.
INTERNATIONAL
The Open Education Conference wants to bring all interested stakeholders to the table. That includes students, faculty and remote learners from all walks of life. From the northernmost reaches of Canada, across the US and Europe, from museums in Qatar to universities in Zimbabwe, all the way to Brazil and the Pacific islands, the 2020 conference featured amazing stories of OER and how its transforming global education. Between time zones and travel restrictions, gathering such an inspiring group of speakers couldn’t have happened in person. The more open education practices can be shared with everyone, the more it will continue to grow and blossom.
PERSONALIZED SNACKING
One of the memorable parts of last year’s conference was #TheGreatCheetosDebate that erupted during an opening session, then continued throughout the week. Whether you prefer your Cheetos puffy, crunchy, or flamin’ hot, with an online conference, not only can you eat your snacks in peace, you can have as many variations and flavors as you desire. Judgement free.
So, start stocking up on your favorite Cheeto flavor (or other favorite snack) and get ready for another amazing conference October 18-22nd! With no hands to shake or papers to pass around, you don’t even have to worry about those pesky Cheeto fingers afterwards.