Opened21: Which sessions will you attend?

Written by Lindsay Josephs, a member of the #OpenEd21 Communications Committee

The 2021 Open Education Conference (OpenEd) will be here in less than a week, which means that it’s time for you to start planning which sessions you’ll want to attend! This year, OpenEd will have over 200 live and pre-recorded presentations and workshops — learn a bit about each day below! 

As a recent college graduate who’s passionate about exploring how we can make open education resources even more accessible and diversity, equity, and inclusion in open education, I’m personally excited for the sessions that will allow for me to learn more about these topics. Since this year’s presentations and workshops cover a wide array of topics, there are sessions to meet everyone’s unique open education interests. Browse through the full schedule of events and build your own schedule that fits your own open education passions.

Monday, October 18

The first day of OpenEd 2021 will kick off with a plenary welcome session, followed by Orientation and the Monday plenary meeting. In the afternoon, OpenEd will have over three dozen pre-recorded and live presentations. Want to learn how we can reimagine open education leadership to center historically marginalized communities? What about how we can develop a robust faculty OER adoption program under challenging conditions? How can we create a professional development pathway for emerging OER champions? Monday’s wide range of passionate presenters will teach you all you need to know during Monday’s presentations. 

Monday will be a busy day, but don’t worry — there are plenty of “Tea Times” (a.k.a breaks) scattered throughout the day. You can end the first day of OpenEd 2021 by participating in a social hour with the other attendees.

Tuesday, October 19

By Tuesday, you’ll be settled into the ebb and flow of the OpenEd Conference. Depending on your time zone, you can start your day at 9:00am EDT by attending one of the conference’s many social activities — the Early Show. Want to sleep in? That’s fine, too – many of the the that begin at 9:30am EDT can be watched live or pre-recorded. Topics cover a multitude of topics, ranging from academic integrity in college classrooms to OER use in a variety of countries. Make sure to take a Tea Time break before heading to the Tuesday Plenary session at 1:00pm EDT, which will feature keynotes by Leslie Chan and Kathleen Fitzpatrick. Afterwards, feel free to take another break before heading off to the afternoon sessions. Instructors and other OER advocates are leading a variety of sessions. Some of the sessions I’m looking forward to include:

• Data for All: Experiences, Current Strategies, and The Future of Open Education Program Data

• Advancing and Sustaining OER Use in K-12 Education

• Celebrating Cultural Communities: Innovative Statewide Use of OER Through Collaborative Partnerships

At the end of this busy day, take a break by socializing and networking with other attendees at the Late Show and evening social activity.

Wednesday, October 20

Jumpstart your third day of the conference by attending the Early Show. Next, you can attend some of the morning sessions (like “OER, Self-Directed Learning and Assessment: educators' beliefs, practices and priorities in Africa”) before taking a mid-morning Tea Time break. OpenEd’s presenters are leading a variety of sessions before the midday Tea Time, too. I’m looking forward to learning more about accessibility and OER and am hoping to attend “What Could A Future OER, Inclusive And Accessible Science Lab Look Like?” and “Undergraduate Student Experience With A Campus-Wide Transition To Free Resources”.

In the afternoon, attend one of the many sessions, such as “Creating Connected Communities and Histories through Open Pedagogy and OER” or “How To Involve Your Students In The Creation Of Open Resources For Their Own Use”, before participating in the midday Tea Times and Wednesday Plenary session, which will feature a panel of student leaders. Afterwards, you can attend one of the many live or recorded sessions. Some of the sessions that stood out to me include:

• OER for Social Justice: Perceptions of OER Among Historically Underserved College Students

• How to Create Engaging Open Educational Resources without Sacrificing Accessibility

• Developing Small Business Case Studies to Serve a Minority-Serving College, Its Community and Beyond

End your day by engaging with other OER advocates at the Late Show and nighttime social activity.

Thursday, October 21

OpenEd 2021 is already halfway over — can you believe it? The conference is starting off the fourth day with an Early Show, the Thursday Plenary featuring a keynote by Reggie Raju, and a short Tea Time. Attend one or more of the midday sessions, including “Resiliency and Your OER Initiative: An Open Discussion About Challenges and Progress” and “Providing Sustainable Open Educational Resource Material for Organic Chemistry Students”. Throughout the rest of the afternoon, hear from passionate OER advocates about other important OER topics. Some of the afternoon presentations I’m interested in attending include:

• Utilizing OER in Conjunction with Universal Design Principles to Support Students with Disabilities

• Empowering Student Leadership in Open Education

• A Plate for Every Student: A Buffet Style Approach to Course Development Using OER

• OpenGLAM for OER: Digital Cultural Literacy & Engagement, from K-12 to Higher Ed & Beyond

• ...and more!

Throughout the afternoon, OpenEd will also be hosting Tea Breaks for participants to meet with other attendees and take a quick break from the engaging sessions. Finish off the second-to-last day by attending the evening Late Show and Social Activity. 

Friday, October 22

Don’t be sad because it’s over, smile because it happened! Friday is the last day of OpenEd 2021, but the conference certainly isn’t slowing down! Start off your day by attending the last Early Show and attending one of today’s presentations, like:

• Collaborative Open Textbook Development Through Student Engagement: An Innovative Approach to OER

• Exchanging Knowledge Across Borders: Open Education Around the World

• Using OER in the Composition Classroom to Empower First-Generation Students

Finish your time at OpenEd 2021 by attending one of the two Tea Times and the Friday Plenary, which will focus on the future of the OpenEd Conference.

There you have it — an overview of the OpenEd 2021 schedule! OpenEd is excited to welcome you virtually — see you soon!