Open Education Conference, OER26

Open education has always been both a practice and a proposition. It is grounded in commitments to access, equity, collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge as a public good. Over decades, these commitments have taken institutional form through open educational resources, open practices, open pedagogy, open research, open access publishing, and global networks of collaboration. Openness has shaped learning systems, expanded participation, and redefined what education can be.

OER26 invites delegates to reimagine and re-theorise openness while recognising the enduring ethos that has sustained the movement from its earliest days.

Hosted by the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University (UK), widely recognised as one of the foundational institutions in the modern open education movement, this event offers a distinctive space for reflection and renewal. Established in 1969 with a radical commitment to widening participation and removing barriers to higher education, The Open University has long embodied the principle that education should be open to people, places, methods, and ideas. Its history reminds us that openness represents and constitutes an ongoing, transformative ethical and social commitment. Bringing the conference to this setting underscores both continuity and change: continuity in the enduring values of openness, and change in the technological, political, and institutional environments in which those values are enacted. 

OER26 will foster dialogue across disciplines and regions, welcoming diverse interpretations of what openness means and what it might become. Our call for proposals welcomes contributions that explore how the ethos of openness is sustained, challenged, institutionalised, or transformed in the current moment.
 

Co-Chairs 

Dr Rob Farrow and Dr Beck Pitt, from the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, serve as co‑directors of the Global OER Graduate Network (GO‑GN). Their longstanding commitment to open education research, community building, and global collaboration brings a distinctive perspective to this year’s conference, ensuring a programme that is both inclusive and forward‑looking.

Programme

The OER26 programme is now live. This year’s event is shaping up to be one of the most inspiring gatherings in open education. Taking place 22–23 June 2026 at The Open University in Milton Keynes. This year’s event brings together a global community to explore the programme theme,  “Openness Reimagined: Continuity, Change and Shared Vision”.

This year’s programme includes contributions across six thematic clusters:

• Openness as a project of social transformation
• Reimagining openness: theory, technology, and futures
• Openness as justice
• Open practices and pedagogical innovation
• Openness as care
• Open Minds (Wild Card)

Across the two days, participants will find a rich mix of workshops, research papers, practice sessions, panels, lightning talks, and experimental formats, offering multiple ways to learn, share, and connect.

Keynote Speakers

This year’s keynote speakers are two leading voices in open and digital education:

• Prof. Eileen Scanlon will examine how openness continues to shape educational innovation and how it can empower learners, educators, and researchers alike.
• Prof. Dr. Olaf Zawacki‐Richter will explore OER, sustainability, and the role of AI in open, distance, and digital education

Programme Highlights

Alongside the main sessions, we are also planning a series of activities that celebrate the past, present, and future of openness.

• Celebrating 20 years of OpenLearn
• Pre and post conference visits to the National Museum of Computing and Bletchley Park  – register an interest here
• A guided tour of the cutting edge XR Studios
• Panels exploring the history and development of OER and openness
• A celebration marking 30 years of the Journal of Interactive Media in Education
• Research funding workshops to support new and emerging open education projects

Register for OER26

Ready to join us at OER26? Secure your spot today and be part of a vibrant, community-driven event that reimagines openness for the future.

Explore the full programme and register now through the OER26 registration page.

Register