By Judith Sebesta, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex)
On March 11-12, 2021, my organization, the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), along with co-organizers Texas Digital Library (TDL) and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), held Open Texas 2021. The University of Houston-Downtown, Houston Community College, and the Houston Area OER Group served as co-hosts. Convened virtually via the conference platform OpenWater, the event attracted over 1,100 registrants from Texas and other states, and 70+ speakers contributed to a dynamic event of plenary, concurrent, and networking sessions over the two days.
Day One: Why Open Education Matters Even More
After an initial networking session filled with anticipation, Open Texas 2021 began with a land acknowledgment by DigiTex Associate Director (and member of the Karuk Tribe) Ursula Pike, recognizing the various tribes that were the original stewards of the state and region and continue to contribute to the area’s stories. Then, welcomes from leadership at host organization the University of Houston-Downtown, emphasized the power of open education to enable student success, setting the tone for the day, as did, a few hours later, the conference keynote address.
In “Why Open Education Matters Even More,” Dr. DeRionne Pollard, President of Montgomery College, the largest community college in Maryland, gave a rousing and passionate call to action for OER to support diverse, underserved students and turn higher education “inside out”.
That first day, sixteen concurrent sessions showcased work both within and outside the state, including such topics as:
- #GoOpenHumanities: Building Bridges between Scholarship and Teaching with OER
- One Engineering Professor’s Evolution into an OER Advocate
- Lights, Camera, Action – Creating Engagement with OER Materials
- Open Pedagogy: Moving from OER for Students to OER with Students
The day ended with a series of lightning talks highlighting such efforts as clinical case studies as OER, the consultation process with faculty from one community college librarian’s perspective, and one instructor’s journey with OER (below).
Day Two: The State of OER in Texas
Day two began with three topical networking breakout sessions: OER beginners, a “show and tell” of resources about which attendees were excited, and troubleshooting OER challenges. Morning concurrent sessions included a workshop that echoed Dr. Pollard’s emphasis on equity: “Making Our Classrooms and Institutions More Open and Equitable,” led by Ursula Pike, Dr. Tonja Conerly of San Jacinto Community College, and CCCOER’s own Director, Una Daly. During the lunchtime plenary, the conference co-organizers — DigiTex, TDL, and the THECB — discussed the state of OER in Texas (video below) and presented on statewide OER initiatives, such as grant programs; professional development opportunities; the state OER repository, OERTX; and the biannual OER survey and landscape analysis (see the session handout for more information on these initiatives and others).
After the plenary, in additional concurrent sessions, OER practitioners shared exciting initiatives and best practices across the state. Finally, an eye-opening, honest, and inspiring panel of Houston-area postsecondary students and alums (below), moderated by Dr. Nathan Smith of co-host Houston Community College, concluded the second day. They shared stories of how they became advocates for OER and how open education has helped support their own success, reminding all attendees why we advocate for Open.
Resources
Presentation materials will be available here and session recordings uploaded to the conference playlist on the TDL YouTube channel. Planning for Open Texas 2022 will soon be underway, so stay tuned! The Lone Star State is “Open for Education,” y’all!