49th Computers and Learning Research Group Annual (Online)
Conference: Call for Papers
** Submission deadline Thursday 9 April 2026**
We invite submissions for the 49th annual conference of the Computers and Learning Research Group (CALRG), to be held during the week of 8 June 2026. The conference will be held online, is open to all and free of charge.
CALRG is based in the Institute of Educational Technology (IET), The Open University (UK) and is one of the UK‘s leading research groups on the use of technology in education. CALRG’s annual
conference provides a forum for researchers and practitioners in the field, whether they are regulars or new to the group, to present their work. We particularly encourage research students to submit proposals for the doctoral consortium and participate in the conference.We invite proposals for our 2026 conference on a broad range of topics, including:
• AI, learning analytics and design
• Immersive, inclusive and embodied learning
• Open education, research and practices
• Digital education for sustainability
• Digital participation, social justice and equitable learning
• Digital wellbeing, health and learning
• Future of work and professional development
• Hybrid learning
• Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL)
• Mobile learning
• Effective designing for learning and learner experiences
• Citizen science and public engagement
• Game-based learning
• Professional learning
• Widening access and participation in education with technology
• Awareness and reflection in technology-enhanced learning and teaching
• Digital education and global challenges, such as the climate emergency and forced migration.
Submission Types
Type 1: Full presentation
Full presentations are designed for work that is mature or in the final stages of analysis. To help showcase IET’s current work, we anticipate that all academic research projects will submit a proposal, where possible. We also welcome submissions from projects in openTEL, the wider university and beyond. Full presentations will be allocated approx. 25-30 minutes, including 10 minutes for questions and discussion. Abstracts should be 250-300 words.
Type 2: Doctoral consortium
The CALRG conference’s doctoral consortium provides a supportive environment for PhD and EdD candidates to showcase their work. Doctoral consortium sessions are allocated 30 minutes total. Presenters can decide how best to use the time and the ratio of feedback to presentation. Abstracts should be 250-300 words.
Type 3: Innovative / Wildcard
If you have a session idea that doesn’t fit into the full presentation or doctoral consortium format, we welcome your proposal and suggested time allocation! Abstracts should be 250-300 words.
Submission Guidance
Accepted abstracts for all submission types will be made available online.
With the presenter’s permission, we will record conference sessions and release edited versions on IET’s YouTube channel. You can review available 2023 conference sessions here.
The deadline for abstract submissions is Thursday 9 April 2026.
Please submit your abstract via this form: 49th Computers and Learning Research Group Annual (Online) Conference Submission Form.
Queries should be sent to: [email protected]
Following review, we will be in touch during w/c 27 April 2026 regarding the outcome of your
submission.
Contacts and further information
Conference inquiries: [email protected]
Find us on X/Twitter
Conference hashtag: #CALRG2026
More on CALRG and our forthcoming events: https://www.open.ac.uk/blogs/CALRG/
The CALRG Conference 2026 organising team is: Hannah Clarkson, Michelle Peralta, Fereshte
Goshtasbpour, Beck Pitt, Tim Coughlan, Thomas Ullmann.