{"id":2884,"date":"2026-11-09T17:29:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T17:29:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=2884"},"modified":"2026-11-09T17:29:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T17:29:48","slug":"oer26-taking-forward-an-agenda-of-radical-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/learning-design\/?p=2884","title":{"rendered":"OER26: Taking forward an agenda of radical hope"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paul Astles, and Catriona Matthews ~ Learning Designers, and Kathleen Calder ~ Senior Learning Designer<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It was a very hot few days in June as we arrived on The Open University campus for OER26, the Open Educational Resources conference. Despite the soaring temperatures, there was a real sense of excitement and energy as colleagues from across the open education community came together for two inspiring days of discussion, learning and collaboration.<\/p>\n

Paul and Catriona had the opportunity to present the Words of Wisdom sustainability compendium<\/a> (if you haven\u2019t heard about this work take a minute to check out the article<\/a> \u00a0we wrote about it!) and Kathleen attended as a part-time doctoral research student. Together, we wanted to share some of our reflections and key takeaways from the conference.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The opening of the OER26 conference in the Berrill lecture theatre on The Open University campus in Milton Keynes. [click to open photo in new tab.]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h1>\n

In praise of watermelon and the Open Ed community<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Before we do that, however, we would like to take a moment to acknowledge one of the unsung heroes of OER26. The humble watermelon. With fresh fruit and cold drinks available throughout the event, the organisers ensured everyone had plenty of opportunities to stay refreshed and focused despite the heat. It may seem like a small detail, but these thoughtful touches helped create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere that made it even easier to connect, share ideas and build relationships with colleagues from around the world.<\/p>\n

One of the most rewarding aspects of attending OER26 was the chance to reconnect with the wider open education community and to reflect on how our own thinking and practice have developed over time. It also prompted us to look back at our experience of presenting at OER23, which we captured in a reflective blog post<\/a> at the time. If you have not yet read that article, we would encourage you to look before diving into our reflections from OER26 and the ideas that have stayed with us since the conference.<\/p>\n

Kathleen\u2019s reflections<\/h1>\n

GenAI is a disrupter to established open educational practice, but it is just one of many disruptions faced by the sector. The challenge is to ensure it is used in a transparent way and not let it crowd out other activities (Beetham and MacNeill, 2026).<\/p>\n

My research is into digital sustainability of online learning and this was an opportunity to find out more about the work of the Global OER Graduate Network<\/a>. The enthusiasm and passion for open education revealed essential debates about the role of OERs, frameworks for openness, and human-led action.<\/p>\n

The impact on the public sector of the rapid uptake of GenAI raises the question of transparency and the role of creative commons. There is a risk of homogenisation that could then impact on the reputation of open source (MacNeil, Smyth and Johnston, 2026). OERs also have a vital role in empowering and progressing sustainability through impact and action, developing \u2018futures literacy\u2019 and \u2018radical hope\u2019 (Perryman, 2026).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Leigh-Anne<\/a>
Leigh-Anne Perryman presents ‘Bold and brave pedagogies for climate action: supporting educators through open, creative, cross-disciplinary practice’ at the OER26 conference. [click to open photo in new tab.]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Frameworks help us to manage technological transformation, and both critical literacy and AI frameworks apply to OERs. However, the field is changing and there is not \u2018one framework to rule them all\u2019 (Cross et al, 2026). Frameworks were shared that inform curriculum design for blended learning alongside student voice (MacNeill, McDonald and Harris 2026), reminding us that educators don\u2019t work in isolation. By encouraging staff and students to work together in partnership to create things for others to use, this highlights the \u2018democratic-ness\u2019 of OERs (MacNeil, Smyth and Johnston, 2026).<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/a>
Will Cross presents ‘EdTech, Open Values: Preparing Open Educators for AI, and the Next Big Thing’ at the OER26 conference. [click to open photo in new tab.]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The need for \u2018responsible openness\u2019 (Rivera-Barrera et al., 2026) reminded us of the importance of human-led action and the role of agency. An OER framework should be human-centred and explicit about the extractive nature of AI-generated artifacts, and that perhaps a true OER is one that is human-created (MacNeil, Smyth and Johnston, 2026).<\/p>\n

Recognition of the transformation happening in this fast-moving area brings challenges, but there is inspiring work actively underway to keep OERs open and transparent, and a growing desire to embed them further to support sustainable practice.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Catriona\u2019s reflections<\/strong><\/h1>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>The keynote on the second day of the conference by Prof. Dr. Olaf Zawacki-Richter shone a light on a tendency to see the creation and dissemination of an Open Educational Resource (OER) as an end point. His talk encouraged us to think about \u2018ethics of care\u2019 and how providing access to resources without adequate support undermines the equitable capacities and goals of OERs in the first place. Other conference talks supported Zawacki-Richter\u2019s call to action and demonstrated the challenges and benefits of not only bringing OERs and educational opportunities into spaces, such as refugee camps, which historically would have little to no access to or structural educational support but also navigating cultural, linguistic, geographical and technological barriers to ensure they could be impactfully used.<\/p>\n

This caused me to reflect on our work in learning design and how we might continue to work to remove barriers not just to the access of the many fantastic resources that we create but also help others understand how to use and apply them to their own practice. With replicability and application being a key focus of our Words of Wisdom resource these talks were both an inspiration to go further as well as a reassurance of the importance of our vision for the compendium.<\/p>\n

\"Paul<\/a>
Paul and Catriona stand outside Walton Hall on The Open University campus in Milton Keynes. [click to open photo in new tab.]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/h1>\n

Paul\u2019s reflections<\/strong><\/h1>\n

It was an absolute privilege to share our Words of Wisdom project at OER26<\/a>. The experience really reinforced for me just how powerful Open Educational Resources can be in driving sustainability conversations and creating meaningful change. It also highlighted the huge value of our work in amplifying student voices and ensuring their perspectives are at the heart of these discussions.<\/p>\n

Our presentation was received incredibly positively, and it was inspiring to hear so many thoughtful questions about how students and staff could adapt and apply this work within their own contexts. Seeing that level of interest and engagement was a real highlight.<\/p>\n

My biggest takeaway from the conference was the message of radical hope. It was an energising reminder that hope is not something we should shy away from, but something we should actively champion. It has prompted me to think deeply about how I can embed hope and positivity into the work I do every day and, in turn, inspire and empower others to do the same.<\/p>\n

Another standout experience was taking part in the Climate Fresk<\/a> game. It was a fascinating and engaging way to explore sustainability challenges through the perspectives of different stakeholders, leading to some rich and thought-provoking discussions. It showed the importance of understanding diverse viewpoints and working collaboratively to find solutions. I can see real potential for using this approach in our own work to help others develop a broader understanding of sustainability issues and build confidence in navigating different perspectives.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Share with us!<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Maybe radical hope starts with something simple, sharing what we’ve learned and helping others do the same. If there’s an OER you’ve created, reused, or recommended, we’d love to hear about it. If you’ve found ways to help colleagues cut through information overload and make better use of open resources, please share those too.<\/p>\n

After all, openness is less about what we produce and more about what we make possible together.<\/p>\n

\n

If you\u2019d like to talk with the Learning Design team at The Open University about any design-related support you\u2019d find useful for your organisation or department, you can contact us at:\u00a0 LDS-LearningDesign@open.ac.uk<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n
\n

References:<\/h1>\n

Cross W., Muller, L., Barnes, C., Tully D. (2026) \u2018EdTech, Open Values: Preparing Open Educators for AI, and the Next Big Thing\u2019 [Symposia]. Open Education Conference 2026<\/em>, The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

MacNeill, S., Smyth, K., Johnston, B. (2026) \u2018Circles of Open: a critical and collaborative approach to balancing the extractive nature of gen AI through open educational practice\u2019 [Workshop]. Open Education Conference 2026,<\/em> The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

MacNeill, S., McDonald, S., Harris, J. (2026) \u2018Beyond Blended: embedding open educational practice and resources into curriculum and learning design\u2019 [Workshop]. Open Education Conference 2026<\/em>, The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

Rivera-Barrera, J.P., Parra S\u00e1nchez, F. A., Sarmiento-Maldonado, H. O., Camacho Sanabria, C. A. (2026) \u2018GitHub as Sociotechnical Infrastructure for Responsible Openness: Practices and Tensions in Open Education\u2019 [Workshop]. Open Education Conference 2026<\/em>, The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

Beetham, H. and MacNeill, S. (2026) \u2018Open resources for thinking \u2018beyond blended\u2019 in curriculum design\u2019 [Research paper presentation]. Open Education Conference 2026<\/em>, The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

Perryman, L.-A. (2026) \u2018Bold and brave pedagogies for climate action: supporting educators through open, creative, cross-disciplinary practice\u2019 [Research paper presentation]. Open Education Conference 2026<\/em>, The Open University, Milton Keynes. 22-23 June.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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