Open Arkansas Conference

Join us on October 3, 2025, at North Arkansas College in Harrison, Arkansas, for a day of collaboration and innovation centered on Open Educational Resources (OER). This conference is designed for faculty, staff, and administrators from colleges and universities across the state who are passionate about expanding educational opportunities and fostering innovation in teaching and learning.

• Engaging keynote speaker (to be announced)

• Dynamic panel discussions featuring leaders in OER adoption

• Informative paper presentation and workshops

• Opportunities for networking and collaboration

We invite submissions for presentations, panel discussions, and workshops that explore the diverse opportunities and challenges of implementing OER. Share your insights, research, and success stories with colleagues from across Arkansas.

Potential Paper/Presentation Topics and Themes

Promoting Educational Access for Learners

• Expanding educational opportunities and fostering innovation in teaching and learning

• Addressing barriers for underrepresented and first-generation students

OER Advocacy, Adoption, and Community Building

• Strategies for advocacy, marketing, and building institutional/community buy-in

• Fostering student and faculty engagement with OER

Design, Creation, and Implementation of OER

• Effective instructional design and best practices for OER creation and adoption

• Sustainable models for developing and implementing OER programs

Impact and Assessment of OER Initiatives

• Evaluating the effectiveness of OER in promoting student success and retention

• Measuring the impact of OER on institutional goals and educational outcomes

Innovative Practices and Emerging Trends

• Open pedagogy and interdisciplinary applications in the humanities and sciences

• Crowdsourcing, collaboration, and the future of OER

• Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance OER creation, accessibility, and discovery

Policy, Licensing, and Ethical Considerations

• Navigating copyright, Creative Commons, and public policy issues

• Examining the philosophical, ethical, and political dimensions of OER

Sustainability and Institutional Integration

• Integrating OER into institutional strategies and funding models

• Addressing tenure, promotion, and institutional support for OER

The Broader Context of Open Education

• OER’s role in responding to global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic

• Exploring OER’s contributions to lifelong learning and global education access