Sharing Your Expertise: Call for Lightning Talks for Open Education Week 2026

Ignite the Open Movement in 5 Minutes

If you’ve already integrated Open Educational Resources (OER) into your curriculum or navigated the complexities of open licensing, you know the impact these tools have on student success. Your practical experience is an invaluable asset to our campus. We are officially inviting you to share your insights and project successes by presenting a Lightning Talk to our community. This event is a collaboration between eLearning and Ottenheimer Library.

What is Open Education Week?

Open Education Week is a global celebration of the movement to make learning more accessible and affordable. At its core, Open Education involves using resources that are free to access and carry “open” licenses, allowing others to legally reuse, adapt, and share them. It is a dedicated week for creators, librarians, and student champions to showcase how these materials—from textbooks to full-degree pathways—are evolving the way we teach and learn today. 

Why Present to Our Campus?

Sharing your work with colleagues and students right here at home is a powerful way to influence our local academic culture and spark institutional change.

• Earn Professional Credit: All presenters will receive 10 ATLE points in recognition of their contribution to campus professional development.
• Foster Campus Collaboration: Connect with fellow faculty and staff facing similar challenges, opening the door for cross-departmental projects.
• Demonstrate Impact: Show the campus community how open practices are directly improving engagement and affordability in your courses.
• Strengthen Your Portfolio: These presentations are a fantastic way to document your service for internal reviews and tenure files.

Fast-Paced & Focused: The Lightning Talk

We are exclusively seeking Lightning Talks for this event. This format is perfect for delivering a punchy, concentrated burst of information without the stress of a long-form lecture:

• Date & Time: Thursday, March 12, from 10:30–11:30 a.m.
• Location: Room 100A and online.
• Time Limit: 5 minutes (solo or collaborative).
• Visuals: Up to 20 slides.
• The Goal: Focus on one clear takeaway—whether it’s a specific resource, a creative teaching strategy, or a quick “lesson learned” that your peers can use immediately.

These talks will serve as the culmination of our campus OE Week celebrations, providing a high-energy finale to our week of learning.

Topic Ideas

Interested in presenting but need some topic ideas? Check out the OE Week handbook (specifically the “What to talk about and how” tab) linked here for some inspiration.

Submit Your Proposal

The strength of the open movement lies in our collective knowledge. You are already doing the work—now we invite you to lead the conversation here on campus.

Submit your proposal through this link: [OE Week 2026 Call for Proposals ] Submissions close February 27, 2026.