David Wiley, Chief Academic Officer and Co-founder, Lumen Learning. Associate Professor, Marketing, MIS, and Entrepreneurship, Academic Affairs Fellow, Marshall University

The affordances of generative AI provide educators and others with the opportunity to reimagine how we improve access to educational opportunity for everyone, everywhere. Although the open education movement has been focused on improving access to education for decades, it has largely ignored the transformative possibilities of generative AI so far - choosing instead to pigeonhole generative AI into the role of “help us author OER faster and cheaper.” This presentation explores lessons learned by the open education movement as it dramatically increased access to educational opportunity over the last 27 years, and suggests ways we can use generative AI to begin creating an additional, equally dramatic increase in access to educational opportunity today.

Spencer Kahler, The Rebus Foundation

Join the creators of The Rebus Foundation’s Supplemental Materials Development Certificate for a hands-on, imaginative session to discover how supplemental materials, such as authentic assessments, interactive self-checks, and in-class activities, while seemingly modest in scope, have enormous potential to electrify your instruction with a jolt of creative energy.

Delmar Larsen, UC Davis

David Wiley, Lumen Learning and Marshall University, 

Michelle Pilati, ASCCC OERI 

Curt Newton, MIT OpenCourseWare

Jeff Gallant, GALILEO

 Lucy Harrison, GALILEO 

Creating sustainable OER programs requires more than just initial funding—it requires identifying and implementing adaptable, real-world solutions. What works in one context might fail in another, and there’s no universal model for success. In this panel, five OER leaders from various organizations will share their firsthand experiences in developing sustainable funding strategies for their programs. We will explore tangible approaches to ensuring project longevity once the initial funding runs out. Discussions will include strategies like leveraging multiple funding sources, advocating for policy change, reallocating textbook budgets, and generating institutional revenue to support OER initiatives. Join us for an honest look at the challenges—and successes—of making OER truly sustainable in the long term.

Lindsay Josephs, OpenStax, Rice University

Natalie Allen, Ph.D., Rice University

OER are uniquely positioned to help students build essential workforce skills. We’ll explore how OpenStax’s free, openly licensed Nursing, Workplace Software and Skills, and Python Programming textbooks support skill development and career readiness through hands-on activities, real-world examples, and expert-written content aligned with the evolving demands of today’s job market.

Alexander Karan, Chabot College

A demonstration of three data dashboards uncovering which sections can be converted using OER, students enrolling in courses that use OER, and how success rates compare OER to non-OER sections and students. Data can be used to determine future funding and sustainability of OER across California higher education.

Charity Davenport, Pellissippi State Community College

As many are aware, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) now has requirements that all institutions ensure all instructional and informational materials are WCAG 2.1 AA compliant, meaning they are digitally accessible. Unfortunately, this means a lot of OER materials, including H5Ps, need to be remediated. In addition, many H5P activities have accessibility issues, requiring an alternate activity. This session will focus on how to create H5P activities accessibly, using the SCULPT model which is helpful for accessibility beginners. We will also look at the accessibility of different H5P activities based on LibreTexts’ testing. We will discuss how to use Word documents to create a more accessible backup version of H5P activities. Finally, we will explore accessibility statements and why they are essential to have so that OER adopters can be confident that they are adopting accessible course materials considering the new Title II ADA requirements.

Mandy Concoff Kronbeck, East Los Angeles College

Maria Betancourt, East Los Angeles College

Shagun Kaur, ASCCC OERI

Negotiating the intersections of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and OER can be daunting. In this interactive workshop, participants will investigate pitfalls and discover strategies for using AI in OER creation, adoption, and adaptation. Attendees will have the opportunity to utilize an AI tool to create relevant course content.

Armeda Reitzel, Cal Poly Humboldt

Arlonna Hadley, Cal Poly Humboldt

An overview of the “why” and “how” of encouraging students to develop open educational resources leads into the sharing of two student-oriented projects: the creation of interpersonal communication “eZines” and rhetorical analyses with a twist. The presenters share their experiences as both learners and educators.

Julia Seaman, Bay View Analytics

Jeff Seaman, Bay View Analytics

Results and key findings from a 2025 national survey on OER awareness, attitudes toward digital courseware materials, familiarity with course marking, and opinions on affordability. California student results will be compared to their national peers and CA faculty to highlight how the state’s students differ and align across regions.

Cristina Moon, Chabot College

Alejandro Lee, Santa Monica College

Sarah Harmon, Cañada College

Hugo Díaz-Rodil, Sierra College

Learn how to design communicative assessments that promote real-world language use through conversations, storytelling, and oral reflections. This session offers practical strategies for creating inclusive, culturally relevant activities that develop speaking and listening skills while fostering engagement, accessibility, and authentic learning in the language classroom.

Michelle Pilati, ASCCC OERI

Now that the $115 million dedicated to the establishment of ZTC pathways in the CCCs has been allocated, how does the system ensure the longevity of this investment? The ASCCC OER Initiative (OER) has been tasked with sustaining work that has been distributed across the system's 115 colleges. What does a statewide approach to sustainable look like? Join us to learn about the OERI's plans for ensuring systemwide engagement.

Beatrice Russell, Sacramento State University

Open Educational Resources, AI-assisted curriculum design, French as a Second Language, antiracist pedagogy, textbook authorship, Eiffel Tower, Haitian reparations, ChatGPT, decolonizing language education.

Maryanne Clifford, Eastern Connecticut State University

Jennifer Croughwell, Eastern Connecticut State University

Nicolas Simon, Eastern Connecticut State University

This presentation critically examines Automatic Textbook Billing (ATB) at Eastern Connecticut State University, using quantitative and qualitative data to challenge its financial benefits. It highlights student opposition and outlines strategies for evaluating ATB at other institutions, while also showcasing student-led efforts to oppose its implementation.

Speakers: 

Abbey Elder, Open Access and Scholarly Communication Librarian | Iowa State University 

Rebel Cummings-Sauls, Director of Digital Services and OER | Florida Virtual Campus Library Services

Deborah Baker, Instructional Designer | Maricopa Center for Learning and Innovation and OER Coordinator of Open Maricopa

As national discourse around education shifts, promoting equity through OER has become an increasingly complex endeavor, particularly in politically charged environments. This panel will bring together three leaders from across the open education community who have overcome adversity in advocating for equitable practices and resources. Panelists will discuss both programmatic and individual experiences—ranging from institutions where terms like "equity" are restricted from official communications, to grassroots strategies for supporting student centered pedagogies under changing directives. They will share best practices for navigating sensitive political climates, sustaining faculty engagement, and keeping the core values of openness alive in OER work. This conversation will offer critical insights for anyone working in or alongside OER initiatives and will help chart a path forward for an open community committed to serving all learners, even amid shifting cultural and governmental landscapes.

Justin Shorb, LibreTexts

Rachel Fleming, Irvine Valley College

Shagun Kaur, De Anza College

Cristina Moon, Chabot College

Michele Leigh, Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI)

This panel brings together leaders from three California institutions and a statewide initiative that have successfully scaled OER publishing. Through faculty support, institutional infrastructure, and accessible tools, they’ve built sustainable open education programs. Panelists will share lessons learned, key strategies, and how their models continue to adapt to the evolving needs of faculty and students.

Celina Benavides, PhD, Oxnard College

Nancy Williams-Nettles

Rethink what “open” really means. This session dives into how OER can empower all learners–especially those with disabilities and neurodivergent identities—through accessible, adaptable, and culturally responsive content. Engage in interactive dialogue, analyze case studies, and gain strategies for implementing inclusive digital practices and advocating for OER at your institution.

Yadira Arellano, Antelope Valley College

Dr. Ariel Tumbaga, Antelope Valley College

Dr. Norma Jones, Antelope Valley College

Dr. Alex Parisky, Antelope Valley College

Explore how AI supports the translation and cultural adaptation of OER content. An Introduction to Public Speaking chapter is initially transformed into Spanish and later into Thai, modeling a process that blends technology, human insight, and cross-cultural collaboration to better serve diverse learners across local and global contexts.

Representatives from California's three segments of public higher education, the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, will provide updates on their systems' OER, zero-textbook-cost, and textbook affordability efforts. Legislation and state goals will be addressed, as appropriate. Time will be allotted for questions and answers.

Fairuze Ahmed Ramirez, Cosumnes River College

Gregory Beyrer, Cosumnes River College

This session shares interdisciplinary approaches to open pedagogy, ungrading, and anti-racist teaching in History and English. Through identity-based discussions, collaborative textbook editing, and portfolio assessment, we center student agency and co-creation. Participants will explore radical inclusion and identify adaptable strategies for fostering equitable, student-driven learning in their own classrooms.

Delmar Larsen, UC Davis

The LibreVerse is an integrated, modular ecosystem developed by the LibreTexts project to advance the creation, curation, and dissemination of open educational resources (OER) across disciplines and educational levels. Built to support the full lifecycle of OER—from authoring to student engagement—the LibreVerse offers a suite of interconnected platforms including the LibreTexts Libraries, the Remixer tool, ADAPT for interactive assessments, Jupyter-based Compute-to-Learn environments, the Studio platform for content authoring, the Forge Open Pedagogy platform, and a range of accessibility, analytics, and AI-enhanced tools. This presentation will introduce each component of the LibreVerse, illustrate their synergistic functionality, and explore how the ecosystem supports instructors, students, and institutions in reducing textbook costs, increasing pedagogical flexibility, and fostering equitable access to high-quality, customizable educational content. Attendees will gain insight into how the LibreVerse is redefining the future of open education and how they can contribute to and benefit from this collaborative infrastructure.

Alexander Reid, California State University, Bakersfield

Elaine Correa, California State University, Bakersfield

(R=review content, I=identify intellectual property, D=determine domain/license, E=educate and share/distribute)

By understanding the benefits and licensing options for OER, educators can effectively contribute to a more equitable, innovative, and sustainable educational landscape. This workshop will equip participants with the knowledge and resources needed to confidently engage in open educational practices, ultimately enhancing the quality, accessibility, and sustainability of education.

Steel Wagstaff, Pressbooks

Walter Butler, Santa Monica College

Jennifer Beamer, California State University, San Bernardino

This session highlights how three different California institutions built scalable OER publishing programs by supporting faculty authorship, developing local infrastructure, and leveraging user-friendly tools. Discover practical insights into how these programs grew, what tools made them work, and how they continue to evolve.

Norma Jones, Antelope Valley College

Sarah Harmon, Ph.D.,  Cañada College

Learn how AI can rapidly accelerate the development of OER and support materials such as study guides, teaching tools, test banks, and presentations. This practical session introduces tools and strategies that help educators create inclusive and accessible content efficiently, supporting innovation and equity across California’s public higher education systems.

Laurie Runk, Coastline College

Discover how Coastline College has leveraged OER to revolutionize educational pathways for Rising Scholars and Competency-Based Education students. Though these programs serve different populations, they share a common goal: creating equitable, student-centered learning experiences that open doors to brighter futures.

Rachel Fleming, Irvine Valley College

Cheryl Bailey, Irvine Valley College

Irvine Valley College received a Michelson 20MM Spark Grant to study ZTC Degree accessibility. We’ll share our plans, invite collaboration, and discuss student-centered strategies for transparency, access, and usability—asking: if we’ve built a strong ZTC product, can students truly access it, or does it exist only in disaggregated data?

Lesley Farmer, California State University, Long Beach

Wouldn't it be efficient to have a one-stop OER structure to teach instructional design interactively? The solution? MERLOT! See how MERLOT's features provide a hands-on learning environment to learn and explore instructional design.

Shelli Wynants, Cal State Fullerton

This presentation explores how integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Open Educational Resources (OER) can revolutionize teaching by addressing personalization and content creation challenges. Their synergy enhances student engagement, equips students with career-relevant skills, and helps educators create dynamic, inclusive learning environments.

Ying Liu, City College of San Francisco

Isobel Ardren, University of Dundee

Serena Chang, City College of San Francisco

Izabella Guy, University of Dundee

Esther Ajayi-Akinsulire, University of Dundee

Grace Murphy, University of Dundee

Lauren Russel, University of Dundee

The OSMA Project unites educators and students from San Francisco and Scotland to co-create inclusive microbiology OER. This session shares insights from the MICRO-EDI study and offers practical strategies for fostering equity, representation, and student engagement through cross-border collaboration using platforms like LibreTexts and ADAPT.

Alex Dejean, Los Angeles Harbor College

Abraham Nesheiwat, Cypress College

Benjamin Sigala, Rio Hondo College

This panel explores how faculty and students can co-create, adapt, and expand Open Educational Resources (OERs), fostering inclusive and sustainable learning environments. Presenters will share practical strategies for integrating OER into course planning and instruction, highlighting approaches that enhance collaboration and accessibility in the classroom. Attendees will gain actionable insights on leveraging OER to enrich learning experiences and empower both educators and students in shaping the future of open education.

Jennifer Croughwell, Eastern Connecticut State University

Tyler Fairbanks, Eastern Connecticut State University

Nicole Scalercio, Eastern Connecticut State University

Nicolas Simon, Eastern Connecticut State University

Students and faculty from Eastern Connecticut State University share their experiences using generative AI in an OER-enabled pedagogy project. The panel explores educational benefits, challenges, and how AI integration supports student skill development through the co-creation of an open-access Sociology of Artificial Intelligence textbook.

Sarah Hare, UC Santa Cruz

In 2025, UCSC launched an OER Community of Practice which emphasizes incremental change and editing OER not only to reduce costs but also to further EDI and student belonging. This session will explore how the program was designed using local data and the benefits of centering EDI.