OpenEd Digest – April 2026
OpenEd Digest
Your monthly roundup of what’s new in open education
Upcoming Events
Curated picks from our lists of upcoming webinars and conferences
Upcoming Webinars:
Creative Commons - Creative Commons 101: A Brief History - Apr. 14
OE Global - OER Under the Hood with LibreTexts: ADAPT - Apr. 14
University of Regina - Universal Design for Learning and Open Education: Integrating Accessibility and Inclusion - Apr. 15
CCCOER - How do Course Materials Impact Student Belonging? Insights from User Experience Research - Apr. 15
Equity Unbound - A Disability-Justice Informed Approach to Open Education - Apr. 22
Call for Proposals:
ALT OER26 Conference (in-person, June 22-23) - Deadline Apr. 13
CAL OER 2026 Conference (virtual, July 29-31) - Deadline May 18
Last Chance Registration:
Virtual ISKME OER Summit - Apr. 29
Virtual Affordable Learning PA Summit - May 1
Virtual Laredo College OER Summit - May 1
In Person Preconference & Virtual OpenCon Ohio 2026 - May 14 - 15
Open Opportunities
Highlights from our open education opportunity board
Open Calls:
Copy Editor: DOERS AI + OER Case Studies Anthology - Deadline Apr. 10
Call for Papers: Journal of Open Educational Resources in Higher Education - Deadline May 1
Call for Submissions: Journal of Open Initiatives in Academic Libraries - Deadline May 10
Professional Learning: OER Styles Accessibility Series - Deadline May 13
Open Application: Open Education Research Fellowship - Deadline May 15
Job Opportunities:
OER Coordinator (Part-Time) - Arapahoe Community College
Stories from the Field
Snapshots of open education making a difference
From Pennsylvania: Northampton Community College (NCC) announced that it received a $10,000 grant from the PPL Foundation to develop open educational resources (OER). They described how OER enable curriculum to remain flexible, current, and aligned with workforce needs while reducing student expenses. By empowering faculty to create and adapt open educational resources, NCC is building an ecosystem that lowers costs while keeping education innovative and relevant. Read More>>
From Kansas: The University of Kansas (KU) shared about a $225,000 investment into the Deans' Open Educational Resources (OER) Grant Initiative, which reduces textbook costs and improves student retention by expanding the adoption of free, publicly accessible teaching materials. The initiative will provide grants to faculty adopting or adapting OER in high-enrollment courses with support from KU Libraries' experienced OER team. Read More>>
Hot Off the Press
Newly-published resources to explore and share
Open Textbook: Surviving Research Publication: A Guide for New Scholars is a handbook that provides the hidden information needed to successfully navigate your first research publications. From the basics of a literature review, through ethics and the use of technology, this book is an essential guide for graduate students and early career researchers.
Research: The Journal of Interactive Media in Education recently published the Open Education and Open Science in the Digital Age: Echoes and Horizons of the Dubai Declaration collection. It situates open education and open science within the broader vision of the Dubai Declaration, emphasizing equity, inclusion, and collective responsibility in the digital age.
Reading List
Articles about open education and other noteworthy topics
Yavapai College Leads $2M Initiative Saving Students $3.5M in Textbook Costs Across Rural Arizona | The Prescott Times
Nevada colleges push more free, low-cost course materials | Las Vegas Sun
Beyond textbooks: Learning through making with Latino/a Studies | Illinois State University News
Billing students automatically for textbooks? Look elsewhere to solve affordability issues | The Conversation
Digital textbooks can come with hidden costs | The Palm Beach Post
College textbook costs move from campus to the Capitol | RED MSU Denver
