Minnesota Open Education Conference
February 24 – 25, 2027 | Virtual Event
Save the date for this upcoming free conference!
The inaugural Minnesota Open Education Conference is sponsored by Minnesota State with support from Open Minnesota and the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC).
Call for Proposals
Conference organizers invite professionals from Minnesota to submit a proposal for the state-wide Minnesota Open Education Conference, to be held virtually on Wednesday, February 24, and Thursday, February 25, 2027. Participation in this event is free.
Faculty, librarians, students, instructional designers, administrators, and other education professionals who are committed to open education are invited to share their experience and expertise. Practitioners of open education throughout Minnesota are encouraged to participate.
This event focuses on expanding the use of open educational resources (OER) and open educational practices throughout Minnesota.
Deadline
Submit your proposal by the end of the day November 15, 2026.
Conference Theme
The Foundations and Futures theme celebrates the ideas and efforts that have built the open education movement while looking ahead to new possibilities. Together we will share lessons learned, explore emerging practices and technologies, and help shape the future of open education in Minnesota.
Proposal Details
Audience
Faculty, librarians, instructional designers, administrators, and other education professionals committed to advancing open education in Minnesota are welcome. We particularly invite student and K-12 participation and voices, both in our audience and as part of conference sessions.
Format
All sessions will be:
- Virtual, live, and recorded for later viewing
- Either 20 minutes or 50 minutes in duration, depending on format and session requirements
- As interactive as possible to increase audience engagement
- Compliant with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility requirements
Proposal Components:
- Contact information for all presenters and co-presenters
- Session title (10 words or less) and mini-abstract (25 words) for inclusion in the conference program
- Session format (panel, presentation, workshop, discussion)
- Connection to theme “Foundations and Futures”
- Full session abstract (100-200 words)
- Session outcomes (1-3 outcomes)
- Plan for audience engagement (75-150 words )
Suggested Topic Categories
- Starting and Sustaining
- Tracking and Data
- Pedagogy and Practices
- Legalities and Ethics
- Technologies and Innovations
- Personnel and Partnerships
Accessibility & Inclusion
The Minnesota Open Education Conference is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience. Presentations should follow WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines, including ensuring materials are screen-reader friendly, using clear language, and including alternative text for images. Presenters may be asked to remediate any inaccessible content. Live sessions will feature captioning.
Registration
Registration will be available soon.
Learn More
Visit the Minnesota Open Education Conference website.
Learn more about OER at Minnesota State at MinnState.edu/OER.
Contact
Etta Thornburg
Strategic Operations Librarian