OER Professional Development
Advancing Open Education: Texas OER Professional Development Opportunities
The Division of Student Succes and Institutional Partnerships, in partnership with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), offers comprehensive virtual professional development focused on Open Educational Resources (OER). These structured learning experiences enhance educator capabilities while fostering meaningful collaboration with colleagues across Texas institutions. Participants develop essential skills through practice-oriented sessions designed to strengthen OER implementation and sustainability.
Our professional development offerings include new comprehensive virtual professional development focused on Open Educational Resources (OER) this spring and summer.
See full program descriptions for more information on ways in which we can help strengthen your institution’s open education initiatives.
Strategies for Gen-AI Enhanced OER Academy
This three-part Academy will highlight practical, responsible strategies for applying GenAI within OER work, including examples of how educators are improving efficiencies, strengthening courseware design, increasing accessibility, engaging students, and modeling effective use. Participants will examine key considerations such as quality, transparency, copyright/attribution, and institutional policy as part of a broader toolkit for successful AI-enhanced OER adoption.
OER leaders and emerging leaders, such as faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and administrators at public and private higher education institutions with an interest in advancing OER are invited to participate.
Each participant will develop an actionable Gen AI-Enhanced OER Integration Plan tailored to their course, program, or institutional context. Plans will include goals, chosen strategies, collaborators, implementation steps, outcomes, and an outreach/change-management approach.
Prerequisites: Participants should have prior experience with OER and basic familiarity with generative AI tools.
Interested participants are invited to apply by end of day on March 20 and will be contacted via email by March 30, if selected to participate based on a review of the application.
The Academy will consist of three 90-minute virtual meetings with approximately five hours of additional asynchronous work.
- Wednesday, April 8, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, April 15, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. CT
- Wednesday, April 22, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. CT
Participants will be eligible for a Certificate of Completion upon fulfillment of all requirements. The Academy will be capped at 75 participants and limited to 10 participants per institution. Applicants will be selected on a first come, first served basis and reviewed for participation based on their commitment to attending all sessions and completing all learning activities.
For questions contact Aleyda Cantu-Lee, Director – Student Success and Institutional Partnerships at digitallearning@highered.texas.gov.
Advancing OER Practices Academy
The Advancing OER Practices Academy will support participants in leveraging the latest research findings and best practices from OER initiatives in Texas to develop an action plan to advance OER in their communities. The three synchronous, virtual sessions will guide participants through activities to identify policies and guidelines they can leverage, engage with collaborators, design for impact, and lead change.
OER leaders and emerging leaders, such as faculty, librarians, instructional designers, and administrators at public and private higher education institutions with an interest in advancing OER are invited to participate.
The Academy will consist of three 90-minute virtual meetings with approximately five hours of additional asynchronous work to develop their action plans.
- Tuesday, June 9, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT
- Thursday, June 11, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT
- Tuesday, June 16, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. CT
Participants will be eligible for a Certificate of Completion upon fulfillment of all requirements. This Academy is designed for participants with some prior OER knowledge and experience and will be capped at 50 participants and limited to 7 participants per institution. Applicants will be selected on a first come, first served basis. Applications will close at the end of the day on April 24. Participants will be contacted via email, by May 8, if selected to participate based on a review of the application.
For questions contact Liz Tolman, Program Director – Student Success and Institutional Partnerships at digitallearning@highered.texas.gov.
Check back often – we’ll be announcing new professional development opportunities soon!