Master of Ceremonies: Dr Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin (Head of Technology Enhanced Learning, Munster Technological University)

09:30 – 10:00

Registration & Posters

Arrival, tea/coffee and poster showcase in Nexus

10:00 – 10:30

Welcome & Opening

  • Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin – Housekeeping and Welcome
  • Professor Christine Cross, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Munster Technological University
  • Tim Conlon, Head of Policy and Strategic Planning, Higher Education Authority.

10:30 – 11:10

Keynote Address

Opening the Future: Equity, Sustainability, and Promise in Higher Education —Dr Robin DeRosa, Executive Director, Open Education Network, University of Minnesota.

11:10 – 11:45

Gasta Talks

Short, high-energy 5-minute lightning talks designed to encourage broad participation and rapid sharing of ideas and experiences. Chaired by Dr Tom Farrelly, Munster Technological University.

  • Ken McCarthy (SETU) – Open by Design: A Manifesto for Generative AI in Higher Education
  • Angélica Rísquez (UL) – Why Open Still Matters (Just Differently)
  • Susan Horgan (MTU) – Digital Inclusion in Online Learning
  • Carina Ginty (ATU) – Unlock Your Digital & Green Superpowers: Explore the AREA Discovery Tool
  • Michael Costello (MTU) – Partnership to Practice: Developing OER at MTU

11:45 – 12:00

Break

12:00 – 12:40

Panel Discussion – Opening Higher Education: Policy, Practice and Possibility

Sectoral panel exploring open education in Irish higher education. Chaired by Dr Ross Woods, Senior Manager, Teaching and Learning, Student Success, Health and Wellbeing, Higher Education Authority. Featuring:

  • Dr Pio Fenton, Vice President People & Culture, Munster Technological University
  • Liz Jolly, University Librarian, University College Cork
  • MJ Quill, Vice President for Postgraduate Affairs, Aontas na Mac Léinn in Éirinn (AMLÉ)
  • Dr Eamon Costello, Associate Professor of Digital Learning, Dublin City University, President of the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA)
  • Dr Leigh Graves Wolf, Interim Director Of Teaching & Learning, University College Dublin

12:40 – 13:30

Lunch & Networking

Lunch served and poster showcase open for viewing.

13:30 – 14:00

Keynote Address

Open education in Ireland: Capabilities, Collectivities, and Co-creating Just Futures —Dr Catherine Cronin, Independent Open Scholar

14:00 – 14:40

Plenary Workshop

BETTER 2040: Traversing the Generative Crisis of Open Education. A workshop on open education and its possible futures, led by Prof Lawrie Phipps, Director of External Policy, Jisc, and Prof Peter Bryant, Associate Dean Education, The University of Sydney Business School.

14:40 – 14:55

Break

14:55 – 16:15

Parallel Sessions

Parallel I: Building Open Education Capability

  • Exploring foundational values for OEP: reflecting on shared practices and capabilities
    Kate Molloy and Dr Suzanne Stone (University of Limerick), Co-developers Open Course: Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP)
  • Advancing Open Education: Barriers, Enablers and Priorities
    Facilitated by Colin Lowry, Higher Education Authority

Parallel II: Inclusive Teaching and Learning in Practice

  • From Review to Renewal: Putting Inclusion at the Heart of Programme Evaluation
    Dr Maureen Haran, ATU-UDL Centre of Excellence, Atlantic Technological University
  • Building Better Briefs: A UDL Approach to Transparent and Inclusive Assessment
    Stefan Paz Berrios and Mohammed Cherbatji, Institute of Art, Design + Technology

16:15 – 16:30

Closing

Closing remarks and reflections on the day from Dr Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin (Head of Technology Enhanced Learning, Munster Technological University) and Colin Lowry, Senior Manager, Teaching and Learning, Enhancement and Digital Innovation, Higher Education Authority.