Join the Conversation: U of A Leads at Open Arkansas 2025

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On Oct. 3, educators from across the country will gather at North Arkansas College in Harrison for Open Arkansas 2025, a statewide conference with national reach dedicated to advancing Open Educational Resources. The conference is free and open to participants nationwide. Register by Sept. 15. 

The conference will open with a keynote by David Wiley, associate professor of instructional technology and learning sciences at Marshall University, who holds a doctoral degree in instructional psychology and technology. Wiley, a nationally recognized pioneer in open education, will discuss how Open Educational Resources and artificial intelligence can together broaden learning opportunities.

"I was deeply involved in launching the OER movement in the 1990s," Wiley said. "It felt like we could make a huge difference in teaching and learning by combining the reach of the nascent internet with the principles of the open source movement. Today's current moment, in which generative AI presents us with even more opportunities to increase the effectiveness and affordability of education, is even more exciting. There's never been a more exciting time to be an educator."

U of A flagship personnel will lead multiple sessions. "Empowering Student Voices: How Student Government and Libraries Collaborate to Drive Change in Open Educational Resource Adoption" will demonstrate how librarians and students work in partnership to lower course material costs. "Now What? Managing Open Educational Resource Projects to Maximize Their Value" will share practical strategies based on the University Libraries' experience guiding campus-wide OER initiatives. 

These sessions reflect how libraries and universities are emerging as champions of affordability and innovation, supporting faculty as they adapt and create Open Educational Resources to replace costly textbooks with flexible, customizable materials that save students money and enrich teaching.

Additional sessions will explore topics including leveraging ChatGPT to develop resources, revising open textbooks with artificial intelligence and shaping broader affordability strategies. Open Arkansas 2025 will illustrate how open education is reshaping classrooms—especially through the collaborative power of libraries. All sessions can be viewed on the conference agenda. 

For the U of A, Open Arkansas 2025 serves both as a showcase and a call to action. The event highlights a deep commitment to students by reducing costs, increasing equity and inspiring innovation in teaching across the state. 

This event is made possible by North Arkansas College, the U of A, Arkansas Tech University, the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas and NorthWest Arkansas Community College.