Open Education Week
March 3-7, 2026Open Education Week (OE Week) is a global celebration of open educational practices and resources, organized by OE Global. Learn more about OE Week worldwide at OE Global.
Open Education in Tennessee
The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) fosters collaboration among colleges and universities to develop strategies that lower the cost of course materials and expand access to Open Educational Resources (OER).
Events
The following activities are part of Tennessee’s participation in Open Education Week. These events are being hosted by institutions across the state, with some organized by campus partners and others coordinated by THEC.
| Event | Date/Time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| OER Champions Showcase @ MTSU | March 3rd, 10:30 am, LIB 348 & Zoom | Celebrate Open Education Week with us as we spotlight MTSU faculty leading the way in textbook affordability and open educational practices! This showcase will feature short presentations from faculty who have developed oradopted Open Educational Resources to enhance student learning. We’ll also announce our first-ever Textbook Heroes Awards and celebrate a major milestone —$3 million in student savings from ZeroTextbook Cost courses. This session will be facilitated by Ginelle Baskin, Open Education Librarian. This session will also be presented synchronously on Zoom: https://mtsu.zoom.us/j/9586660652 |
| TeachBridge Pathways: From Practice to Profession | March 3rd, 1:00 EST, Zoom | Join us for an overview of TeachBridge Pathways, an open education resource (OER), competency-based teacher preparation curriculum designed to connect theory and practice while expanding access to high-quality preparation. This session will highlight how TeachBridge supports universities by reducing common barriers to entering the teaching profession—such as cost and geographic location—by creating flexible, affordable pathways for aspiring educators, particularly those from rural and underserved communities. Participants will hear directly from Faculty Fellows from the University of Tennessee Southern (UTS) and Austin Peay State University (APSU) who authored and piloted the curriculum, sharing insights from implementation and impact. Together, we’ll explore how TeachBridge Pathways empowers aspiring educators to confidently move from practice to profession while advancing innovative, scalable approaches to teacher preparation. This session will also be presented synchronously on Zoom: (Link coming soon) |
| MTSU Student Perspectives on Textbook Costs | March 5th, 1:00 pm, Zoom | How do textbook costs affect MTSU students’ learning experiences, choices, and success? Join us as we share findings from a recent campus-wide survey exploring the impact of course material costs on students. This session will highlight key data, student voices, and opportunities for faculty to make their courses more affordable and equitable through the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) and other no-cost materials. This session is only available remotely on Zoom: https://mtsu.zoom.us/j/9586660652 |