The 2016 edition of the Open Education Global Conference is to take place in Cracow (Poland) on 12-14 April 2016. This conference is organised annually by the Open Education Global consortium, a non-profit global organisation that promotes education through openness.
The organisation defines itself as “a network of educational institutions, individuals and organisations that support an approach to education based on openness, including collaboration, innovation and collective development and use of open educational materials”. One of its goals is to improve the effectiveness of education and to provide educational access to everyone.
Five tracks to promote "Convergence through collaboration”
The Open Education Global Conference 2016, co-organised by AGH University of Science and Technology, will focused on a central topic: "Convergence through collaboration”. This main theme will be developed along five tracks, the Open Education Consortium said:
· Integration of Open Practice. IT will “explore the ways that open educational practices are meeting the needs of 21st century education”;
· Collaboration. How collaboration can contribute to openness;
· Open Education as a strategy. This will focus "on the ways that open practices contribute to solving greater problems in education”;
· Research to Advance Open Education; and
· Open Education Initiatives in Europe. This will showcase concrete Open Education initiatives.
The Global Conference will bring together researchers, policy-makers, educators and practitioners, the consortium said.
According to a UNESCO publication, Poland reformed its educational system through the digitalisation of schools but also by being involved in the development of Open Educational Resources (OER).
During the event, Open Education Awards for Excellence will recognise the best open education initiatives. These awards recognise distinctive open education sites, technological innovations, notable open courses, and exemplary leaders in Open Education worldwide, the website said.