Opencourseware Consortium Hosts 2011 Global Conference

Online, April 5, 2011 (Newswire.com) - CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (March 16, 2011) - The OpenCourseWare Consortium (OCW Consortium) recently announced the 2011 Global Conference scheduled May 4 - 6. In collaboration with
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tufts University, and the University of Massachusetts, OCW Consortium and its partner universities celebrate 10 years of opencourseware and the availability of free, high-quality university-level educational content. Global educational leaders will converge to discuss how the open sharing of knowledge can continue to broaden access to education and support teaching and learning worldwide beyond the more than 14,000 open courses shared to date. The conference will take place at the Boston Marriot Hotel in Cambridge, Mass, and registration information is available at http://conferences.ocwconsortium.org/index.php/2011/cambridge.
The OCW Consortium conference will bring together the top thinkers in the open education movement. Currently, more than 250 member institutions spanning 50 countries are committed to the advancement of formal and informal learning through the worldwide sharing and use of free, high-quality education materials.
"The evolution of the opencourseware movement has transformed and reshaped the way universities and like-minded organizations around the globe share knowledge," said Stephen E. Carson, president of OCW Consortium. "The conference will honor the achievements of the last decade, while fostering important dialogue on how to further extend the reach and access to open knowledge around the world."

Think-Tank of Industry Leaders to Address Key Issues
The three-day conference will feature a program targeted to global leaders seeking to advance opencourseware. Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media, will provide the keynote address and MIT President Susan Hockfield will reflect on the early days of opencourseware and its evolution throughout the last ten years.

- more -

OCW Consortium Hosts 2011 Global Conference Page 2

In addition, panel discussions will focus on three main themes, including:
• Impact of OpenCourseWare: A number of sessions will examine innovative forms of opencourseware's use and its integration into the existing education system in North American, Europe, South America, Asia and Africa.
• Producing Impactful OCW Content: Leaders will reflect on the challenges and solutions developed to produce opencourseware materials. Sessions will chronicle design of the course to the publication online.
• Next Generation "Open" Learning Tools and Technology: Participants will put forward efforts to shape the future of opencourseware. Sessions will look at the next generation of opencourseware, and technology platforms like cloud computing that can make open education resources further accessible.
The event will also include the inaugural ACE Excellence in OpenCourseWare Awards to honor outstanding contributions of individuals within the opencourseware movement. For more information on the 2011 global conference, visit http://conferences.ocwconsortium.org/index.php/2011/cambridge.
ABOUT THE OPENCOURSEWARE CONSORTIUM: The OpenCourseWare Consortium is a community of more than 250 universities and associated organizations worldwide committed to advancing opencourseware sharing and its impact on global educational opportunity. The mission of the OpenCourseWare Consortium is to advance formal and informal learning for educators and self-learners around the world through the sharing and use of free, open, high-quality education materials packaged as courses readily accessible on a digital platform. The Consortium showcases its members to a global audience and provides information and training through webinars, newsletters, and free and open opencourseware materials.
Activities of the OpenCourseWare Consortium are supported by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, member dues, and contributions from sustaining members including: African Virtual University, China Open Resources for Education, Delft University of Technology, Japan OpenCourseWare Consortium, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Korea OpenCourseWare Consortium, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Netease Information Technology, Open Universiteit, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Tufts University, Universia, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, University of California, Irvine, University of Michigan, and University of the Western Cape. For more information, visit http://www.ocwconsortium.org.
# # #