Open Textbook Network to Change Name to ‘Open Education Network’

This summer, the Open Textbook Network (open.umn.edu/oen) is changing its name to the Open Education Network (OEN), a change that better reflects the broad scope of the community.

Looking ahead, the OEN will focus on building open educational practices to support faculty in contributing to their field by sharing and improving open educational resources. This will be accomplished through programmatic support for the work faculty, librarians and others are doing to strengthen their open education programs, including open pedagogy—the engagement of students as creators of open educational resources (OER).

The OEN will also lead the development of faculty disciplinary communities of practice, and partner with organizations to localize and customize OER.

The Open Textbook Library will continue to be a comprehensive global resource for openly licensed textbooks.

“The open education movement is about pursuing equity, inclusion and justice,” said David Ernst, executive director of the OEN. “We will help our members leverage open education’s potential to include more voices in academic materials.” 

Read more about the OEN’s guiding principles.

Please contact OEN Communications Specialist Craig Sandler at sandl069@umn.edu with any questions.