KPU supports open education professional learning in a variety of ways — from hands-on workshops and self-paced courses to sustained communities of practice. Whether you are just getting started with open education or looking to deepen your practice, there are multiple pathways to engage. This page offers a snapshot of the learning opportunities available at KPU.
Workshops
KPU educators can engage with our open education workshops in three ways:
- Register for a scheduled session. Workshops are typically offered during Open Education Week each March. Check Humanitix and Today@KPU for upcoming sessions.
- By Request. Workshops can be specifically requested by departments, or by a group of at least five participants. To arrange a workshop delivery, contact open@kpu.ca.
- Book a one-on-one consultation. If you can't wait for a session or can't gather a group, you are welcome to book a 1:1 session on any of these topics directly with our Open Education Strategist. Contact open@kpu.ca to arrange.
The following workshops are available as scheduled sessions or by request.
ZTC Quest: Finding Quality OER for Your Students
Textbook costs are a significant barrier to student success. This hands-on workshop takes you on a quest through the world of OER repositories, where you'll learn to navigate open licensing, discover discipline-specific resources, and evaluate them for quality and accessibility. You'll leave with a curated collection of potential OER and a concrete action plan for achieving Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) in your course. No prior OER experience required — just bring your course outline and a sense of adventure.
Foundations First: Designing OER Textbooks for Student Success
A free textbook that students struggle to navigate isn't truly accessible — intentional design is what transforms good content into an effective learning tool. This hands-on workshop explores the principles of effective OER textbook design, including Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and walks you through creating an OER Textbook Design Document as a blueprint for your resource. With support from KPU's Open Publishing Suite (OPUS), you'll leave with the tools and knowledge to build an OER textbook that genuinely serves students.
Getting Started with Pressbooks
Whether you're considering Pressbooks for a new project or looking to enhance your current teaching materials, this workshop covers the essentials — what Pressbooks is, its features, and how to get set up — before diving into creating and enhancing content. You'll leave equipped to produce high-quality, accessible resources for your students.
From Annual to Perennial: Renewable Assignment Design
Most assignments are designed to bloom once and disappear — completed for a grade, then forgotten. This workshop explores what it looks like to design assignments that, like perennial plants, return value year after year for students, future learners, and the broader community. Through the lens of open pedagogy and aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, you'll evaluate your current assessments, identify which are ready to become renewable, and leave with a concrete redesigned assignment and practical implementation strategies.
Cultivating Open Teaching Series
Foundations Open pedagogy can transform how students engage with learning — but getting started means understanding what it is and how it works. This workshop introduces the principles of open education and the five characteristics of open pedagogy: incorporating feedback, providing options, encouraging ownership, creating work with value beyond knowledge, and sharing with others. You'll reflect on your current teaching practices, explore examples of open pedagogy in action, and leave with a clearer sense of how to move forward.
Departments that have completed Foundations can request any of the following on-demand workshops, which explore the application of open pedagogy across specific areas of teaching practice. Contact open@kpu.ca to arrange.
- Cultivating Open Teaching: Renewable Assignment Design
- Cultivating Open Teaching: Assessment & Feedback
- Cultivating Open Teaching: Syllabus & Curriculum Design
- Cultivating Open Teaching: Discussion & Collaboration
- Cultivating Open Teaching: Creating & Publishing with Students
Self-Paced Learning
Prefer to learn at your own pace? KPU's Teaching and Learning Commons offers several self-directed options for engaging with open education on your own schedule.
Open Education Workbook The Open Education Workbook is a self-directed professional development resource developed at KPU that guides educators through the principles and practices of open education — covering open education principles, Open Educational Resources (OER), and open pedagogy. KPU educators can access an interactive version through PebblePad, which includes reflective prompts and portfolio integration. An optional Atlas workspace is also available for those who would like to connect with the Open Education Strategist and others working through the workbook. The Pressbooks edition is freely available to educators at any institution to use and adapt.
Open Education Resources and Toolkits Looking to explore on your own? Our Open Education Practices site is a growing collection of posts, guides, and resources covering a range of open education topics — from getting started with OER to exploring open pedagogy in practice. Browse by topic or tag at your own pace.
Asynchronous Courses The Teaching and Learning Commons also offers short asynchronous courses on open education topics. Browse self-paced open education courses.
Community-Based Learning
For educators looking to engage with open education over time — with structure, support, and colleagues alongside them — KPU offers two sustained learning opportunities.
Open Education Learning Cohort
The Open Education Learning Cohort is a seven-week facilitated professional development experience for KPU educators. Working through the Open Education Workbook together, participants explore the principles of open education, the practice of finding and adapting Open Educational Resources, and the pedagogical possibilities of open teaching. Weekly synchronous sessions create space to debrief, discuss, and build connections with colleagues navigating similar questions — turning individual reflection into shared inquiry.
The cohort runs every semester and is designed for educators ready to invest focused time in their professional practice — making it a natural fit for your non-teaching semester. Watch Today@KPU for upcoming cohort offerings, or contact open@kpu.ca to express interest.
Open Education Community of Practice
The Open Education Community of Practice is a space for KPU educators to come together regularly to explore and champion open education practices — sharing experiences, exchanging ideas, and learning from one another. Whether you're a seasoned open education advocate or just beginning to explore, the community welcomes all educators, staff, and students.
Open Education Week
Open Education Week is an annual global celebration of the open education movement, held each March. KPU participates each year through a series of workshops, panels, and events designed to highlight open education practices and connect educators with ideas and colleagues across the sector.
KPU also supports and helps plan the BC Open Education Librarians (BCOEL) Open Education Week event, which brings together educators and librarians from across British Columbia to explore open education topics.
Past Event Recordings
Missed a session? Many of our past events and workshops have been recorded and are available to watch at any time.