Emerging Tools and Digital Learning Technologies
OLC Innovate 2026 features a dynamic lineup of sessions and interactive experiences designed to inform, inspire, and connect educators at every stage of their professional journey. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or a first-time attendee, you’ll find meaningful opportunities to learn, collaborate, and grow.
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 11:15 am-12:30 pm US ET
The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in an AI-Driven Online World
Online learning, an artifact of the age of the internet, was built on the foundation of the distance education movement which was to expand access to higher education to those who could not attend a physical campus. However, the context in which distance education started is not the context in which online learning now lives. In this talk, we’ll review the past and current state of teaching for integrity in an online world, and explore possible future trajectories of how we might facilitate and validate learning while upholding core values like integrity, access, privacy that are too often held in opposition.
Join us for our daily featured session! Our featured sessions were selected as outstanding submissions through our Call for Proposals, offering an opportunity to hear from subject matter experts on these key topics.
Emerging Tools and Digital Learning Technologies
Locating the highest-quality Open Educational Resources (OER) materials can be a challenge! In this special Featured Session for the OLC Innovate 2026 conference, select MERLOT Editors will showcase exemplary OER materials housed within the MERLOT OER system, along with demonstrating use-cases for these OER materials across the disciplines.
Presenters:
Student Success and Empowerment
This session shares findings from a study of 52,426 students on online learning readiness. Results reveal strong connections between technology skills and course management, along with notable demographic differences. Attendees will explore key readiness factors, practical implications, and strategies to empower diverse learners in online education.
Presenters:
Learning Design and Teaching Innovation
Artificial Intelligence is transforming how we define learning and cognition. This session introduces the MetaBloom Framework (BloomAI Model), reinterpreting Bloom’s Taxonomy for AI-rich classrooms. Participants will explore how to design, assess, and ethically integrate human–AI co-creation to foster higher-order thinking and authentic learning.
Presenter:
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
First Time Attendee Welcome & Onboarding
8:15 am – 8:45 am
*Meditation and Mindfulness
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Concurrent Session 1
9:45 am – 10:15 am
*Engagement Activity
10:15 am – 10:30 am
Express Sessions 1
10:45 am – 11:00 am
Express Sessions 2
11:15 am – 12:30 pm
Welcome and Keynote Address
1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Concurrent Session 2
1:45 pm – 2:15 pm
*Engagement Activity
2:15 pm – 3:00 pm
Concurrent Session 3
3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Featured Session
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
*Evening Social Event
8:15 am – 8:45 am
*Wellness Session
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Concurrent Session 1
9:45 am – 10:15 am
*Engagement Activity
10:15 am – 10:45 am
MERLOT Awards Presentation & Celebration
11:00 am – 11:15 am
Express Sessions 1
11:30 am – 12:15 pm
Concurrent Session 2
12:45 pm – 1:30 pm
Featured Session
1:30 pm – 2:00 pm
*Engagement Activity
2:15 pm – 2:30 pm
Express Sessions 2
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Express Sessions 3
3:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Concurrent Session 3
4:15 pm – 5:00 pm
Evening Social Event
8:15 am – 8:45 am
*Meditation and Mindfulness
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Featured Session
9:45 am – 10:15 am
*Engagement Activity
10:15 am – 11:00 am
Concurrent Session 1
11:15 am – 11:30 am
Express Sessions 1
11:45 am – 12:00 pm
Express Sessions 2
12:30 pm – 1:15 pm
Concurrent Session 2
1:30 pm – 2:15 pm
Concurrent Session 3
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
*OLC Innovate 2026 Virtual Closing Celebration
This schedule is subject to change.
*Networking opportunities to connect with other attendees in informal social settings with activities.
OLC Innovate provides a path for innovators of all experience levels and backgrounds to share best practices, test new ideas, and collaborate on driving forward online, digital, and blended learning. Join us as we challenge our teaching and learning paradigms, reimagine the learning experience, and ideate on how disruptions in education today will shape the innovative classroom of tomorrow.
Hello Innovators,
Welcome to OLC Innovate 2026! Whether this is your very first Innovate conference or you’ve been part of the OLC community for years, we are thrilled to have you with us. This gathering is more than just a virtual conference—it’s a space where ideas spark, collaborations begin, and the future of digital learning takes shape.
This year’s theme—“Future in Focus: Vision, Innovation, and Global Impact for a New Era”—captures the energy we hope you’ll feel over the days ahead. Together, we’ll explore new technologies, rethink the future of teaching and learning, and share strategies to empower today’s educators and learners. This year’s conference features engaging tracks spotlighting:
Each session has gone through a rigorous peer-review process, which means you’re hearing from some of the most thoughtful, creative minds in our field. We’ve designed a program with a variety of formats, so there is truly something for everyone:
If you’re presenting this year, we’re especially excited for you. The OLC Presenter Services team has put together resources to help you shine— Presenter FAQs and other excellent resources to assist you with developing the best presentation possible!
Above all, Innovate is about connection. It’s about learning from one another, taking bold ideas home to our institutions, and building momentum for what comes next in digital education. Thank you for bringing your energy, your expertise, and your passion to this space.
Here’s to an inspiring, collaborative, and unforgettable OLC Innovate 2026! We can’t wait to see the innovation you’ll bring to the table.
See you in March!
Program Chair
Mary Beth Messner, Catawba College
An internationally recognized expert in academic integrity and ethics in higher education. As the Director of the Academic Integrity Office & Triton Testing Center at the University of California, San Diego, she leads innovative efforts to cultivate integrity-centered learning environments and assessment practices. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Dr. Bertram Gallant has advised universities, policymakers, and global organizations on fostering cultures of honesty and accountability in the face of emerging challenges—most recently, the integration of Generative AI in education.
A prolific author, Tricia’s books, including The Opposite of Cheating: Teaching for Integrity in the Age of AI (2025), have shaped institutional approaches to academic integrity worldwide. Her scholarship blends research with practical strategies, making her a sought-after speaker, consultant, and media commentator on issues of cheating, AI, ethics, and assessment security.
Beyond academia, Tricia’s work has influenced national and international policies on academic integrity, including collaborations with the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and the International Center for Academic Integrity (of which she is President Emeritus). She has delivered keynote addresses and workshops across the world, engaging faculty, administrators, and students in reimagining integrity for the 21st century.
Known for her engaging, research-driven, and solution-oriented approach, Dr. Bertram Gallant doesn’t just diagnose problems—she helps institutions and educators implement real, sustainable change. Whether as a keynote speaker, panelist, or podcast guest, she brings insight, clarity, and a touch of humor to complex conversations about academic integrity, learning, and AI’s role in education.