OLC Innovate 2026 White Logo

Virtual | March 3-5, 2026

Early Bird Registration is Now Open

Call for Proposals is Now Closed

Presenter notifications will be sent December 10, 2025.

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Welcome To OLC Innovate 2026!

OLC Innovate, a joint conference presented by OLC and MERLOT, 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 virtually March 3-5, 2026 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.

OLC Innovate 2026 General Schedule

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

HBCU AL$ Workshop

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.

  • All sessions are held in Zoom.
  • All sessions will be live webcast per time listed in US EASTERN Time Zone
  • All sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing for nine (9) months post-conference.

*Networking opportunities to connect with other attendees in informal social settings with activities.

Circle-cutout headshot of Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Tricia Bertram Gallant

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

11:15am-12:30pm US Eastern Time Zone

More information coming soon.

Conference Program

Unique Session Formats

Expect to be actively involved in sessions at OLC Innovate. From design sprints and express sessions to deep dive workshops and featured sessions with subject matter experts in digital learning, presentations will encourage deep thinking and engagement around relevant topics. 

Multiple Pathways to Learn

The Online Learning Consortium (OLC) is committed to fostering collaborative spaces where educators and learning and development professionals across K-12, higher education, and workforce learning can share their experiences and work together to enhance learning communities and environments.

Find Your Community and Engage

Connect with other attendees through collaborative activities. Get more out of your experience by forming meaningful connections and sprouting new collective ideas with the best and brightest in our field.

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Virtual | March 3-5, 2026

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.

 

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.

Dear Colleagues,

We are thrilled to welcome you to OLC Innovate 2026, a dynamic and collaborative event presented by the Online Learning Consortium (OLC) and MERLOT. This year’s virtual conference, held March 3–5, 2026, invites educators, instructional designers, administrators, and innovators from across the globe to come together and reimagine the future of online, digital, and blended learning.

At OLC Innovate, we challenge traditional paradigms and explore bold new ideas that shape the evolving landscape of education. Whether you’re here to share your research, test new technologies, or connect with peers, this conference is designed to spark creativity, foster meaningful dialogue, and inspire lasting change.

Throughout the event, you’ll find opportunities to engage in hands-on sessions, thought-provoking keynotes, and collaborative activities that encourage experimentation and reflection. We invite you to lean into the spirit of innovation—ask questions, make connections, and explore the possibilities that emerge when passionate educators unite.

Thank you for being part of this vibrant community. Your contributions, insights, and energy are what make OLC Innovate a truly transformative experience. We look forward to the ideas and relationships that will grow from our time together.

Let’s innovate- together!

Warm regards,

Jennifer Wurch Headshot

Conference Chair

Jennifer Wurch, Penn Foster Group

Headshot of Dr. Jennifer Mathes

Executive Conference Chair

Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., Online Learning Consortium

Headshot of Gerry Hanley

MERLOT Executive Chair

Gerry Hanley, Ph.D.

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