Why Open Education Needs Communities, Not Just Platforms: Creating Spaces for Collaboration Through HackathOERns

Sustainable innovation in open education needs more than technology and infrastructure �� it needs connected communities. Drawing on the HackathOERn project, this session explores how intentionally designed spaces for exchange and collaboration can connect people across institutional, disciplinary, and national boundaries and help ideas develop into lasting projects and partnerships. The discussion will consider what enables communities to overcome silos, how infrastructure can support community-driven innovation, and how collaborations can continue beyond individual events.