The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) will hold PCF11 in Gaborone, Botswana from 10-12 September2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skills Development (MESD) and its implementingagency Botswana Open University. The first Pan-Commonwealth Forum on Open Learning (PCF)was convened in Brunei Darussalam in 1999. Since then, PCF has been organised around theCommonwealth in South Africa, New Zealand, Jamaica, United Kingdom, India, Nigeria, Malaysia andCanada.

The focus of the Forum is to provide an opportunity for the open, online and flexible learningcommunity to meet, share knowledge and experiences, identify important trends and exploreapplications of open and distance learning in widening access, bridging the digital divide and advancingthe social and economic development of communities and countries. The event is particularlyimportant for policy makers, practitioners and researchers from developing countries.

Submission Guidelines

Proposals are invited from academics, including research scholars and graduate students, technology innovators, development practitioners, administrators, COL stakeholders and partner institutions for presentations within the scope of the Theme and Sub-Themes of PCF11.

The Forum will consist of the following types of sessions: 

Guidelines for Submission of Proposal 

The Programme Committee of PCF11 invites you to submit your proposal for the Forum as early as possible. The last date for proposal submissions is 30 January 2025 Pacific Standard Time (PST). Proposals should be written concisely and clearly in English, the official language of the event. Submissions for single papers/posters should not exceed 200 words. Submissions for workshops/panels/demonstrations should not exceed 400 words. Interested individuals can submit more than one proposal.

You must have an EasyChair Account to submit a proposal.

If you do not have an Easy Chair Account, go to https://easychair.org/, click on Log In and then click on Create an Account.

Proposals are to be submitted online at Submissions.

Before Submission 

Before submitting your proposal, please ensure that you have carefully read and adhered to the ‘Criteria and Instructions for Proposals Submission and Selection’. This includes reviewing the theme and sub-theme descriptions and submitting each proposal only once. Please indicate one sub-theme. The proposal must convey the importance and relevance of the topic to the Forum theme and sub-theme as selected and consider the three Special Focus Areas. The same proposals submitted more than once will not be considered. You will be asked to indicate:

1. your chosen sub-theme and the link to the three Special Focus Areas, if any, at the proposal submission stage.
2. please acknowledge and explain any use/intended use of GenAI in submissions
3. if you plan to attend PCF11 in person or virtually (limited availability) to make your presentation at a session if accepted
4. the category of your submission: paper, poster, workshop, panel or marketplace

List of Topics

PCF11 Theme

Innovative Open Education:Fostering Resilient Societies for SustainableEconomic Development

Sub-Themes:

1. Changing mindsets for inclusive open educationFocus on underpinning philosophies/pedagogies/approaches for inclusion, access and successthrough ODL provision – the ‘why’ of learning.
2. Gender, technology and innovation in open educationFocus on issues of gender, technology and innovation in open educational practices – the ‘how’of learning.
3. Skills development through lifelong open educationFocus on skills/TVET development for more people more flexibly for sustainable development– part of the ‘what’ of learning.
4. Sustaining communities of learning and practice in innovative open educationFocus on resilience and working, sharing and learning together in local communities and as apan-Commonwealth community – the ‘who’ of open learning practice.

Venue

The conference will be held in Gaborone, Botswana.