OEB 2024 Conference Notes

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Last week, I attended OEB in Berlin, one of Europe’s major EdTech events. This marked my third time at the conference, while the event itself celebrated its 30th anniversary—a milestone commemorated throughout the week. Berlin in late November is enchanting, offering daily opportunities to explore and enjoy incredible food.

In keeping with what’s becoming my tradition, I paused my indulgence in beer, hotdogs, and donuts at the Christmas markets to enjoy fine dining at Nobelhart & Schmutzig, along with some memorable dinners with friends. But my heart belongs in all the wurst places.

A smaller stage: the exhibit hall and market sentiment

This year's conference was noticeably smaller, with organizers reporting around 2,000 attendees. Denmark topped the list of countries represented, but South Africa also made a strong showing, ranking fifth. At least, that’s what the statistics claim—though it seemed like every second person I met was from the Netherlands!

The reduced scale was evident on the exhibit floor, which was significantly smaller than in previous years. There were fewer vendors overall, and several key players from last year—such as Proctorio, Babbel, and Noledge—were notably absent. Even among the vendors who did exhibit, many opted for smaller booths.

Interestingly, Anthology/Blackboard did not have a booth this year, repeating its absence from last year. This is a curious choice, given its substantial presence in the U.K. and European markets.

Conversations with exhibitors and attendees often circled back to the same theme: concerns about the economy and constrained higher education budgets. There was a palpable sense of apprehension about tough times ahead. The atmosphere felt markedly different from what I’ve observed at U.S. conferences, and the scale of unease reminded me more of 2008 than of more recent economic downturns.

Skills, microcredentials and (maybe) e-portfolios

One of the key themes that stood out for me at the conference was the growing focus on skills and microcredentials. While this trend is hardly surprising, the intensity of the conversations was striking, especially among universities of applied sciences—more vocationally-oriented higher education institutions—but also increasingly from within traditional universities.

Martin Bean’s keynote on the importance of skills was a standout moment for me, and served as a keynote for the rest of the meeting (more about keynotes later). His talk set the tone for much of the conference, offering a compelling argument for addressing both the skills gap and the cost of higher education while emphasizing universities' critical role as producers of knowledge and enduring human skills (often referred to as "soft skills").

This emphasis on skills was mirrored in discussions about microcredentials. While debates around frameworks and definitions persist, many institutions still seem to be in the early stages of implementing microcredential offerings. Interestingly, Martin Hall from the University of Cape Town highlighted in one session how early frameworks—like those from Europe, Australia, and New Zealand—have significantly influenced microcredential policy and implementation in other regions, such as South Africa.

While I appreciated the increased focus on the practical aspects of microcredentials, I found myself wanting more detail. For instance, in a session on a microcredential maturity model, the discussion touched on technology—specifically user authentication and portability—but remained at a high level. These are undoubtedly critical topics, but there’s an equally urgent need to address how to help prospective learners, especially those outside universities, discover and register for microcredentials. These technical challenges often intertwine with policy issues that demand innovative solutions.

In breakout discussions, a minority of participants seemed less troubled by these challenges, often due to their institutions' integrated structures and licensing arrangements that support transient students. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if some of this confidence was more denial than reality.

Linking the skills and microcredential conversations, I began hearing hints of a renewed interest in e-portfolios (from now on referred to simply as portfolios) as a way to represent skills and credentials in a rich, portable format. This may not be news to European educators, but it feels like a fresh development for many in the U.S., where e-portfolios never gained broad traction for various reasons. I expect the U.S. will be learning a lot about this approach in the coming years and likely seeing more products emerge in this space.

That said, I’ve been wrong before. A few years ago, I predicted a resurgence of student portals, but they faded quickly after a brief period of hype. Let’s see if e-portfolios meet a similar fate or carve out a more enduring role in higher education.

30 under 30

One of the highlights of the conference for me was the new 30 Under 30 Programme (even as someone raised on British English that spelling looks odd to me now).

We had the opportunity to hear from several members of the "30 Under 30" cohort during the opening Learning Battle, Open Mic Arena session, led by Inge de Waard. (Her LinkedIn profile describes her as an “EdTech Dynamo,” which feels like an understatement.) This was an excellent session, and I’d love to see even more of the 30 giving short pitches in the future to showcase their work and ideas. Just make sure Inge stays on as the moderator!

While other "30 Under 30" programs have faced pointed criticism — some for highlighting individuals who later took unethical shortcuts, landing them in hot water or even prison—this part of OEB felt like a breath of fresh air. It brought a sense of hopefulness and positivity that truly energized the conference. I hope this becomes a regular feature in the years to come.

A parting thought about conference keynotes

I’m not a fan of conference keynotes as they are generally practiced. Too often, they fail to live up to their purpose: setting the context, tone, and agenda for the conference as a whole - the key note. Instead, they often consist of whatever the speaker happens to be working on lately or case studies from their institution. Or the schtik that gets the gig.

That said, I do appreciate OEB’s approach of featuring multiple speakers in a single keynote session. It’s similar to why I love European hotel breakfasts: the variety helps mitigate the disappointment of a poor choice, and you aren’t locked in. While this format is an improvement, it still doesn’t quite deliver what a keynote should.

More and more, I find myself thinking of keynotes as the blinking red lights on the tour of the data center that universities inevitably take you on as a visitor. You feel obliged to ooh and aah while feigning interest, but in the end, you’ve learned nothing and are no closer to understanding the topics you came to explore.

Let’s make keynotes memorable again.

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