Yaretzy Gabriela Calamaco Munguía is part of the Student Felllows project is studying for a Master’s degree in Pedagogical Innovation and Educational Management at the Benemérita Escuela Normal de Coahuila, Mexico. She is interested in educational innovation, digital technologies and artificial intelligence applied to learning.

Bringing Together Innovation and International Collaboration

Innovation in education is born when ideas, people, and technologies come together to reimagine how we learn and teach. A webinar entitled “Innovating Education with AI and OER”, organized by the UNOE Mexico Team Student Fellowship, was held on 13 June 2026 in a virtual format via Zoom, with the participation of approximately 45 attendees.

The session, coordinated by academic leaders from Mexico and developed in collaboration with international participants from Uruguay, created a meaningful space for academic dialogue on the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Open Educational Resources (OER) in contemporary education.

The webinar was led by two student speakers: Yaretzy Gabriela Calamaco Munguía, a master’s student in Pedagogical Innovation and Educational Management at the Benemérita Escuela Normal de Coahuila (Mexico), and Agustina Sofía Mignaco Hernández, a student from the Universidad de la República (Uruguay). Their participation fostered an intercultural exchange of perspectives, enriching the discussion on educational innovation from diverse academic and cultural contexts.

Key Topics and Participant Engagement

The webinar brought together speakers and participants from diverse educational backgrounds, fostering collaborative reflection between Mexico and Uruguay. Key themes included the pedagogical use of Artificial Intelligence in education, highlighting its potential to support personalized learning, instructional design, and educational innovation, while emphasizing the importance of ethical, transparent, and responsible implementation.

The discussion also explored Open Educational Resources (OER) as a strategy to promote open access to knowledge, educational equity, and collaborative knowledge creation through open licensing and resource sharing. In addition, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) was presented as an inclusive framework that supports learner diversity through flexible educational experiences adapted to different needs and contexts.

Participants also reflected on the development of essential digital competencies, including digital literacy, communication, content creation, collaboration, and critical thinking in increasingly technology-mediated learning environments.

Interactive participation was a central component of the webinar. Through Mentimeter activities, attendees identified key digital competencies for professional development, while a collaborative brainstorming exercise enabled participants to collectively define OER through concepts such as accessibility, inclusion, collaboration, open access, and educational innovation.

The session was conducted primarily in Spanish, with English subtitles available to support accessibility and international participation, reinforcing its commitment to inclusive and global dialogue.

Reflections for the Future

More than an academic event, the webinar became a space for reflection, connection, and shared purpose, where participants exchanged experiences and envisioned more inclusive and innovative educational futures. The dialogue between Mexico and Uruguay highlighted the value of international collaboration in addressing the challenges and opportunities of education in the digital era.

Ultimately, this experience reminds us that educational transformation is not driven solely by technology, but by the human commitment to learn together, share knowledge, and build more open, equitable, and meaningful learning communities.