Reinforcing good pedagogical design

Feedback from this edition highlights a strong alignment between the bootcamp’s pedagogical design and participants’ expectations. Participants consistently valued the variety of training methods and the deliberate modelling of good teaching practice throughout the week. Interactive formats such as small-group discussions, quizzes, gamified activities, and reflective questions were repeatedly cited as key to sustaining engagement and supporting deep learning. Many respondents emphasised that the course went beyond content delivery, encouraging more strategic thinking about how Open Science topics can be taught, communicated, and adapted to different audiences and real-world contexts.

Maintaining a supportive, interactive and inclusive learning environment

A second prominent theme was the quality of the learning environment. Participants frequently highlighted the welcoming, safe, and inclusive atmosphere of the bootcamp, supported by the facilitation approach of the trainers. This environment enabled high levels of interaction and sustained participation across live sessions, which is particularly notable in an online setting. Learning from peers with diverse professional backgrounds and levels of experience was repeatedly described as a major benefit, especially for early-career participants. Access to recordings and an extensive collection of resources further supported self-paced consolidation and extended the value of the bootcamp beyond the live sessions.

Supporting real-world Open Science training

The practical orientation of the bootcamp was also strongly appreciated. Participants valued the clear, actionable guidance on presenting Open Science concepts, assessing learners’ needs, and designing engaging training sessions. The group assignment focused on developing an Open Science training plan was frequently cited as a highlight, as it enabled collaboration and direct application of concepts to participants’ own institutional contexts. Several respondents noted that the bootcamp helped translate complex Open Science topics, including emerging areas, into knowledge that could be readily applied in professional practice.

Managing information overload

Alongside the positive feedback, participants also identified areas for improvement. Some reported a high cognitive load in parts of the programme, with certain sessions covering a large amount of information in a short time. While the availability of recordings helped mitigate this, the overall intensity of the bootcamp, particularly towards the end of the year, was experienced as demanding. A smaller number of participants also noted that some topics were less directly relevant to their daily work, even though they recognised their importance within a comprehensive Open Science curriculum.

Fostering discussion and networking

Building on the strong sense of community and peer exchange that has consistently emerged from the bootcamp, we are organising in February 2026 a first ffollow-up unconference to create space for continued dialogue and mutual learning. While the bootcamp provides an intensive and structured learning experience, many participants highlighted the value of exchanging experiences, challenges, and practices with peers beyond the confines of a formal programme. The unconference responds to this need by offering a more informal, participant-driven format that supports ongoing networking, reflection, and collective problem-solving.

A virtual unconference (also called a barcamp) is a participant-driven event where the agenda is created collaboratively by attendees rather than set in advance by organisers. Instead of formal presentations, participants propose discussion topics beforehand, and sessions are then scheduled based on interest. The format places strong emphasis on networking and peer exchange, offering an informal space to connect and reconnect with bootcamp peers from past editions and to continue discussions on shared experiences and challenges.

This unconference is open to everyone who has successfully completed any of OpenAIRE’s Open Science Train-the-Trainer Bootcamps or the FAIR RDM Bootcamp for Data Stewards. Rather than building the programme on the day, the agenda will be co-created in advance through the barcamps.eu platform. OpenAIRE’s role is to facilitate and organise the unconference, while the content, discussions, and direction of the sessions are shaped by the participants themselves, fostering exchange, shared reflection, and collective learning.

Course content

The resources and presentations from the bootcamp are curated and made available on our e-learning platform, OpenPlato. The course is fully open, with materials shared under a CC BY licence: [https://openplato.eu/course/view.php?id=59](https://openplato.eu/course/view.php?id=59).

Disclaimer - Certain phrasing in this post was suggested by AI, and has been reviewed and edited by the author.