This paper positions Open Educational Practices (OEP) as adding significant value to pandemic-era online learning. Much of online learning during COVID was characterised as being low quality, and an emphasis on providing care began to override the impact that reformed pedagogy could have in caring for students. Concepts of Indigenous Knowledge Authority, consent, collaboration, situated knowledge in communities of practice can help to frame how caring pedagogy and cognitive compassion can be cultivated. This paper shares the redevelopment and evaluation of a unit of learning called Cultural Capabilities amidst "pandemic pedagogy" rhetoric in which care for knowledge and online learning is discussed. The focus of this study was to refine the concept of care and compassion pedagogy whilst developing a sustainable model for caring for knowledge as higher education professionals. The learning design process and emergent outcomes of the evaluation for learning design are shared. Student feedback showed significant appreciation for the learning design, affective experiences of the deeper learning facilitated by OEP and relational learning. Australian COVID lockdowns allowed for new approaches to open engagement to practical care and compassionate practices for learning and knowledges. This paper argues that successful OEP can be cultivated with cognitive compassion as a focus instead of a panic-induced care narrative for more sustainable caring academic and professional capabilities as we continue to learn online.