Call for Proposals education conferences 2023
TIMELINE | TRACKS | SESSION TYPES | FAQ Show We thank you for your interest in sharing your innovative ideas with your global network of colleagues, your community, and those who inspire and seek inspiration. The Online Learning Consortium submission deadline for submitting a presentation proposal for the OLC Innovate 2023 conference (Virtual: April 4—6, 2023; Onsite in Nashville, TN: April 18—21, 2023) has now passed. We will notify successful applicants by December 22, 2022. In the future we will be looking for proposals that reflect and showcase our vibrant community of practice — promoting theory, research, methodology, or applied effective online, blended, and digital teaching and learning practices. To help you with the future submission process, we’ve put together a series of documents to help you prepare your presentation proposal:
Important Dates
Track DescriptionsPlease review the track titles, descriptions, and example topics to find where your ideas, research, demonstrations, or conversations might fit best within the program! Please note that all submissions to the tracks listed below must have at least one academically-affiliated presenter listed. Track #1 - Blended Teaching and LearningAdvancing effective practices for strategically integrating face-to-face and online environments in support of student success. Submissions to this track should focus on blended course/program models and design(s), with an emphasis on research-based best practices, effectiveness, efficiencies, innovation, and scalability. Topics in this track might include:
Track #2 - Workforce, Career, and Industry Connections for Student LearningDesigning workforce development and career pathways with technologies, services, and online opportunities that are experiential, connected to career success, and supportive of lifelong learning. Proposals for this track should focus on innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, technology, learning assessments and certifications, and collaborations with industries and professional organizations that increase the number of learners becoming successfully employed. Proposals from community colleges, career and technical training institutions, and organizations supporting workforce development through the use of online and digital education are encouraged. Some ideas to get you started:
Track #3 - Instructional Technologies and ToolsHighlighting the emerging and innovative methods, approaches, and tools that support transformative learning spaces in online and blended education. Proposals for this track focus on emerging and innovative tools that can create new possibilities and pathways for online teaching and digital learning. This track is especially for conference participants to share fresh perspectives on the use of tech tools to support both learning outcomes and student engagement, to explain the results of related media studies, and to describe inventive instructional approaches for all learners. Some potential topics could include:
Track #4 - Leadership and AdvocacySpotlighting the spaces and groups that foster strategic visioning and change work within online, blended, and digital learning. Proposals for this track should focus on structural innovations and collaborations required amongst leaders and allies within online and digital education. What are some initiatives, strategies, or implementation plans your institution is using to move the needle? Some ideas to get you started include:
Track #5 - Open LearningDriving the creation and sustainability of open learning spaces (physical or digital; MOOCs), open scholarship, open access, open pedagogy, open research, and open educational resources. Proposals for this track should focus on the creation and integration of open (created, shared, and accessible) educational resources. In addition to open textbooks, we welcome submissions on open online courses, open resources for facilitating classroom experiences, and open pedagogy to give students a voice in the negotiation of their learning. Examples that qualify for this track include, but are not limited to:
Track #6 - Process, Problems, and PracticesEmphasizing the cyclical nature of defining and defeating obstacles to innovation in digital and online learning. What do you recognize as a problem at your institution and how does that problem manifest in other areas of education? Are the processes or practices that you have implemented that you feel address this problem in a particularly useful, novel, or interesting way? Proposals for this track focus on identifying challenges inhibiting innovation in online and digital learning environments, detailing processes that solve those challenges, and highlighting practices that make those solutions sustainable. Proposals should address the process of planning innovations, implementing them, and/or assessing their effectiveness. Some ideas to get you started include:
Track #7 - Research: Designs, Methods, and FindingsSharing formal research and in-progress studies in the scholarship of online and blended teaching and learning. This track is reserved for presentations that showcase data, analysis, and outcomes on the scholarship of online teaching and learning with technology and that expand the role of research in online learning. Share your research journey and aim to bridge the gap between your results and real-world application. Consider the best ways to communicate your work with other researchers, educators, and practitioners in online digital learning. Your findings help demonstrate how innovation and research drive change and improvement necessary to better advance access to quality education for online learners. Some potential topics could include:
Track #8 - Student Support and SuccessElevating student success and support models, programs, and strategies that nurture and empower today’s digital learners. Submissions to this track should focus on initiatives, services, and practices offered virtually related to supporting student access and success throughout the entire lifecycle of their educational journey, particularly those related to advising, success coaching, online student services, financial stability, and co-curricular support. Topics in this track might include:
Track #9 - Teaching and Learning PracticeCreating effective approaches to practices for online teaching and digital learning with technology including active learning, game design, and more. Proposals for this track should focus on models or methods for online teaching and digital learning in online, blended, or technology-enhanced courses and programs. We welcome sessions that address any aspect of pedagogical practice, learning design, collaborative curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Examples that qualify for this track include, but are not limited to:
Back to top ↑ Session Types and DescriptionsDifferent topics need different presentation affordances! This list describes our session types, their key features, and what you can expect from them either as a presenter or an attendee. As you craft your proposal, explore which option works best for you and your audience. Session Type #1 - Career Forum Roundtable (45 minutes)Attendees should expect to be moderately involved in the discussion in career forum roundtables. This means that there is likely to be some active conversation in these sessions, and potentially some small group work. Proposals for a 45 minute roundtable discussion should address the following questions:
Session Type #2 - Conversation, Not Presentation (45 minutes)Attendees should expect to be actively involved in discussions and activities during Conversations, Not Presentations. This means participating in question and answer sessions, potential group work, and interactive activities. These 45-minute facilitated Conversation, Not Presentations sessions should propose an issue, challenge, or idea pertinent to the track description to discuss with participants. This session type should be highly interactive, with discussion, activities, and participant engagement. Presenters organize the conversation around a few key points to facilitate discussion, and the audience explores the topic you present or even helps solve the dilemma or otherwise contribute to meeting the challenge. Your proposal should include the conversation topic and engaging questions for discussion. Note: These presentations will be “slide-free” or single-slide proposals. Be sure to make a plan for assistive technology or accommodations for folks that rely on slide decks (handouts, interactive activities, conversations, etc.). The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee is available to provide support if needed. Email if you would like to request assistance from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee. Session Type #3 - Discovery Session (Short conversations with multiple attendees over a 45 minute session)Discovery Sessions, presented onsite at OLC Innovate, allow presenters to share their work, ideas, and innovations in a more personal format. Using a laptop, these sessions allow for a greater exchange of ideas and in-depth conversations about important topics to the OLC community. These digital presentations can include works in progress, research ideas, collaboration opportunities, best practices and practical applications, or pilot projects. Note: Each presenter must bring his or her own laptop. A small table for your laptop and power to the table will be provided. Wireless Internet will also be available to allow for further exploration of related Discovery Session content. Key Features:
Session Type #4 - Virtual Discovery Session (15-20 minute asynchronous conversation)Attendees should expect to watch and interact asynchronously during this Discovery Session in PlayPosit. Discovery Sessions will be either fully virtual or onsite presentations that allow presenters to share their work, ideas, and innovations through the use of an interactive video-based tool to a virtual audience. These sessions allow for a greater exchange of ideas and facilitate new points of connection through in-depth asynchronous conversations about topics important to the OLC community. The best Discovery Sessions are those anchored around a specific provocation through storytelling and can move forward existing works in progress, research ideas, collaboration opportunities, best practices, practical applications, or pilot projects. Through this format, Discovery Session presenters have the capacity to sustain audience engagement and dialogue well beyond the conference, as well as direct the audience to new or additional content that is otherwise beyond the scope of the unique session. PlayPosit’s interactive elements afford presenters the space to ask follow-up questions, incorporate discussion spaces, poll the audience, and more, marking these sessions as uniquely not sit-and-get, but rather strategically designed for asynchronous engagement. Key Features:
Note: Each presenter will prepare a digital presentation through video, uploads, and added interactions using PlayPosit. Each accepted presenter will register for the conference in the modality they are electing to present their discovery session – either onsite or virtual. Due to their pre-prepared nature, presenters have the time, space, and support to refine and revise their discovery sessions prior to the start of the conference. Session Type #5 - Graduate Student Discovery Session (15-20 minute asynchronous conversation)Attendees should expect to watch and interact asynchronously during this Discovery session in PlayPosit. Proposals may include works in progress or completed research results. Graduate Student Discovery Sessions provide an excellent opportunity to present your ideas to your peers in a community forum. We seek submissions by students currently enrolled in or recently graduated (within one year) from a Graduate (Master or Doctoral) program whose research is relevant to online teaching and learning. The proposal submission must follow the guidelines of the OLC Innovate 2023 conference sessions. Those presenting as a graduate student through this CFP process will receive a discounted registration rate of $175 for virtual attendance or $300 for onsite attendance. Key Features:
Note: Each presenter will prepare a digital presentation through video, uploads, and added interactions using PlayPosit. Each accepted presenter will register as a virtual attendee. If you are an onsite presenter, you can also present a Discovery Session in the virtual- to- virtual modality. Due to their pre-prepared nature, presenters have the time, space, and support to refine and revise their discovery sessions prior to the start of the conference. Session Type #6 - Education Session (45 minute classic presentation, panel, or interview)
Attendees should expect to listen to lecture-like material before having group discussions during Education Sessions. Education Sessions provide an opportunity for presenters to share their work, innovations, or new opportunities with the OLC community. The presenters are responsible for driving the conversation and encouraging deep thinking about a topic, sharing practical applications of their work, or providing new and varying perspectives. There are two primary formats for this session type: presentations and panel sessions. Although these are more traditional formats, the presenters/panelists should strive to make the sessions as engaging as possible through polls, audience discussions, and other forms of interaction. Key Features:
Note: With education sessions, there is a strong preference for proposals that include unique strategies for engaging the audience. Session Type #7 - Innovation Studio Design Thinking Challenge (45 minutes)Attendees should expect to be actively involved during Innovation Studio Design Thinking Challenges. This means participating in question and answer sessions, potential group work, and interactive activities. These 45-minute design thinking challenges take place in an active learning space. Proposals should explore a specific challenge, pedagogical strategy, technological tool, research method, industry innovation, or leadership approach for participants to learn more about, experiment with, and implement immediately at all skill levels. Innovation Studio Design Thinking Challenges should be comprised of the following segments:
Proposals for an Innovation Studio session should address the following questions:
Session Type #8 - Workshop (90 minutes)Attendees should expect to be actively involved during Workshops. This means participating in question and answer sessions, potential group work, possible project completion, and interactive activities. Proposals for this session type should be interactive, 90-minute workshops designed to engage a group of participants in an activity related to one of the conference tracks. Non-traditional, cutting-edge interactive workshops that are forward thinking are desired. Example topics for Workshops may relate to innovations in design thinking, makerspaces, conducting educational research in online and digital learning, designing experiential online activities and labs, removing barriers to online learning, and other related topics of interest aligned with this year’s tracks. Workshops should be designed with 2-4 meaningful and measurable participant learning outcomes (LOs) with opportunities explicitly outlined by the presenters showcasing collaborative and/or interactive group activities that will be used during the session to achieve stated learning goals. Proposals for workshops should clearly address the following questions for reviewers:
Presenters must provide an opportunity for questions, answers, and/or whole or small group discussion within the course of the workshop and must describe how this element will be used to best engage participants. Elements of the workshop may be flipped to extend the amount of time participants can engage with the workshop content. Sessions that offer the opportunity to earn a credential, badge, or certificate are encouraged. Workshops are offered free to all participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that computers are not provided for this or any session at OLC Innovate; therefore, all sessions are designated as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Each presenter must bring his/her own laptop/device and must specify in advance what device and/or software requirements (i.e., mobile device or laptop required for participation, required apps for full participation) are expected of participants attending the workshop. The program committee reserves the right to change a workshop’s proposed presentation type if another is deemed more appropriate for engagement and participation given its content. Competition for workshop slots is highly competitive at Innovate 2023. Please understand that you may be considered for an alternative format session instead of a workshop at the program committee’s discretion. Back to top ↑ Frequently Asked Questions for SubmittersWhat key dates should I pay attention to for OLC Innovate 2023? When is my proposal due and when will I be notified?
All submissions are sent notification emails, regardless of acceptance status. Notifications are sent to all presenters listed on each submission. Please be sure to add the @onlinelearning-c.org domain to your accepted emails filters to ensure you receive these messages. If you do not receive a notification email by December 23, 2022, please contact us at . Will my proposal be peer-reviewed?Yes. All OLC conference proposals are double-blind reviewed by a network of experts in the field of online, blended, and digital learning. This is why we ask that you not include identifiable information such as names and institutions within your submission, to maintain the integrity of the blind review process. We also ask you to complete your conference profiles so that we can match everything up, and get everything coordinated and where it needs to be! What criteria are used to evaluate my proposal?Presentations are evaluated using five major categories:
How do you select presentations for Best In Track awardsBest-in-Track awards are selected by conference attendees, and calculated based on attendee feedback. Each presentation offers attendees the opportunity to provide feedback to speakers. From these responses, we calculate the best-in-track winners from the CFP-accepted, non-sponsored sessions. By putting the Best-in-Track award selections in the hands of attendees, we aim to give you, our community, a larger voice in letting us know what you appreciate and find valuable in regard to programming. Back to top ↑ |