EDC

Educational Developers Caucus (EDC) Conference
Educational Developers Without Borders
February 16-18, 2016
University of Windsor and St. Clair College, Windsor, ON
Submission deadline extended to: October 23, 2015

Borders of many kinds define locations, and in different situations educational developers respect them, negotiate them, cross them, or ignore them. We exist in, between, and across locations – and where we are matters.  Whether geographical, cultural, political, metaphorical, or disciplinary, location informs the needs of learners, and therefore may affect the ways educational developers operate in their varied contexts.

This conference will explore the borders that shape our options and the factors that inform our decisions at these borders, offering new insights about how we get to “there” – however we envision that goal – from “here.”

We invite proposals for various types and lengths for the pre-conference and conference program. Proposals should address one or more of the following streams, which are consistent with the EDC Living Plan. The questions included below are representative and intended to help proposers connect the streams to the conference theme – participants are not expected to address these questions in particular.

1. Educational leadership and change management
• How does location impact change? 
• How do you lead change across institutional borders? 
• How do political landscapes affect educational leadership?
2. Curriculum development
• How do you develop curricula that meet the needs of diverse learners across diverse borders?
• What barriers prevent collaboration in curriculum development? 
• How do you design curricula that encourage student success in future locations?
3. Disciplinary diversity, cultural diversity, and internationalization
• Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to educational development? 
• Must educational development be contextualized for disciplines that exist within fixed borders? 
• How does the increasing presence of geographically diverse students affect the education that can be provided in a metaphorically singular location?
4. Supporting effective teaching and evaluation practices
• In what ways are the borders between teachers, students, and educational developers permeable? 
• When should the borders between teaching and evaluation be negotiated, crossed, or ignored? 
• How can we support effective teaching in contentious political and cultural contexts?
5. Scholarly approaches to educational development
• In what ways does scholarship of educational development create or remove boundaries? 
• Do the scholarship of educational development and the scholarship of teaching and learning live on the same metaphorical continent? 
• When should scholarly approaches to educational development be ignored?
6. Collaboration and community in teaching and learning
• When should educational developers live within a community and when should they live between communities? 
• How do metaphorical boundaries inhibit or facilitate collaboration?

Proposals are invited in the following categories:

Half- and full-day pre-conference workshops explore topics requiring in-depth development, applied practice, and extended discussion. Workshops should involve a blend of engaging approaches (e.g., small- and large-group discussion, guided activities, case studies, problem solving, etc.) to facilitate the integration of theory, reflection on experience, and research-based evidence.

Formal presentations (30 min.) focus on structured dissemination rather than on dialogue and exchange.  This might involve sharing highlights of research findings, or profiling an initiative or partnership. Presenters should allot some time for questions in their presentations.

Interactive presentations (60 min.) explore new initiatives, ideas, and research.  Participant engagement is a critical component of these sessions.

Workshops (90 min.) offer an opportunity for more in-depth examinations of challenging issues in the practice and theory of educational development.  Workshops are often based in systematically documented or researched practical experience, but can also explore theoretical issues. They must involve extended opportunities for participants to actively engage with the ideas and content of the session.

Roundtable discussions involve the facilitation of a short (20 min.) discussion about a specific topic or project. The facilitator is responsible for setting the context and providing ideas and information to shape and enrich the dialogue.  Facilitators will offer the same roundtable discussion to up to ten people three times during the one-hour event. Note that the roundtable event is lively and noisy, as all discussions take place in one room simultaneously. Audio-visual equipment will not be provided. 

Poster presentations showcase research findings, innovative practices, and programs, using graphics and concise text to create effective communications.  Held in conjunction with a reception, poster presentations enable presenters to engage participants in informal discussion, individually and in small groups.  We strongly encourage interactive and creative approaches to poster presentations. 

View the Submission Requirements or Review Criteria.

Submission deadline extended to: October 23, 2015

If you have any questions about the conference, please contact the Conference Planning Committee at edc2016@uwindsor.ca