Call for Proposals

Join us for Moving Beyond the Traditional Classroom: Engaging Students Through Experience!

Experiential learning – a broad term that encompasses service learning, community-based learning, situated learning, and many other active learning strategies – has long been recognized as a powerful way to engage students, deepen understanding, and help create the conditions that enable students to transfer what they have learned to new contexts.

This year’s joint conference between the University of Windsor and Oakland University will showcase a broad range of experiential learning initiatives at the post-secondary level. Some initiatives bring students out into their communities to apply disciplinary knowledge to real-world situations, help their fellow citizens, and prepare for the challenges they may face after graduation. Some bring the real-world into the classroom instead, simulating a variety of situations so that students can develop their abilities in a safe approximation of living conditions. Others connect students with professionals so they can learn from each other. Practice informs theory and theory informs practice as students learn to make connections and bring ideas to life. The possibilities of experiential learning are myriad.

Conference themes under the broad rubric of experiential learning include the following:

  • Service learning
  • Community-based learning
  • Situated learning
  • Place-based pedagogy
  • Research-informed teaching, Inquiry, and problem-based learning
  • Internships and work placements
  • Co-operative education
  • University-community partnerships
  • Clinics and placements
  • Practica
  • Simulations
  • Role-playing
  • Authentic assessment
  • Performance and portfolio-based assessment

This conference will be held May 19-20th at the University of Windsor, in Windsor, ON, Canada. It is designed for faculty, sessional instructors, academic administrators, staff, and students from post-secondary institutions.

While this annual conference is an initiative of the University of Windsor and Oakland University, we welcome the participation of individuals from other post-secondary institutions. We particularly encourage joint applications from individuals at different universities.

Conference registration will be open March 4th 2011.

Types of Proposals

You may submit proposals for 45-minute concurrent sessions, 90-minute workshops, and interactive poster presentations.

Proposals should address at least one of the conference themes and feature at least one of the following attributes:

  • Research on teaching and learning
  • Innovative teaching and learning programs and practices
  • Administrative, organizational, or institutional initiatives in teaching and learning
  • Innovative use of new educational technologies
  • Development of original professional development resources for faculty and/or graduate students

The peer review process will include feedback and, possibly, specific suggestions for each submission. You may be asked to take feedback into account this input into the revision of your proposal and resubmit before a final decision is made. Participants and presenters at previous conferences have indicated that this collegial and constructive process resulted in improved sessions.

Presenters will have the option of saving drafts of proposals.

Concurrent sessions (45 minutes)

Concurrent sessions explore and demonstrate innovative practices and programs or applied research findings related to experiential learning. Concurrent sessions will be offered in 45-minute blocks. Interaction and participant engagement are key elements of these conference sessions, though there may be elements of more traditional presentations as well. Proposals should be submitted using our online system and include:

  1. Names, positions, institutional affiliations, and contact information for the presenter(s). The person who submits the proposal will be the key contact.
  2. Session title
  3. Session abstract (not to exceed 150 words) outlining the objectives, content, and format for the session. What is a key goal of the session? What will participants leave the session knowing or being able to do? Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. This abstract will appear in the conference program
  4. Audiovisual requirements at the time of proposal submission. There will be follow-up communication to allow presenters to request specific equipment when they register

Workshops (90 minutes)

Workshops engage participants fully in active learning to develop ideas, relate research results and innovative practices to their own contexts, and work on products together. Workshops will be offered in 90-minute blocks. Interaction and participant engagement are especially essential to a workshop, so elements of a traditional presentation should be kept to an absolute minimum. Proposals should be submitted using our online system and include:

  1. Names, positions, institutional affiliations, and contact information for the presenter(s). The person who submits the proposal will be the key contact.
  2. Session title.
  3. Session abstract (not to exceed 150 words) outlining the objectives, content, and format for the session. What is a key goal of the session? What will participants leave the session knowing or being able to do? Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. This abstract will appear in the conference program.
  4. For workshops, a description of the activities planned is essential.
  5. Audiovisual requirements at the time of proposal submission. There will be follow-up communication to allow presenters to request specific equipment when they register.

Interactive Poster Presentation

Posters are a vibrant way to showcase research findings, innovative practices, and programs. To emphasize the value and importance of posters as a way to disseminate information, network with others interested in similar topics, and access rich feedback, the poster session will take place in conjunction with a reception. Although posters should be self-explanatory, presenters must be in attendance during the time allocated to the poster presentation. We encourage interactive, creative, and innovative approaches to poster presentations. A prestigious international award will be presented for the best poster.

Proposals should include:

  1. Name, positions, institutional affiliations, and contact information for the presenter(s). The person who submits the proposal will be the key contact.
  2. Poster title.
  3. Poster abstract (not to exceed 150 words) outlining the objectives and content of the poster. What is a key goal of the poster? How will your poster foster interaction and active learning? Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. This abstract will appear in the conference program.

Submission of Proposals

Deadline for submission: extended to Monday, February 28, 2011

Submitters will be notified in mid-March of the selection of sessions for the May 2011 Conference. At that point, some submitters will be invited to take reviewers' feedback into consideration and to resubmit their proposals within 7 to 10 days. If you are not available during the last two weeks of March to participate in this integral part of the selection process, please let us know in advance.

We look forward to receiving your submission. If you have questions regarding the proposal process, please contact:

Michael K. Potter
Chair, Fifth Annual International Conference on Teaching and Learning
Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
University of Windsor
tlconf@uwindsor.ca
Phone (519) 253-3000 ext. 4831