Theme: Transformative Teaching and Learning
Submission Deadline: March 7, 2016

Albert Einstein said that “problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” Transformational change is distinguished by radical breakthroughs in paradigms, beliefs and behavior. We invite proposals that explore transformative student learning experiences and ways in which faculty and institutions transform their own teaching and practice.

Transformative Student Learning - “The essence of transformative learning is that students are changed.” (Jeff King, Executive Director for the Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching & Learning at University of Central Oklahoma). Transformative learning expands students’ perspectives of their relationships with self, others, community and environment. Students need to acquire skills beyond discipline-specific content if they are to be the informed, engaged citizens, productive employees and competent and compassionate human beings. Transformative teaching creates opportunities for students to meet such challenges and, in some cases, go beyond their “comfort zone” to think, rethink, reflect and act on their perceptions and understandings of themselves and the world around them. By building on students’ prior knowledge and experience, and providing opportunities to confront and resolve their own cognitive dissonance, we can promote powerful, meaningful, learning experiences.

Transforming Our Teaching - In addition to “transforming” how students think and learn, faculty and our academic institutions at large may experience new insights or cultural change that inspires them to transform their own approaches to teaching and learning.  Examples include, but are not limited to embracing technology and online learning, shifting to an active learning or inquiry-based pedagogy, global education, service learning, supporting diversity and inclusive practices. What do we as faculty, need to do to embrace, develop and implement such changes in our own practice?

Conference Presentation Opportunities

1. What is transformative teaching and learning? What strategies and techniques promote transformative learning?
2. How do we create transformative teaching and learning at the course, program department and institutional level?
3. Who are our learners and how will this impact them in their courses, in their university experience, life, career, and role as engaged citizen?

The Tenth Annual International Conference on Teaching and Learning offers concurrent sessions (75-minute interactive workshops and 35-minute presentations) and poster sessions. All sessions encourage varied approaches to engagement through interpersonal activities (e.g. small group discussion, collaborative activities) and/or intrapersonal activities (e.g. reflective writing, individual problem-solving).

Interactive Workshops (75 minutes) (Wednesday or Thursday)

Workshops actively engage participants in developing ideas, understanding research results, and adapting innovative practices to their own contexts, and engaging in collaborative learning. Because interaction and/or participant engagement are especially essential to a workshop, elements of a traditional presentation should be kept to a minimum. Proposals should include the following:

1. Names, positions, institutional affiliations, and contact information for the presenter(s). The person who submits the proposal will be the key contact for the presentation.
2. Workshop title.
3. Proposal conference track(s).
4. Workshop abstract (not to exceed 150 words). Your abstract should outline the objectives, content, and format for the session including key goals and participant take-aways. Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. Your abstract will appear in the conference program.
5. Workshop Proposal (not to exceed 500 words). For the workshop proposal, please include the following information:
1. List two-four learning outcomes for your workshop.
2. Provide an outline of what will occur in your session and what you will be presenting (relevant literature, original research, etc.). Additionally, please describe how your learning outcomes will be addressed and how the workshop relates to the conference theme and selected track(s).
3. Describe how you will encourage participant engagement and interaction.
6. Workshop audiovisual requirements (if needed).There will be follow-up communication to allow presenters to request specific equipment when they register.

Workshop proposals will be selected on the following criteria: learning outcomes, addressing conference theme/track, participant engagement, meaningful content, and addressing relevant literature.

Presentations (35 minutes) (Wednesday or Thursday)

Presentation sessions explore and demonstrate innovative practices and programs or applied research findings related to student learning, pedagogy, and assessment. Interaction and participant engagement are key elements of these conference sessions, though there may be elements of more traditional presentations as well. Proposals should 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) Your abstract should outline the objectives, content, and format for the session including key goals and participant take-aways. Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. Your abstract will appear in the conference program.
4. Session Proposal (not to exceed 500 words). For the session proposal, please include the following information:
1. List two-four learning outcomes for your session.
2. Provide a description of what you will cover in your session. Please root your session in relevant scholarship of the field, and discuss what participants will gain from your session. Additionally, please describe how your learning outcomes will be addressed and how the presentation relates to the conference theme and selected track(s).
3. Describe how you will incorporate participant engagement and interaction.
5. Session audiovisual requirements (if needed). There will be follow-up communication to allow presenters to request specific equipment when they register.

Session proposals will be selected on the following criteria: learning outcomes, addressing conference theme/track, participant engagement, meaningful content, and addressing relevant literature.

Interactive Poster Presentation (will be held on Wednesday afternoon)

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. Please note that we will be providing poster boards for participants who request them; digital poster presentations are also encouraged, but participants must supply their own technology.

Two tracks will be available for poster sessions:

1. Instructional strategies for transformative teaching and learning
2. Research, program, or assessment posters

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 track (see above).
4. Poster abstract (not to exceed 150 words) outlining the objectives and content of the poster. Word your abstract with the needs of the participants in mind. This abstract will appear in the conference program.
5. Poster proposal (not to exceed 500 words). Provide a description of what you will cover in your poster.  Please situate your poster in relevant scholarship of the field, and discuss what participants will gain from your poster. Additionally, please describe how your learning outcomes will be addressed and how the poster relates to the conference theme and selected track(s).
6. Multimedia posters are accepted, but poster presenters must bring their own technology for these posters.

Posters will be selected on the following criteria: learning outcomes, addressing conference theme/track, participant engagement, meaningful content, and addressing relevant literature.

Proposal Criteria Rubric

Your proposal will be reviewed using the following rubric. We hope this will assist you as you create your submission.

The categories are:

1. Conference theme. Does the proposal address the conference theme?
   1. Does not address the conference theme
   2. Minimally addresses the conference theme
   3. Marginally addresses the conference theme
   4. Clearly addresses the conference theme
   5. Substantially addresses the conference theme

2. Learning outcomes. Does it provide clear learning outcomes and does the description address how those learning outcomes are met?
   1. Does not provide present and address learning outcomes
   2. Vague learning outcomes and/or unclear addressing of learning outcomes
   3. Learning outcomes present and moderate attempt to addresses learning outcomes
   4. Clearly presents and addresses learning outcomes
   5. Substantially presents and addresses learning outcomes

3. Engagement. Does this proposal appear to be interactive and engaging appropriate to the style of presentation selected?
   1. Session does not appear to contain interactive and engaging elements appropriate to the style of presentation selected
   2. Workshop contains minimal interactive and engaging elements appropriate to the style of presentation selected
   3. Workshop contains moderate interactive and engaging elements appropriate to the style of presentation selected
   4. Workshop contains good interactive and engaging elements appropriate to the style of presentation selected
   5. Workshop contains excellent interactive and engaging elements appropriate to the style of presentation selected

4. Meaningful content. Does the proposal provide meaningful information/research and makes a contribution to our understanding of teaching/learning?
   1. Workshop does not appear to provide meaningful information for participants
   2. Workshop appears to contain minimal meaningful information for participants
   3. Workshop appears to contain moderate amount meaningful information for participants
   4. Workshop appears to contain good amount of meaningful information for participants
   5. Workshop appears to contain very meaningful information for participants

5. Relevant literature. Is the proposal supported with relevant literature?
   1. Proposal is unsupported with relevant literature
   2. Proposal is minimally supported with literature; questions of relevancy
   3. Proposal is moderately supported with relevant literature
   4. Proposal is supported with relevant literature
   5. Proposal is supported with superior discussion of relevant literature

Submission of Proposals

Deadline for submission: Monday, March 7th 5:00 pm
Submitters will be notified in by March 17th of the selection of sessions for the May 2016 Conference. We look forward to receiving your submission. If you have questions regarding the proposal process, please contact:
Judith Ableser, PhD - Conference Chair, at: ableser@oakland.edu
Or
John Corso PhD - Proposal Committee Chair - corso@oakland.edu