OLC Accelerate 2019 CFP Session Types & Details
The session types and other information will be helpful as you shape your presentation submission. Thank you for your submission. Notifications were sent by email on July 31.
The session types and other information will be helpful as you shape your presentation submission. Thank you for your submission. Notifications were sent by email on July 31.
The session types are an important classification which guide the conference planning committee in the review and selection of proposals. Attendees also use this information to determine which session to attend during the actual conference. Detailed descriptions of each session type are provided below.
During the proposal submission process, you will be asked to identify which session type your presentation aligns with. Please be aware that selecting the incorrect session type may impact how your proposal is scored by the reviewers and possibly its likelihood of acceptance if incorrectly submitted.
Proposals that describe strategies for high levels of interactivity or engagement tend to receive higher peer review ratings during the Call For Proposals evaluation process. If you would like to explore strategies and technologies to support interactivity during your sessions, please visit the Presenter Services page. Coaching from Presenter Services is available to support you in meeting this goal.
All sessions are 45 minutes in length.
Click on the (+) to expand each section to view full information on each topic.
Carefully review the session type descriptions below before submitting a proposal.
1. Education Session** (Traditional – Lecture or Interview)
Education Sessions provide an opportunity for presenters to share their work, innovations, or new opportunities to 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.
Note: When submitting the proposal, the names and affiliations of the presenters, moderator(s) and panelists are required to be included. Please do not include names or institutions in the abstract in order to keep the review process double-blind. All individuals (presenters, moderators, and panelists) will need OLC user accounts and must be listed as presenters on the proposal. (Presenters/panelists cannot be proposed as TBD.)
Key Features:
**This session category includes Best-in-Track selections for award and Best-in-Track presentations sessions.
**Best-in-Track Sessions will have the opportunity to submit to the Online Learning Journal for publication.
2. Express Workshop (Exploration)
These sessions are designed to provide the attendees with an opportunity to explore a new skill, strategy, or technology. By offering practical, hands-on learning activities, participants are fully engaged in the learning process. Facilitators provide both group and 1-1 guidance as necessary during the session. Attendees should walk away from the session feeling as though they have acquired a new skill, have developed an action plan, or have gain significant insight into a new technology. Proposals must include measurable outcomes and activities.
Note: Presenters are responsible for providing all Express Workshop materials. Instructions for uploading materials will be provided to all accepted presenters. Presenters are also responsible for ensuring all attendees can actively engage in the session. Please see the Presenter Services site for resources on making the session fully accessible.
Key Features:
3. Gamified Session (Interactive)
New for 2019 – Gamified sessions!! These sessions engage both the presenters and the attendees in a fun and unique OLC conference experience. Moving beyond traditional styles of presentations, attendees and presenters of this session type will have the ability to connect with the content and each other like never before. Presenters may draw upon well known games such as Jeopardy and Family Feud as example formats or inspiration. These sessions tend to draw large audiences, please be sure all attendees can be accommodated with the strategies used.
Key Features:
4. Discovery Session (Conversation)
Discovery Sessions 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:
5. Graduate Student Discovery Session (Conversation)
Proposals for Graduate Student Discovery Sessions can include works in progress, research ideas, collaboration opportunities, or pilot projects. 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, blended, and digital teaching and learning. The proposal submission must follow the guidelines of the OLC Accelerate 2019 conference sessions.
Be sure to review the detailed Graduate Student Discovery Session page before submitting your proposal.
Key Features:
The following rubric will be used to evaluate all proposals in the refereed proposal review process.
Specific Criteria:
Presenters should include active engagement methodology during presentations to encourage audience/participants to ask questions. The CFP ratings are based on the following major categories:
During the review process, reviewers are also asked to indicate whether or not your proposal meets Effective Practice criteria and would be a good candidate for EP submission. We encourage, but do not require, Effective Practice submissions from conference presenters. EP submissions from conference presenters will be eligible for Effective Practice Awards selection; awards will be presented onsite at the conference. With regard to effective practices, reviewers will consider proposals in light of this question:
If your proposal is accepted, you will be asked to:
Note: The following standard audiovisual equipment will be provided in each room: data projector equipped with an HDMI cable to accommodate both PC and Macintosh platforms, an Internet connection, and a screen (16:9 slide ratio). (Note: Presenters should plan to provide their own computer equipment or other specialized equipment). Microphones will be supplied as needed in larger rooms.
If your presentation is accepted, you are strongly encouraged to post it as link or a pdf or PowerPoint file to the presentation repository by November 1, 2019. The contributions will remain online as part of the conference materials after the conference. The conference management team will provide instructions on how to upload your file(s) to your session page after acceptance of proposals. Session abstracts and information about the presenters also will be included on the site.
Companies and vendors provide value to OLC Conferences through program presentations, exhibits and sponsorships. Vendors may submit presentations in any of the program tracks or presentation formats: