Please compile all of the following information listed below before submitting your proposal:

  • Login or Create an OLC user account. In order to participate in the OLC Innovate 2019 Call for Presentations, you will need to register or log into an active OLC user account. When registering or logging in, please review and complete your OLC user profile. Be sure to include your name, title, affiliation, biography, a profile picture, and most current contact information.  Before saving your submission, you will be asked to review – and update if necessary – your name, title, affiliation and bio before you can save your submission. 
  • All co-presenters need to also have registered, active OLC user accounts. After you create a user account, proceed to the “Submit Now” link on the CFP pages. You will be able to submit a proposal by clicking on “OLC Innovate 2019″ in the top menu navigation within the conference management system, then select “Submit Session”. 
  • Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the submission from and click “Save”. You can edit your submission at any time up until the CFP close date, at which time all submissions are considered final. 
  • Note that each individual is limited to no more than three (3) submissions, including the roles of presenter, panelist, co-presenter, and workshop facilitator.
  • Title of presentation (limit of 120 characters)
  • Session Types:
    • Conversations, Not Presentations
    • Educate and Reflect Session
    • Emerging Ideas Session
    • Graduate Student Emerging Ideas Session (must be a graduate student, if accepted, we will require proof of your graduate student status)
    • Innovation Studio
    • Workshop
    • Career Forum Roundtable
  • Program track and any unique keywords. Please select only 1 track per proposal, and add as many unique keywords as apply within that track. Please add unique and innovative keywords that best describe the content of your presentation by using the “Keywords” field. 
  • Presentation Teaser / Abstract (limit of 50 words) words for inclusion in the conference website and mobile app listings.
  • Presentation Description and Goals (up to 1500 words for inclusion in the conference website). Please provide a longer description of the presentation. Be sure to align your proposal with your session type specific requirements. Here are some additional helpful hints to crafting your proposal for session types: 
    • Conversations, Not Presentations
      • Your proposal should include the conversation topic and engaging questions for discussion.
    • Educate and Reflect Session 
      • In your proposal, detail how your will structure the 10-minute Q&A/group discussion.
      • Note: strong preference for proposals that include unique strategies for engaging the audience.
    • Emerging Ideas Sessions 
      • Topics can include works in progress, research ideas, collaboration opportunities, or pilot projects. These sessions are a great opportunity to present your ideas to your peers in a community forum.
    • Innovation Studio
      • Proposals should address the following questions:
        • How will participants work collaboratively to prototype a meaningful solution to a particular problem using design thinking?
        • What is an applicable deliverable with which participants will leave the session?
        • How will the session assist participants to identify emerging trends in educational technology and their potential uses?
    • Workshop
      • 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 should answer the following questions for reviewers:
        • What are the explicit participant learning outcomes for the workshop? Are they observable and measurable?
        • What types of collaboration or interactivity will occur during the workshop? What type of active learning? What will the participants do during the workshop?
        • What will participants take home as a tangible deliverable or takeaway?
        • How will the workshop prepare attendees to implement or share the effective practices at their home institution?
        • Who do you envision as the primary audience types who would get the most out of this session and why? Secondary audience types?
        • What materials are required for the presenters, and what materials are required of those in attendance? This must be clearly outlined within the proposal submission.
        • Presenters must provide an opportunity for questions, answers, and/or whole 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.
    • Career Forum Roundtable 
      • Proposals should address the following questions:
        • What specific EdTech career issue, challenge or opportunity will the proposed Career Forum address? (The proposal should lead with a clear statement of an issue, challenge or opportunity of significance.)
        • Who is the target audience for this Career Forum? [Example target audiences might include faculty (full-time and adjunct) at varying stages of their careers, university administrators, instructional design professionals, consultants, and entrepreneurs.]
        • What major discussion points will be covered? Do these points reflect contemporary EdTech trends and issues? Do they connect with current workforce innovation trends or opportunities? [A brief discussion protocol would be useful to include.]
        • What specific career-related takeaways (e.g., lessons learned, resources) will the Career Forum attendees glean from their participation?
  • Special Session Designations: The following special session designations may be applicable:
    • Blended Focus (includes Hybrid)  – Examining how the processes of teaching and learning looks in blended and hybrid learning environments. Sessions in this area may span any track, though topics and outcomes must explicitly address learners in hybrid and/or flipped environments.
      • If you think your proposal has a blended/hybrid focus, please keep in mind the following questions as you craft your abstracts:
        • Is the primary focus of this proposal blended or hybrid learning, or do the participant outcomes explicitly relate to individuals learning in a Blended/Hybrid space? 
        • If the primary focus is blended learning, how will those interested in blended or hybrid learning benefit from the content? 
        • If the primary focus in not blended learning, how might those interested in blended learning benefit from the content?
    • Community College (CC) /TAACCCT Focus – A focus on what is happening in Community Colleges and Career Training environments
    • HBCU Focus – A look into how HBCUs are leveraging resources and innovative ideas to become leaders within online learning
    • Research Focus – Examining current research trends and their impact on teaching and learning. Sessions designated as research typically describe and discuss quantitative and qualitative research outcomes, methodologies, and related matters.
    • Leadership Focus – Providing leadership strategies and solutions to foster scalable and sustainable programs that have an online component within their educational organization
    • Diversity and Inclusion Focus – A focus on the promotion of diversity and inclusion in online learning and higher education. Sessions should focus on initiatives, tools, and their related outcomes to enhance diversity and inclusion within the educational arena.
  • Who might benefit from the presentation? Indicate target audience for attendees.
    • Indicate Target Audience: Administrators, Design Thinkers, Faculty, Instructional Support, Students, Training Professionals, Technologists, Researchers, All Attendees, Other

Note: The following standard audiovisual equipment will be provided in each room: data projector equipped with a universal VGA or HDMI (TBD with AV team onsite) cable to accommodate both PC and Macintosh platforms, an Internet connection, and a screen. Presenters should plan to provide their own computer equipment or other specialized equipment.

Helpful Tips:

  • Become part of the OLC Community – register for your (free) user account on www.onlinelearningconsortium.org.
  • When developing your title choose keywords that accurately describe your presentation content. (One of the most common comments from attendees is about titles and descriptions not matching content.)
  • The Presentation teaser/ abstract should contain a maximum of 50 words.  This abstract is published on the website and in the mobile app.  When developing your presentation description and goals (up to 1,500 words), please make sure you identify how you plan to engage the audience. This can be accomplished through a number of techniques including small group moments, interactive question and answers, audience contribution, interactive handouts, games, partner exercises etc.
  • Please be sure to add conference@onlinelearning-c.org to your “safe-senders” list so you receive your notification as well as other important communications from the OLC Conference Team. 
  • If you do not receive a notification by December 1, 2018, please email us at conference@onlinelearning-c.org to have your notification resent. All submissions, regardless of status, will receive a notification. 

When developing your presentation abstract, description and goals, keep in mind they should:

  • Be concisely written, accurate, self-contained, and coherent
  • Use a clear and direct writing style with active voice rather than passive
  • Give a clear statement of what participants will learn from this presentation and how you will engage your audience
  • List what materials—slides, handouts, web links—will be provided during the presentation and posted on the conference web site
  • Give participants a good idea of the content and format of your presentation
  • Persuade the proposal reviewers and conference attendees that you are going to present something unique, valuable and engaging

Please make sure you check your work for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Keep the abstract short and to the point. Since a broad audience will view your abstract you should spell out all acronyms. Also keep in mind that all information submitted through the online system will be used verbatim to generate the web agenda and any conference publications. Please make sure that your information is accurate and carefully edited. This includes information about you and your co-presenters.