Graduate students (currently enrolled or who have received a masters or doctoral degree within the past year) are invited to submit Discovery Session proposals for works in progress or completed research. We seek proposals that reflect and showcase our vibrant community of practice — promoting theory, research and methodology, and practice in online teaching and learning.

Benefits of Attendance and Presentation at OLC

  • Share research ideas/results
  • Network with OLC experts & attendees
  • Sharpen communication & presentation skills
  • Receive detailed feedback from experts in the field

More about the Graduate Student Discovery Session Presentation Format

Proposals may include works in progress or completed research results. Discovery Sessions provide an excellent opportunity to present your ideas to your peers in a community forum.

Those presenting as a graduate student through this CFP process will receive a discounted registration rate of $175 for virtual attendance or $300 for onsite attendance. All Discovery Sessions will be scheduled as part of our virtual conference (September 20-24, 2021). Graduate Student Discovery Session presenters are welcome and encouraged to attend the onsite event, but the presentations will take place during the virtual week in September. Submissions must be entered as the session type “Graduate Student Discovery Session” to be eligible for this special registration rate. If accepted to present as a Graduate Student Discovery Session presenter, you will receive registration instructions from the conference team.

Note: Each presenter will prepare a digital presentation and upload to an online asynchronous platform by the the September 15, 2021 presentation upload deadline. 

Key Features:

  • An asynchronous opportunity for virtual presenter to virtual audience. 
  • Typically 10-15 minutes of information sharing in a virtual, asynchronous format by the presenter allowing for attendees to view on-demand and contribute asynchronous comments and discussion. 
  • Presentation style is conversational, sharing concise but impactful information.
  • Allows opportunities for interaction using a presentation style that is conversational, sharing concise but impactful information in an online modality. 
  • Interactivity is personalized based on audience members visiting your asynchronous presentation. Allows for deeper connections and more detailed discussions.

Submission Process
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 teaching and learning.  The proposal submission must follow the guidelines of the OLC Accelerate 2021 conference sessions.  Note that each individual is limited to no more than one proposal submission to the Graduate Student Discovery Session type.

Proposal Review Process
The following questions, in addition to the OLC Accelerate 2021 CFP selection criteria, will guide evaluators in the proposal review process.

  • Do the title and abstract clearly describe the presentation?
  • Is the proposed topic timely and/or appropriate?
  • Will this session positively contribute to the conference and to the field?

Timeline

  • April 26, 2021: Proposals due by 11:59pm ET (extended from April 19)
  • June 15, 2021: Notification of acceptance
  • June 30, 2021: Deadline for presenters to accept
  • July 21, 2021: Presentation schedule to be posted
  • August 11, 2021: Deadline for presenters to register
  • August 11, 2021: Final date for presenters to submit abstract edits
  • September 15, 2021: Final date for presenters to upload presentation files

For questions or additional assistance, email conference@onlinelearning-c.org.