Present at OLC Accelerate 2023

This track focuses on the interrelated practices of increasing access to education through such lenses as accessibility and universal design for learning (UDL), DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), and open education. Submissions to this track should focus on authentic, meaningful, and sustainable actions related to equity, access, diversity, and social justice in education including social and economic factors, culturally responsive teaching, anti-ism practices and pedagogy, open educational practices, and more to ensure equitable outcomes and opportunities for all.

Topics in this track might include:

• Open educational practices, pedagogy, and research
• Centering equity, inclusion, and social justice in digital learning
• Initiatives, processes, policies, or efforts to increase access through learner services and support
• Equitably supporting specific student populations (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, poverty-affected, first generation, neurodivergent, adult learners)
• Inclusive curricula, learning climates, or instructional practices
• Equitable assessment and engagement practices
• Trauma informed practice
• Universal Design in an educational context, including Universal Design for Learning and other approaches
• Affordability and cost containment
• Access to technology and broadband
• Addressing access in times of emergency response teaching

This track focuses on blended learning from the perspective of course/program/institutional level strategies, delivery models, and teaching practices, with an emphasis on research-based best practices, effectiveness, efficiencies, innovation, and scalability. Submissions to this track encompass teaching and learning practices that combine face-to-face and online instructional modes built around an intentional pedagogical approach (as opposed to reactive, emergency pivots to remote instruction).

Topics in this track might include:

• Methods and resources for redesigning courses for the blended format
• Strategies for engaging students online to prepare for face-to-face or synchronous activities
• Discipline-specific approaches for blended courses/programs
• Non-traditional assessments that motivate and engage blended learners
• Teaching condensed or accelerated blended courses
• Research methods and theories of innovation in blended teaching and learning
• Faculty development, training, and support for blended teaching and learning
• Institutional practices, policies, and approaches to blended programming
• Intersections between blended, hybrid, flipped and HyFlex learning approaches

This track focuses on impactful, evidence-based practices for facilitating and continuously improving the facilitation of online, blended, and digital learning experiences. Submissions to this track should focus on explorations, new applications, and discoveries within the context of teaching and learning in digital environments.

Topics in this track might include:

• Initiatives, processes, policies, or efforts that improve learning
• Approaches to professional development and support for faculty that help to improve teaching and learning
• Best practices and institutional expectations for facilitating teaching and learning
• Instructional strategies promoting engagement and student motivation
• Practices supporting engaging classroom climate
• Promoting broadly engaged regular and substantive interaction (RSI)
• Implementing student co-creation methods and strategies
• Classroom-based engagement activities
• Accelerated Online Strategies or Compressed Online Methods

From practical approaches and design methods, to organizational leadership models for instructional design teams, submissions to this track should focus on the instructional design profession and its critical role in the design, development, and assessment of quality online, blended, and digital learning experiences.

Topics in this track might include:

• Instructional design and pedagogical/andragogical theory and practice models that support teaching and learning in the 21st Century
• Processes instructional designers follow to design and develop quality online courses. 
• Learner-centered course design
• Centering equity in the instructional design process
• The changing role of the instructional design professional 
• Strategies that support alignment between instruction and outcomes
• Approaches for designing quality courses, including course quality benchmarks
• Approaches to professional development and support for instructional designers
• Professional development models for course development team members (faculty, librarians, multimedia experts, and educational technologists)
• Evidence-based practices and research on the instructional design process
• Relationship building and partnership models for instructional design teams

This track offers established leaders critical methods and practices to align institutional efforts to comprehensive and sustainable digital strategy. Submissions to this track should focus on how leaders envision, launch, and scale their institutions’ blended, online, or distance programs using different strategies and leadership approaches.

Topics in this track might include:

• Organizational leadership (individual program, school and institutional levels)
• Crisis management, disruption, rapid innovation, and emergency preparedness (e.g., COVID-19)
• Intra-institutional strategies and models for collaboration across units.
• External partnerships, collaborative models, vendor relationships, or cross-institutional teams
• Strategies to identify and expand resources and opportunities to drive academic innovation
• Marketing, recruitment, outreach, and retention initiatives for new or existing programs (with goals such as: effective globalization, growth, stability, equity, and innovation)  
• Planning, alignment, and increased quality of academic initiatives
• Engagement of key stakeholders around issues of disruption, change and growth
• Institutional approaches, strategies, or best practices for faculty development, professional development and support 
• Accountability approaches (i.e. certification, accreditation, regulation, SARA)
• Leading academic transformation

Submissions to this track should focus on formal research of completed or well-developed studies that relate to digital, online and/or blended learning or the collection and use of data for improvement or accountability in online and blended learning. Presenters submitting formal research are strongly encouraged to submit extended versions of original research papers to OLC’s flagship journal, the Online Learning Journal (OLJ), to be included in a special issue featuring concepts presented at the conference.

Topics in this track might include:

• Empirical research studies on topics related to online, blended, and digital learning
• Challenges to quality research in online an blended learning
• Application of theory and/or data to inform new directions in online and blended teaching and learning
• Evidence-based practices in online and blended learning
• Research methodologies involving big data, business, intelligence, or data mining to support digital learning environments
• Interdisciplinary, country-specific, region-specific, or comparative studies on the effectiveness of blended, online, and digital learning initiatives
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
• Data or learning analytics

Submissions to this track should focus on initiatives, services, and practices offered virtually related to supporting student access and success throughout the entire lifecycle of their educational journey, particularly those related to advising, success coaching, online student services, financial stability, libraries, tutoring, mentoring, and co-curricular support.

Topics in this track might include:

• Institutional models and exemplars for online and blended student support
• Online student advising, success coaching, and peer-to-peer support
• Mental health and well-being support services
• Student services and support in digital learning environments
• Retention and success for online students
• Humanization of online learning and centering student care
• Inclusive equitable support models in times of emergency (i.e., COVID-19 and pandemic planning)
• Co-curricular community engagement efforts
• Curated student support services for specific learner populations (i.e., BIPOC, LatinX, Indigenous, first-generation, poverty-affected, and adult learners)

Centering the application of instructional technology tools to support quality online learning, submissions to this track should focus on emerging technology, digital innovations, and tools or technologies used within online, blended, and digital education.

Topics in this track might include:

• Adaptive and personalized learning
• Application or creation of best practices of synchronous or asynchronous environments
• Groundbreaking or innovative practices
• Application of technologies designed to improve learning effectiveness
• Exploration of technologies for increasing student engagement
• Tools that support the teaching and learning process
• Emerging technological trends that hold significant potential to impact learning, such as virtual reality 
• Empowering and effective uses of artificial intelligence in online and blended learning
• Creative uses of technologies that transform the instructor/student dynamic
• Tools that support the process of providing custom learning experiences
• Successful implementations of custom and emerging technologies
• Innovations in instructional technology
• Ethical consideration of instructional technology usage

Attendees should expect to engage with a traditional presentation delivery format before participating in a culminating group discussion during Education Sessions.

Education Sessions provide an opportunity for presenters to share their work, innovations, or new opportunities to the OLC community. 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. 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.

Key Features:

• 45 minutes total. Time allotments may vary but each session should include approximately 25 minutes for presentation, 10 minutes for interaction, and 5 minutes for questions.
• 1-4 individuals conducting the session (panel sessions must include a moderator).
• Presentation style is similar to a lecture, while a panel session is similar to an interview.
• Interactivity should be planned and should utilize engagement strategies to provide the audience with an active learning experience.
• Accompanied by a slide presentation (important for accessibility purposes and for virtual audience viewing should your session be selected to be live streamed)

Note:  With education sessions, preference will be given to proposals that include opportunities for participant engagement.

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 gained 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: 

• 45 minutes total; typically consists of 3-5 minutes of introductions, with the remaining time consisting of multiple explanations/demos and hands-on activities.
• 1-3 presenters facilitating a hands-on learning experience.
• Presentation style is similar to an exploration in which the presenters engage the attendees in a “try it yourself” format.
• Interactivity is high. The entire session is focused on activity based learning.
• Facilitators are expected to provide any materials (instructions, worksheets, etc.)  to ensure a successful session.
• If presenting virtually, be sure to think about how to incorporate group work and hands-on activities in a virtual environment.

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 as example formats or inspiration for their engaging sessions. Because these sessions tend to draw large audiences, please be sure all attendees can be accommodated with the strategies used.

Key Features:

• 45 minutes total; typically includes 5-10 minutes of introductions and 35-40 minutes of game based interaction involving the content and participants. (Attendees should be able to ask questions during the session or additional time may need to be allotted at the end for Q&A.)
• 1-4 presenters facilitating highly active sessions with an emphasis on game play and interactivity.
• Presentation style can vary, but must include elements of game based learning.
• Interactivity is extremely high. Both presenters and attendees should be actively participating. Proposals must disclose the game format being used and how it will be implemented.

Discovery Sessions, presented onsite at OLC Accelerate, 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: Presenters must bring their 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:

• Typically 5-7 minutes of information sharing by the presenter, followed by discussion. (Presentation is repeated 2-3 times over a 45 minute timeframe).
• 1-3 presenters engaging in meaningful conversations with attendees.
• Presentation style is conversational, concise and impactful.
• Interactivity is personalized based on audience members stopping by the presentation display. Allows for deeper connections and more detailed discussions.
• Presenters are expected to bring their own laptops and provide handouts. OLC will provide tables and power strips.

OLC will again offer the option of asynchronous Discovery Sessions at OLC Accelerate 2023. Virtual Discovery sessions will be fully asynchronous presentations that allow presenters to share their work, ideas, and innovations in a virtual presenter to virtual audience format. These sessions allow for a greater exchange of ideas and in-depth asynchronous 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 will prepare a digital presentation and upload it to PlayPosit. Each accepted presenter will register as a virtual attendee. If you are an onsite presenter, you can also present a Discovery Session in the asynchronous modality.

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 allows 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 during and after the conference.

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.

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 2023 conference sessions. 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.

Virtual Graduate Student Discovery Sessions should follow the same guidelines as “Session Type #5 – Virtual Discovery Session (Asynchronous Online Conversation)” above. 

Key Features:

• Typically 10-15 minutes of information sharing by the presenter allows for attendees to listen and contribute questions and comments. 
• Presentation style is conversational, concise, and impactful. 
• Allows opportunities for interaction using a presentation style that is conversational, sharing concise but impactful information. 
• Interactivity is personalized based on audience members visiting your asynchronous presentation or in person station. Allows for deeper connections and more detailed discussions during and/or after the conference.

Attendees should expect to be actively involved during Workshops. 

Submissions for this session type should be interactive, 90-minute workshops that align with this year’s tracks and should seek to offer a more in-depth exploration and activation of a topic than a shorter, regular conference session would allow.

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 outcomes. Interactive workshops that highlight effective practices are desired.

Proposals for workshops should clearly address the following questions for reviewers:

• What are the explicit participant learning outcomes for the workshop?
• What types of collaboration or interactivity will occur during the workshop with the instructor-participants and within the participant-to-participant group themselves?​
• Please outline time allotments for any presentation vs. interactivity (i.e., 15 minute presentation; 65 minute interactive workshop; 10 minute Q & A) and indicate activity alignment to participant learning outcomes
• How will workshop participants be able to apply the effective practices shared in the workshop at their home institution?
• Who do you envision as the primary audience types who would get the most out of this session and why do you believe they will benefit?
• What activities, take-aways, and/or activities will your workshop participants engage in that make your workshop unique, innovative, and relevant to the OLC Accelerate 2023 themes and track you have selected?
• 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 or small 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.

Workshops are offered free to all participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that computers are not provided for this or any session at OLC Accelerate; therefore, all sessions are designated as BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Each presenter must use their own laptop/device and must specify in advance what device and/or software requirements (i.e., mobile device or laptop required for participation, required apps for full participation) are expected of participants attending the workshop. The program committee reserves the right to change a workshop’s proposed presentation type if another is deemed more appropriate for engagement and participation given its content.

Competition for workshop slots is highly competitive at OLC Accelerate. Please understand that you may be considered for an alternative format session instead of a workshop at the workshop chair’s discretion.

OLC will offer a new Lightning Session format at OLC Accelerate 2023. Lightning Sessions are short, 15 minute presentations that offer opportunities for authors to showcase their research and practices in a format that captures audience attention and provides opportunities for reflection. These presentations should focus on a well developed topic that supports innovation and provides resources for audience take away. Proposals for a lightning session must align with the field while compellingly presenting the highlights of their work.

Note: Presenters are responsible for providing all Lightning Session 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:

• 15 minutes of presentation in-person, in the style of a TED Talk or Ignite Talk, with no Q&A
• Presentation style is conversational, sharing concise but impactful information
• Lightning talks are focused on sharing one key idea that leads to participants making broader connections to the talk and their work
• Attendees should leave with a driving question to answer for themselves that connects the talk to their own contexts within online and blended learning

For more detailed information about the conference, please visit the OLC Accelerate 2023 webpage. The pages under the Program and Engagement tabs will be updated regularly as information becomes available. If you have any questions that are not addressed on the website, please send an e-mail to conference@onlinelearning-c.org.

• April 24, 2023 (by 11:59pm ET): Proposals due – Extended through May 8, 2023
• June 30, 2023: Notification of acceptance
• July 21, 2023: Deadline for presenters to accept
• September 1, 2023: Deadline for presenters to register/edit abstracts
• October 1, 2023: Deadline for presentations to be uploaded and conference presenter profile to be updated

All submissions are sent notification emails, regardless of acceptance status. Notifications are sent to all presenters listed on each submission. Please be sure to add the @onlinelearning-c.org domain to your accepted emails filters to ensure you receive these messages. If you do not receive a notification email by July 7, 2023, please contact us at conference@onlinelearning-c.org.

Yes, you can submit a proposal for a virtual session. OLC is offering a virtual portion of our conference October 3-5, 2023. This means that we have a very limited number of virtual sessions available for presenters. Opportunities to present will be stronger for in-person presenters.

Yes, absolutely! We are always looking for session reviewers, session chairs, OLC engagement crew members, and more. Contact conference@onlinelearning-c.org to discuss volunteer opportunities with OLC conferences!

Yes. All OLC conference proposals are double-blind reviewed by a network of experts in the field of online, blended, and digital learning. This is why we ask that you not include identifiable information such as names and institutions within your submission, to maintain the integrity of the blind review process. We also ask you to complete your conference profiles so that we can match everything up, and get everything coordinated and where it needs to be!

Presentations are evaluated using five major categories:

• Relevance to the conference
• Clarity of topic and outcomes for attendees
• Audience appeal
• Interactivity
• Alignment to session specific criteria

Yes, all accepted presenters must register and pay the published registration fees for the OLC Accelerate conference. Pricing information is available on the OLC Accelerate 2023 webpage.

Best-in-Track awards are selected by conference attendees, and calculated based on attendee feedback. Each presentation offers attendees the opportunity to provide feedback to speakers. From these responses, we calculate the best-in-track winners from the CFP-accepted, non-sponsored sessions. By putting the Best-in-Track award selections in the hands of attendees, we aim to give you, our community, a larger voice in letting us know what you appreciate and find valuable in regard to programming.

• Selecting a session: Whether onsite or virtual, attendees are free to select any session to attend during a particular time slot. Other than for pre-conference master classes and ticketed symposiums, there is no advance registration for sessions. Depending on the interest level for your session and other sessions during your time slot, you may have anywhere from 10-100+ people in your session.
• Engagement and technology: We encourage presenters to take as universal an approach to the design of their sessions as possible, keeping in mind that attendees will come to their sessions with unique goals and levels of anticipated engagement. Access and accessibility are important considerations here. If presenters are expecting attendees to have access to or utilize specific technology, this should be explicitly detailed in your session abstract. Participants are responsible for bringing their own devices. Wireless connectivity is provided for onsite participants.
• Session materials: Attendees will be expecting presentation handouts, slides, and other related materials to be available in the conference repository. Since there are a large number of sessions occurring throughout the conference, attendees will want to view in advance the conference repository to determine their session selection and find materials for those they will miss. Materials that are uploaded in advance also contribute to the accessibility of sessions.
• Post-session engagement: All virtual synchronous sessions and selected onsite sessions will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing by all onsite and virtual attendees for one year post-conference.

• Onsite: Rooms will be primarily set in banquet round seating. There will be a podium and head table for presenters in the front of the room. Some rooms have two entry points, others only have one. Discovery Session presenters share a larger space for concurrent presentations. Each Discovery Session “station” includes an LCD display monitor, a high table, a low table, and a chair.
• Virtual: In support of conferences, the OLC uses a dedicated set of Zoom Meeting Rooms. Each unique session will have a dedicated Zoom room meeting set-up and unique link. The standard set of Zoom Meeting Room tools will be available to presenters.

• Onsite: Each room is equipped with an LCD projector (16:9 aspect ratio), wireless Internet connection, laptop audio output capability, a podium, and a screen. Rooms are not equipped with computers; presenters must provide their own computers and adaptors to connect to HDMI. The conference does not provide laptops for presenters. Please bring any specialized conversion cables and adaptors along with you, such as Mac adapters, if needed to connect to HDMI. Microphones, including a mic at the podium (gooseneck or lav, depending on the room), are available for the lead presenter and co-presenters will have use of mics on stands on a head table. Some rooms are of a size where it is deemed microphones are not needed.
• Onsite Exception (Discovery Sessions): Presenters are provided a power drop to charge devices and a small display monitor but are otherwise responsible for bringing any other technology they require for their session.
• Virtual: Within the standard set of Zoom Meeting Room tools, presenters have access to breakout rooms, polls, reactions, and screen & audio sharing. Presenters and participants will be able to rename themselves and change their backgrounds during the session. Live transcription will be available in each Zoom-hosted session.
• Virtual Asynchronous: Discovery Session presenters will be provided “Instructor” level access to PlayPosit and are sent detailed information and support about successfully using this tool.

• Onsite: Technicians will be roaming the rooms to assist if needed. Presenters will also have hall monitors who can secure assistance should a technician not be readily available. Additionally, conference staff and volunteers will be available onsite for other support such as navigating the conference space and registration questions.
• Virtual: Each Zoom Room will be staffed with a Zoom Room Manger (OLC staff member). Zoom Room Managers are responsible for managing the logistics of the session and will serve as facilitators (e.g. introducing presenters and supporting Q&A). Technicians will also be available, if needed.
• Discovery Asynchronous: Presenters should email presenterservices@onlinelearning-c.org for support with their asynchronous Discovery session development.
• We encourage all presenters to either attend or review the recording of the presenter services webinars for more guidance on what to expect as a virtual presenter.

All sessions have a unique evaluation link in the virtual conference platform. Submitted evaluations are used in the determination of Best-in-Track awards. The OLC values session and conference feedback and uses the evaluations collected as a source for continuous improvement between events. To encourage attendees and presenters to engage in session evaluation practices, we run a prize drawing. In addition to the random drawing for session attendees, presenters are also entered into a separate prize drawing.

• Onsite: We recommend onsite presenters download our “Session Evaluation Reminder Slide” and insert at the beginning and end of presentation content to encourage attendees to complete session evaluations.
• Virtual: All virtual presentations will already include the “Session Evaluation Reminder Slide” (through OLC created slides and content), so presenters are not responsible for including this in their own materials. We nevertheless encourage presenters to remind attendees to provide session feedback.

No, OLC does not cover any other conference-related expenses for presenters. As a non-profit, OLC is unable to provide assistance for travel or lodging expenses to presenters. Presenters are responsible for their own travel and lodging expenses, including all taxes and fees on said travel and lodging expenses.

The conference website will have a complete listing of sessions where you may find the date and time assigned for your presentation. After the schedule is published, you may search for your presentation date/time/room assignment. You may search a number of ways – by track, by presentation type, date, etc. – to find your presentation. You can also use the Presenter tab to search by your last name. There are advanced search filters in the “Search” tab that allow you to search by keyword, date, session type, track, audience, or special session type. Click on the link for your presentation and you will see the full description for your session. Please refer to the conference website if you are uncertain about your presentation type or length. It will be listed as part of your presentation description. Be sure to check back frequently as presentation rooms, dates, and times do change. If attending onsite, we recommend that you plan to stay through the end of the conference and make your travel arrangements accordingly.