13th Annual Conference on Excellence in Teaching & Learning
Embracing Time and Change
May 2, 2019
4-H Center, The Ohio State University
Download a copy of the Call for Proposals as a PDF.
The submission period has now ended.
THE PROPOSAL DEADLINE WAS JANUARY 22, 2019.
The purpose of the conference is to provide a venue for members of The Ohio State University community to share innovative, interesting, evidence-based ideas for the improvement of teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes. Last year, we were pleased to host 240 attendees from a variety of departments, our largest attendance yet. We look forward to continuing to host this robust interdisciplinary exchange of pedagogical theory and classroom practice in 2019.
Topics and Categories for Proposals
We invite proposals from members of the Ohio State teaching community for presentations on any topics related to enhancing the quality and effectiveness of university teaching and student learning at Ohio State. Proposals may be interdisciplinary or specific to a single discipline or group of disciplines. We recommend addressing this year’s conference theme, Embracing Time and Change.
Presentation Formats for Sessions
You may select one of two formats for your presentation:
- A 50-minute individual session, in which you engage the participants in an interactive discussion about your topic. We expect that session presenters will also exemplify excellent teaching through the instructional methods used during the session.
- Lightning Round Teaching Tip presentation is a fast-paced, dynamic session in which participants can get new ideas to use in their classrooms right away. Presenters can share teaching tips, assessment ideas, a class activity – anything that you do that makes for a great “nugget” of knowledge for your fellow teachers. Each speaker will have a maximum of 8 minutes to present and should provide one handout. This structure is similar to Pecha Kucha or Innovate’s Faculty Showcase. You can see an example of the Innovate presentations here.
Proposal Guidelines
The format for the proposal is as follows. This is all delineated in the online submission form.
50 Minute Individual Session:
- Session Title
- Presenters: Name(s), Academic Unit(s), and Email Address(es)
- Specific learning outcomes for the session (i.e., “Participants will…”)
- Abstract: Summarize the purpose/value and content of your session as well as any evidence (scholarship, assessments) to support your claims. Also, briefly address how your session connects to the theme of the conference. The abstract will serve as the description used to help participants decide which sessions to attend and should be worded as such. Please write in the third person. Limit: 200 words.
If your Individual Session proposal is accepted, you will be asked to provide the following information:
- Identify at least one teaching method you will demonstrate during your session.
- Describe the agenda of your session. Inclusion of an approximate timeline is encouraged.
Lightning Round Teaching Tip Presentation:
- Lightning Round Title
- Presenter: Name, Academic Unit, Email Address
- Primary learning objective for your Lightning Round
- Abstract: Briefly describe what you will do in your presentation. Include the context in which you have used this activity or tip and any evidence (scholarship, assessments) to support your claims. Also, briefly address how your proposal connects with the theme of the conference. The abstract will serve as the description used to help participants decide which sessions to attend and should be worded as such. Please write in the third-person. Limit: 100 words
Proposal Submission
All proposals must be submitted online using this form (link to come). Please read proposal guidelines and submission information carefully in order to avoid delays and to give proposals the best opportunity for acceptance.
All proposals will go through a blind, peer-reviewed process by the Academy of Teaching Executive Council.
Preference will be given to proposals that address the theme of the conference.
Theme and Recommendations for Topics
This year’s conference theme, Embracing Time and Change, reflects President Drake’s strategic plan. As instructors, our educational environment is ever-changing. At Ohio State, technological, curricular, and demographic changes necessitate that we develop teaching strategies to best support our students’ current needs. How do we get past the pain of change and even embrace it? How do we incorporate new ways of thinking into our teaching that provide optimal learning experiences for students within our present context?
Here are some suggested ideas of focus for session proposals. Proposals should concentrate on instructors’ pedagogical, philosophical, or systematic approaches to these (or other) changes you have recently encountered.
- Curricular change: Teaching within new majors or minors, designing and teaching new courses, teaching in a changing departmental curriculum, responding to a demand for broader connections across disciplines
- Demographic change: Teaching in an increasingly diverse classroom, creating an inclusive learning environment, teaching for varied levels of academic preparation, change in teaching population from tenure-track to contingent faculty, declining enrollment in the arts and humanities
- Technological change: Evolving classroom technology, building student community through the use of technology, teaching without technology in a society that increasingly focuses on it, combatting negative effects/uses of technology (ease of plagiarism and digital distraction), strategies for effective online teaching
Important Dates and Deadlines
| 12/10/2018 | Submission of proposals period opens |
| 1/22/2019 | Submission of proposals period ends |
| 2/22/2019 | Proposal decision notifications sent out (approximate) |
| 3/18/2019 | Deadline for presenters to confirm participation and submit finalized abstracts for the conference program and Academy of Teaching website |
| 5/2/2019 | Conference takes place |
Evaluation of Proposals
Each proposal will be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers who will recommend one of three options:
- Acceptance of the proposal
- Revision of the proposal
- Proposal is not accepted
Reviewers will also provide comments for improvement, suggestions for recommended revisions, or why proposals might not be accepted. Comments will be given to the individual who submitted the proposal.
Reviewers will examine and evaluate proposals in the following areas:
- Clear connection between the title of the session and its content (titles should be less than 10 words, compelling enough to attract an interdisciplinary audience, and align with session content)
- Significance and relevance of the theme for this conference
- Clarity and value of the outcomes for the session
Acceptance of Proposals
Decisions on the acceptance status of a proposal for presentation at the Academy of Teaching Conference on Excellence in Teaching and Learning will be communicated to the primary presenter via e-mail on or around February 22, 2019.
Presenters of accepted proposals must confirm their attendance to the conference organizer by March 18, 2019.
Presenters are asked to fully participate in the entire conference and attend sessions and events as much as their schedules allow.
Important reminders:
- If your proposal does not meet the submission requirements stated above, we cannot accept it. Please follow the instructions carefully!
- Your proposed session should be conducive to dialogue and audience engagement.
- If accepted, your abstract will be posted on the Academy of Teaching website. Please remember to word your abstract accordingly.
Please email Jennie Williams at williams.4006@osu.edu if you would like to request coaching on your proposal or ask any questions.