Preparing Your Session Proposal
- Session Title
The title should be descriptive and no longer than ten words. It should be inviting to all conference participants. Think of it as a marketing tool to encourage people to attend your session.
View last year's program titles.
- Presenters
Number of presenters: Single or teams of two or three are the most effective. Consider how all team members contribute within the time frame. Availability and commitment: Individuals whose proposals are accepted should be available and willing to participate in the entire conference. All presenters must register for the conference. Neither honoraria nor expenses are paid to presenters who are employed in the MnSCU system.
- Session Types
- Concurrent Session – Friday, March 2
(75 minutes)
These sessions can feature exploration of key issues, presentation of programs, papers, and successful practices related to teaching and learning and teaching with technology. Sessions can be structured as a panel presentation, as a team of presenters, or with one presenter. The number of presenters is limited to four people.
- Mini-sessions – Friday, March 2
(30 minutes)
These 30 minute sessions are designed to team two shorter presentations of key issues, grant projects and other related topics not needing a full 70 minute concurrent session.
- Conversation Café/roundtables - Friday, March 2 (75 minutes)
Conversation Café or roundtable session facilitators provide participants with the opportunity to discuss topics in an informal setting. Participants share techniques, examples, samples, expertise, solutions and pose additional questions to answer in the future. Structure your session leaving plenty of time for discussion, and consider bringing handouts or other pertinent materials for participants to take away from the experience. - Discipline Meetings - Friday, March 2 (75 minutes)
Discipline meetings provide faculty and staff with an opportunity to discuss issues of system-wide importance to their field. Each meeting has a facilitator who arranges an agenda. Often, two or more individuals collaborate in this process.
- Extended Concurrent Session – Friday, March 2 (2-3/4 hours, including a 15 minute break)
These sessions afford a more in-depth and interactive setting for exploration of key issues, successful practices, or specific technologies related to teaching and learning or teaching with technology. Participants of these sessions should be able to walk away from the session with a core understanding of, and ability to apply, the lessons of the session. Sessions can be structured as a team of presenters, as a series of presenters dividing the time, or with one presenter. Sessions can be shared by presenters from different campuses. The number of presenters is limited to five people. If the session is structured as a series of presenters, content presented should build on itself for significant learning. The committee reviewing these sessions will look for proposals which demonstrate audience engagement and a means for participants to learn beyond a simple presentation format.
- Poster Session – Friday, March 2 (2 hours)
Poster sessions enable participants to demonstrate and discuss their materials and/or research projects in a one-on-one setting. Exhibit/Poster Session presentations provide the opportunity for participants to make brief remarks, share information, and answer questions about the topic. Presentations take the form of an exhibit and are delivered primarily through the use of visual displays, which are set up the morning of November 4 th. Exhibits will be open for participant review between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM. Presenters must staff their exhibit during this time frame, but exhibits may be left up for the remainder of the day. Poster session presenters will be provided with a high traffic area for their presentations. Proposals for poster sessions should include the topic, target audiences, and a brief abstract of the project, practice or approach.
- Workshops – Saturday, March 3 (2 hours)
These sessions are hands-on, practical, interactive sessions meant to develop participants' technological and pedagogical skills and knowledge. Sessions are well-suited for topics that require in-depth exploration. Presenters are expected to use active learning techniques, distribute materials and respond to follow-up requests for more information. Workshops are limited to two (2) presenters.
- Concurrent Session – Friday, March 2
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Proposal Format
Presenters will submit all proposals online. The online form will request the following- Whether a session proposal is geared toward teaching and learning, teaching with technology or both. Also consider your target audience. Is your presentation most suited for new or experience faculty or a beginner or advanced user topic in the field of teaching with technology
- Whether the proposal is structured primarily as a hands-on session or presentation
- Whether you wish to present your proposed session on one or both days
- A content agenda showing how the session will be structured
All presenters, regardless of the format, are expected to use active learning techniques to engage audiences. Further they are expected to distribute materials and respond to follow-up requests for more information. Sufficient time should be allowed for participant questions.
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Presentation Tips
The following Web sites contain useful information when preparing a conference concurrent session:
Active learning: “anything that involves students doing something and thinking about what they are doing” (Bonwell, C. and J. Eison, Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom, ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, No. 1, 1991).
