Call for Proposals

The FSI organizing committee seeks proposals which explore or support the 2023 conference theme, "Designs for Learning." The conference runs May 23 and 24, 2023. This year, the conference will feature several formats in which presenters can engage colleagues in a robust discussion about teaching and student learning.

The Theme

Albert Einstein said, “No problem can be solved by the same kind of thinking that created it,” so how can we rethink learning by design? The future of learning (and teaching) in higher education holds the prospect of incorporating innovative designs into our work and across modalities because design thinking intersects with learning, teaching, and technology. There are several prominent ways to think about design, including human-centered design, universal design, inclusive design, instructional design, and others; the key is that design thinking is important to empower a learner-centered environment in higher education. The 2023 FSI meeting has the theme of “Designs for Learning,” which emphasizes the importance of design thinking for learning objectives, learning assessments, and learning activities. We are seeking thematic proposals on these foundations of design, as well as general proposals on innovations in learning, teaching, and instructional technologies.

The organizing committee seeks proposals from not just community college or university faculty, but from all members of the academy, including (but certainly not limited to): academic support and student affairs staff, professional developers, instructional designers, librarians, IT staff, and high-school educators focused on college prep.

Successful proposals will be grounded in established pedagogies, research-supported practices, or professional experience. All submissions should enumerate clear learning outcomes for participants. Workshop and concurrent session (presentation) proposals should identify ways of using active learning techniques in the presentation of the materials.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

Types of Proposals: Workshops, Presentations, Roundtables, Posters

The deadline to submit any type of proposal is Monday, March 6, 2023.

Workshops

Workshops (2 hours) should provide significant professional development opportunities centered on a specific topic or skillset.

Please include in your narrative what skills or prior knowledge participants will need to get the most out of your workshop. For example, “This session requires participants to have a basic knowledge of Twitter, Facebook, and similar social media platforms.”
We are continuing the "bring your own device" (BYOD) model. BYOD means that participants wishing to enhance their engagement in the conference sessions are encouraged to bring their own devices (laptops, tablets, phones) preloaded with apps/software recommended by presenters and listed in the session descriptions. No computer labs will be available.
All Mac and tablet users must bring their own HDMI or VGA adapter for the projector. Basic HDMI and VGA connections for PCs will be provided.
If you have any special requests for the room setup, please share them with the organizing committee in your proposal narrative (or as additional comments on the proposal form). Room setups typically take one of the following forms: classroom (long tables and chairs), theater (chairs only), banquet (round tables and chairs).

The deadline to submit a workshop proposal is Monday, March 6, 2023.

Presentations

Presentations are 45 minutes in length and encourage concision. Most presentations will be scheduled during concurrent sessions, and may be organized as part of thematic tracks. A limited number of 90-minute (double) sessions may be accepted for more in-depth topics.
Please include in your narrative what skills or prior knowledge participants will need to get the most out of your presentation. For example, “This session requires participants to have a basic knowledge of Twitter, Facebook, and similar social media platforms.”
We are continuing the "bring your own device" (BYOD) model. BYOD means that participants wishing to enhance their engagement in the conference sessions are encouraged to bring their own devices (laptops, tablets, phones) preloaded with apps/software recommended by presenters and listed in the session descriptions. No computer labs will be available.
All Mac and tablet users must bring their own HDMI or VGA adapter for the projector. Basic HDMI and VGA connections for PCs will be provided.

If you have any special requests for the room setup, please share them with the organizing committee in your proposal narrative (or as additional comments on the proposal form). Room setups typically take one of the following forms: classroom (long tables and chairs), theater (chairs only), banquet (round tables and chairs).

The deadline to submit a concurrent session proposal is Monday, March 6, 2023.

Roundtables

Roundtables (45 mins) are guided, small-group discussions which focus on a particular topic.
Proposals for roundtable topics should include a list of guiding questions or short reference material which will be used to encourage conversation.
The roundtable session should include break points in which participants will be invited to get up and move to other tables, where they can form new groups and join in new conversations.
Poster presenters accepted to FSI may be invited to facilitate a roundtable discussion about their poster topic as well.

The deadline to submit a roundtable session proposal is Monday, March 6, 2023.

Posters

FSI welcomes either digital or paper format posters describing relevant research, teaching with technology innovations, or effective program developments on your campus. Poster presenters are required to meet format, size, and technology specifics listed below, and to make available a digital or printed 1-page summary of poster highlights.

Paper (or fabric) format no greater than 48” x 36” or 36" x 48". Printing costs average $40-$100. Laminating is desirable, but not required.

A digital poster presentation would consist of a web page with a mix of content (such as videos, interactive lectures, slideshows, photo albums, short games, or other elements). Technologies include web design software; screen capture or lecture capture software; presentation software; image authoring and editing tools; interactive learning object authoring tools; open-source wikis, and others. Digital poster presenters are responsible for bringing their own display devices. Power will be provided on site.
Presenters should also provide a digitally accessible or printed 1-page summary of poster highlights for attendees to view.

The deadline to submit a poster proposal is Monday, March 6, 2023.