Download a printable version of the conference proposal document
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the IT - Academic Core Processes and Systems (IT-ACPS) at the American University of Beirut will hold their “Third International Conference on Effective Teaching and Learning in Higher Education” on December 7 and 8, 2012 at the American University of Beirut. The Conference Program Committee invites university faculty members from Lebanon, the region, and beyond to submit proposals for presentation to be reviewed for possible inclusion in the Conference program.
Deadline for receiving complete proposals is July 16, 2012.
The program of the Conference is relevant to university faculty members and other individuals interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education. The Conference also aims at providing opportunities for building professional relationships among members of the community of university faculty members locally, regionally, and internationally. In addition to the formal research-oriented sessions in the program, the Conference features pre-conference workshops and, prominent speakers. The Conference includes six strands: Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education; Measuring Teaching Effectiveness; Blended Learning; Innovations in Teaching Technologies and Methodologies; Program and Course Learning Outcomes; and Service Learning.
CONFERENCE STRANDS AND SESSION FORMATS
Teaching, Learning and Assessment Procedures in Higher Education. The focus in this strand relates to research on issues in teaching, learning, and assessment. Research reports can be on instructor cognition, content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, student understanding and learning, conceptual change at university level.
Measuring Teaching Effectiveness. If teaching performance is to be recognized and rewarded as scholarship, it should be subjected to rigorous and consistent measurement. Measuring teaching effectiveness provides evidence that can be used to improve and shape the quality of teaching as well as take fair data-driven personnel decisions. Data sources that can be used to measure teaching effectiveness include, but are not limited to, student ratings, peer ratings, self-evaluation, videos, student interviews, alumni ratings, administrator ratings, learning outcome measures, course design evaluation rubrics, teaching portfolios (including electronic portfolios), and scholarship of teaching.
Blended Learning. Blended learning combines the best of the face to face and the online instruction. It has led educators to explore how different ways of teaching can participate in the enrichment of learning experiences. This strand invites faculty members to share their Blended practice and research, propose ways for quality assurance, and reflect on strengths/gaps needed to be filled to achieve a perfect blend.
Innovations in Teaching Technologies and Methodologies. As new trends emerge in Higher Education, there is an increased need for implementing new teaching methodologies. Instructors are challenged on a daily basis to find innovative ways of enhancing student learning experiences. Students and faculty explore a variety of strategies (Team Based Learning, Evidence Based Learning…) and tools (E-portfolios, Learning Objects…), meant to improve the overall academic experience. Contributions to this strand are welcomed on any aspect of promoting and supporting innovative educational change in Higher Education with an emphasis on research, experience, and best practices.
Program and Course Learning Outcomes. Learning outcomes at the program and course levels have become an integral indicator for assessing curricula in higher education. In the context of evidence-based reporting, learning outcomes present themselves as an inevitable source of data for assessing academic programs and student performance. Therefore, departments and programs which are keen on assessing their students' attainment of set program and course learning outcomes develop learning outcomes, design assessment procedures, collect data, analyze it and use the results in order to improve their curriculum and student learning performance. In this strand, presenters are expected to share, reflect on and generalize from their ongoing research, published papers or field experience in planning, developing and assessing program/course learning outcomes in higher education.
Service Learning. Service learning, or community-based learning, a teaching and learning strategy, that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities. It is a hands-on approach to mastering content while fostering civic responsibility. Service learning builds stronger and more relevant academic skills and provides a context for learning in terms of what students are as citizens, and how they are able to contribute to the needs of society. In this strand, papers should reflect on, present research or field experience in the domain of service learning.
Stand-Alone Paper by individual author or co-autors
This presentation format allows for up to 20 minutes of individual presentation time in a theater-style setting. Papers in this format can report on empirical research, innovative uses of technology in teaching, innovative teaching methods, assessment plans for program and course learning outcomes, large scale research and development projects …
Interactive Poster Paper by individual author or co-autors
A single author or a group of co-authors may prepare a paper for presentation in a poster format. Authors are required to prepare a poster and distribute a summary paper.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING PROPOSALS
- All proposals will be reviewed anonymously by the members of the Review Committee or external referees. Incomplete and late proposals will not be reviewed.
- All accepted papers will be published in the "Conference Proceedings".
An abstract is a brief summary (between 150 and 200 words). It should include the research question, the rationale for the study, the hypothesis (if any), the method and the main findings.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING THE ABSTRACT
If a proposal is accepted, the abstract will be published in the conference program. Therefore, care must be taken in preparing the abstract using the following instructions as a guide. Abstracts not meeting all requirements will not be reviewed. This could result in delaying the acceptance of a proposal or rejection of the proposal if deadlines are not met with a completed proposal.
1. Submission: Abstracts should be submitted by clicking on this link..
2. Length of Abstract: Between 150 and 200 words (excluding title, proposer(s) name(s), institution(s), and country(ies). Abstracts in excess of 200 words will not be considered.
4. Titles: The title should be clear and descriptive of the session and should match exactly with the title on your synopsis and on your proposal cover sheet. The title should be in bold face type.
SUMMARY - FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
The merits of a proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the summary. Therefore care must be taken to prepare a summary of no more than 3 pages (Single spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font) that provides a detailed overview of the research. Specifically, it should include an introduction, research questions and hypothesis/hypotheses (if any), a summary of the research design, data collection and analysis, results, discussion, conclusions, and references.
Guidelines for Preparing the Paper Summary
Introduction
State the objectives of your research study and give an overview of your topic and the organization of your proposal.
Research Questions
Introduce the main research question(s) that your proposal explores. Explain why it is important and/or theoretically interesting to answer.
Methods
Research Design: Provide a summary of the research design you used in your study.
Data Collection and Analysis: Describe the data collection technique(s) and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques. Describe the methods of data analysis. Describe how the analysis you used allowed you to answer your research questions.
Results
Present the results of the study making sure you have answered all questions.
Discussion and Conclusions
Discuss the relevance of your findings to your original research question. Comment on the strengths and weaknesses of your research design, and suggest ways to pursue similar research in the future. Present the conclusions that can be drawn based on your research findings.
References
Provide references of the main sources (articles, books ... using the latest APA (American Psychological Association) style.
SUMMARY - FOR OTHER TYPES OF PROPOSALS
As is the case with research papers, the merits of a proposal will be evaluated on the basis of the summary. Therefore, care must be taken to prepare a summary of no more than 3 pages (Single spaced, Times New Roman, 12 pt font) that provides a detailed description of the innovation or project. Specifically, the summary should include reports on innovative uses of technology, innovative teaching ideas, implementation and assessment of program and course learning outcomes or other types of practically oriented scholarly work.
Guidelines for Preparing the Paper Summary
Reports should include the innovation and project concept and design, description of the project or innovation and its implementation, evidence for the success of the innovations and resorts project, and lessons learned from the experiences.
WHERE TO SEND PROPOSALS
Submit the proposal by filling the form on the following link: https://survey.aub.edu.lb/index.php?sid=61578&lang=en
Complete proposals should be submitted no later than July 16, 2012.
Note: Accepted papers can apply to be included in a refereed proceedings.