SUBMISSION PERIOD HAS CLOSED AND PROPOSAL REVIEWS ARE COMPLETE
The USDLA National Conference 2022 will be a hybrid event with the physical location in Nashville, TN on the TSU campus. This hybrid approach will allow us to reach and serve a diverse and global audience.
The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) is pleased to announce the 2022 Annual Conference Call for Proposals for our 35th Anniversary event July 18-21, 2022, at the Avon Williams Campus of Tennessee State University. Proposals will be based on the conference theme, “All Aboard the Distance Learning Train.”
We welcome proposals from all who work in distance or digital education, across constituencies. We have speakers and attendees from corporate, education (higher and K-12), telehealth, government, military, and more. While you may submit any topic you choose, we have received feedback from our community that you may want to consider when preparing proposals. The following topics have been requested in recent surveys:
- Online Teaching and Training
- HyFlex Strategies for Success
- Student Engagement Techniques
- Micro-certifications
- Distance and Digital Learning Policy and Regulatory Landscape
- A Look Ahead – Educational Environment Five Years Out
- Professional Development for the Online Staff/Faculty
- Leadership
Proposal Options Available
- Concurrent sessions provide an opportunity for you to give an interactive presentation on a specific topic. Conference attendees expect sessions to provide practical advice and the sharing of experiences. The committee seeks high-quality, thought-provoking and engaging sessions – not lecture format. Co-presenters are encouraged. Also, the USDLA Program Committee may select your proposal to be featured in a panel along with other like presenters. (60 minutes)
- Poster sessions allow presenters to prepare a digital artifact that describes research, a project, a process, or other activity. Presenting a poster session will give you a dedicated time to network with your fellow conference attendees and lead discussions around your topic of interest. (60 minutes)
- Pre-conference workshops are offered as a vehicle to get the conference started, set the stage for the conference theme, and discuss relevant issues in the field of distance learning (90 minute sessions on Monday, July 18, 2022 from 2-5pm ET (time subject to change)).
Preparing Your Proposal
The committee recommends that proposals be specific about what will make the presentation valuable to attendees. Any proposal that is perceived to be a “sales pitch” will not be considered. Your proposal should be focused on issues, innovative working solutions, and include information about how you intend to engage attendees. All presenters and co-presenters (regardless of session type) will be expected to register for the full conference.
For your information, the automated proposal system will ask you for the following, so please gather this information prior to the time of submission:
- Contact Information: the name and contact information for the lead presenter and any co-presenters
- Session Type: concurrent, poster, or pre-conference workshop
- Delivery Format: in-person, online, or hybrid
- Constituencies: who would benefit most from attending your session
- Title: a succinct, but descriptive title of no more than ten words
- Abstract: 200 words (or less) – Please note: the session abstract will be used to promote your session. Make sure it accurately reflects your session, and how it will benefit attendees. This is what draws people to your presentation.
- Description: 500 words (or less) – a clear summary of learning objectives, session content, and takeaways. You are also encouraged to share the types of audience participation you will use (e.g., hands-on exercise, polls, small group discussion, Q&A, etc.)
- Recording Notice: if your session is selected, do you consent to having it live-streamed and/or recorded
Review Criteria
Conference participants will expect well-delivered presentations containing quality information that is of practical value to their day-to-day professional lives. Members of the USDLA Program Committee will look for clear descriptions. Considerable weight will be given to proposals that specify session learning objectives, clearly describe why the content will be valuable to attendees, and how you plan to encourage audience participation.
Specifically, reviewers will look for the following:
- Quality of the presentation: substance, clarity, and consistency between the title, abstract, and description within the proposal
- Measurable outcomes of the presentation and takeaways
- Evidence of innovation and effective practice
- Audience breadth, engagement, and likelihood of future application
Status of Proposal and Notification
Call for proposals closed midnight ET, Sunday, March 6, 2022. The Program Committee has reviewed all proposals and working on contacting all who provided submissions.
If you have any questions or concerns about the proposals process, please contact Valary Oleinik at voleinik@usdla.org.