Call for Proposals

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The UNC TLT Conference provides a productive forum to network and exchange information about the effective use of technology for teaching and learning. This annual event emphasizes timely topics of particular interest to UNC campuses from effective current practices to emerging technologies.

The term TLT refers to teaching methods and learning environments that incorporate instructional and library-based technologies. TLT can take place in traditional classrooms or online.

Conference Theme

The proliferation of computers, cell phones, wireless laptops, Blackberries, and iPods, as well as the enabling software, is testament to our communal desire to be connected—connected in communities of friends, communities of common interest, communities of peers. In education, the promise of this technology is to provide more meaningful learning connections and allow more fully the interaction among diverse students in disparate locations. Building Connections—creating webs of relationships to facilitate and enhance teaching and learning—is the theme of the 2007 conference. This conference will explore the advantages of meaningful connections, as well as the facilitation and scope of connections necessary to develop innovative and supportive learning environments and experiences.

The Advantage of Building Connections is apparent in the realization that education is more than a delivery system for facts. Our interactions and collaborations lead to:

enhanced learning
communities of interest and practice
support of innovation
linking meaningful opportunities and creative solutions to the challenges of education
establishing a voice through technology

The Facilitation of Building Connections describes the practices of establishing and maintaining the structures and processes of building connections to enhance the learning process. Synergistic relationships develop through:

administrative leadership
collaborative support mechanisms
innovative communication processes
multiple interaction modes
creative deployment of technology
blending instruction and library technologies

The Scope of Building Connections transcends geographic area beginning with the intimate, near at hand, and expanding throughout the world:

classrooms, libraries, and institutions - students, faculty, administrators, support staff, campus organizations
community - K-12 schools, local organizations, service learning
regionally - universities, community colleges, trans-institutional organizations, independent learning groups
globally – international student base, research collaboration, conservation of resources

Building Connections - focusing on the many types of relationships and collaborations that contribute to using technology effectively in the service of teaching and learning.

Invitation to Submit

We actively solicit proposals that showcase TLT findings and work in progress from faculty, librarians, staff, and administrators who would like to share their knowledge and expertise with colleagues. Proposals about UNC collaborative work, including projects that involve educational, non-profit, commercial, or government organizations from outside UNC, are encouraged, as are submissions on other TLT-related topics.

Preference will be given to proposals for sessions that:

actively engage participants
provide useful information, skills, or ideas
are consistent with the conference theme
promote effective and innovative practices
emphasize collaborative approaches

Ideas for presentations might include:

instructional resources, approaches, and outcomes
technological, pedagogical, library, and administrative policies and support issues
collaborative efforts to accomplish TLT initiatives
assessment, evaluation, and critical analyses to increase understanding of TLT practices
quality assurance, student retention, efficiency, and effectiveness of TLT efforts
current UNC initiatives, such as UNC Online, 2+2 activities, and large enrollment course redesign projects

Conference participants include professionals from academic departments, libraries, teaching and learning centers, instructional design, distance education, instructional technology, faculty development, information technology, and more!

Proposal Submission Overview

The Collaborative Café is an online tool to assist you to identify and establish connections with others who have similar interests. We strongly encourage prospective presenters to collaborate in developing proposals by joining the Collaborative Café.

To use the Café, submit your presentation idea and indicate what kind of collaboration you would like. You can:

request panelists or identify co-presenters
refine and develop your presentation idea
gather handouts or other supplemental materials
ask for examples for specific content

You can also use the Café to look for requests that have been submitted by others as described above. While you are encouraged to continue to visit the Café, please keep in mind that Monday, October 23 is the deadline for all proposal submissions.

When submitting your proposal online, you will have the option to have your proposal considered for one of the Conference Tracks. These tracks, described here, are targeted for specific groups of participants and supported by the TLT Interest Groups. If none of these tracks is appropriate for your proposal, you do not need to select a track.

Session Types described here, include panel discussions, roundtable discussions, hands-on workshops, formal presentations, demonstrations, and poster presentations. Session lengths are 90 minutes for workshops, and 30 or 50 minutes for other session types.

Conference Proceedings are planned for distribution after the conference to faculty teaching centers and system libraries. The proceedings will also be available from the UNC TLTC website. To be eligible for inclusion in the conference proceedings, a written report of the presentation must be submitted on the conference website after the conference. Further information, including criteria for peer review, formatting details, and deadlines for submission, will be available on the conference website in the spring. The proceedings are intended to continue the collaborative work that goes on at the conference and to extend its influence to those who are not able to attend. All participants are encouraged to submit their work for inclusion in the proceedings.

Conference Registration

Conference registration will be available beginning in January; please watch the conference website for details. All presenters and co-presenters who attend must pay the appropriate registration fees. Fees will be posted on the conference website when they are determined. Conference/workshop materials and selected meals will be provided.

Hotel Information

If you require hotel accommodations, we recommend that you make your reservation as soon as possible, but no later than February 25, 2007, when the room block reservation expires. Reservations can be made by calling 800-HILTONS (800-445-8667) or online at http://www.northraleigh.hilton.com/. To receive the conference rate ($89.00 single, $119.50 double), you must provide the group/convention code, which is TLT. If making your reservation online, please type this three letter code in the Group/Convention code box. Due to budget constraints, it appears the TLTC will not be able to subsidize participant hotel room costs, as it has in past years.

For More Information

Complete conference information, including the proposal submission form and instructions, proposal guidelines, and descriptions of session types, can be found at the conference website http://conference.unctlt.org/. All proposals must be submitted online using the proposal submission form. Notification of acceptance is planned for mid-December. For additional questions or comments, please contact Laura Rogers, TLTC Program Coordinator, at 919-929-0313 or Lrogers@northcarolina.edu.

The proposal submission deadline is Monday, October 23, 2006.

Download a PDF version of the call for proposals