Breakout Sessions

***The deadline for proposal submissions was November 17, 2017; proposals are no longer being accepted.***
***Thanks to everyone who submitted a proposal!***

The LOEX 2018 Conference Planning Committee invites you to submit breakout session proposals for consideration to the 46th Annual LOEX Conference in Houston, Texas. The conference will be held May 3-5, 2018.

Successful proposals will showcase effective and innovative library instruction & information literacy practices, provide valuable information that participants can utilize at their libraries, support collaboration, and be applicable to a broad variety of academic institutions.

Breakout Session Formats

Two types of proposals will be accepted:

Presentation: A 50-minute session that includes time for a 40-45 minute presentation and 5-10 minutes of question and answer. Most feature a successful program, practice or key issue related to instruction or information literacy. Presentations are intended for an audience typically of 30-70 people. Presenters should include in the proposal a description of the topic and an outline of the presentation.

Interactive Workshops: A 50-minute session where the presenter facilitates a learning experience in which attendees develop or explore teaching and/or research techniques. Presenters are expected to facilitate a well-planned and interactive session. Workshops are intended for an audience typically of 30-50 people. Proposals should include a description of the topic and details on how the presenter will make this session a "hands-on" experience for attendees.

For all sessions, the exact number of participants won't be known until the session takes place; however, estimates of attendance and room size based on results of interest surveys will be provided to the presenters before the conference.

Proposal Tracks

Proposals should reflect elements of one of the six tracks:

Pedagogy: Space Camp - Techniques for Preparing the Next Generation
The next generation of explorers is discovering the cosmos in new and exciting ways. How do you prepare them for future expeditions? What small steps or giant leaps have you taken to develop your pedagogy? What theories or strategies do you use to make your expeditions into the classroom successful? How do you teach students from varying backgrounds? What techniques do you use to help students become successful information navigators?

Learning & Assessment: Is There Life Out There? - Evidence of Learning Through Assessment
As librarians chart new courses in the classroom, discovering signs of life is crucial to be able to change course when necessary and ultimately to gauge the success of the mission. How do you measure the impact of your instruction sessions? How do you assess student learning? Do you assess for different modes of learning? How do you use assessment data to alter the course of your instruction?

Leadership: Ground Control to Major Tom - Directing the Mission
Every successful mission calls for both enterprising individuals and strong collective effort with clear outcomes in mind. How has your institution, library, or instruction program led large information literacy initiatives? How do you develop an inclusive library instruction program? Share your advice on managing larger scale library instruction based projects, leading campus wide conversations on the library’s role on information literacy, or guiding paradigm shifts in a changing educational climate.

Technology and Innovation: Moonshot - Ambition through Technology & Innovation
Small steps and giant leaps don’t happen without inspired ideas, careful planning, and breathtaking launches. What technologies and innovative strategies have you used to motivate your students to reach for the stars and reach new heights? How do you insure your instruction is accessible to all learners? What strategies do you implement to bridge digital divide? Help launch our profession toward new horizons by sharing your cutting-edge tools of the trade, methods of execution, or even your reinvention of old tricks.

Collaboration: International Space Station - Working Together for the Greater Good
We have come a long way from the space race! Cooperation and inclusion of diverse partners and perspectives are key to developing a strong instruction and outreach program. Who are your collaborators, and how have you worked together to create bigger and better projects than you could have achieved on your own? How do you make and maintain those relationships? Share the collaborations with those both inside and outside your world that keep you orbiting.

Failures and Problem Solving: Houston, We Have a Problem - Radical Solutions for When Things Go Wrong
Space travel can be risky business; even when every foreseeable calculation has been made, the unthinkable can still occur. But in facing unexpected failure, you sometimes find your most innovative successes. What have you tried that did not go as planned? What did you learn from it, or how did you turn the situation around to find success?

Submission Information

***The deadline for proposal submissions was November 17, 2017; proposals are no longer being accepted.***

Proposals can be submitted only through the online submission form (see below) and must be received by Friday, November 17, 2017. The primary contact for the proposal will receive a message indicating receipt of the proposal when it is submitted and will be notified if the proposal has been accepted for presentation by Friday, January 12, 2018.

If your proposal is accepted, then up to three presenters will be automatically registered for the conference and required to pay registration in full by Monday, April 2, 2018. Presenters are encouraged to submit a full paper version of their presentation (see due dates below) for inclusion in the LOEX Conference Proceedings.

Note: Failure to pay the registration fee will result in the cancellation of presentation and conference registration. All presenters are responsible for paying their own travel and lodging expenses.

All proposals must include the following:

Session title (limit 20 words);
Short description of the session (limit 100 words);
Long description of the session (limit 500 words);
List of 1-3 learning outcomes (visit Tips on Writing Learning Outcomes from the University Library at UIUC for guidance);
Type of audience(s) for which the session is intended

You do not need to be a LOEX member to submit a conference proposal. We accept the best proposals, regardless of institution or membership. LOEX membership only matters for general registration, which occurs on February 8, 2018.

Contact for presenters: Bethany Herman at sessions2018@loexconference.org

Proposal Timeline

Friday, November 17, 2017: Deadline to submit proposals
Friday, January 12, 2018: Notification of acceptance of proposal
Thursday, May 3 - Saturday, May 5, 2018: 46th Annual LOEX Conference in Houston, TX
April 27 and May 25, 2018: Deadline for all Presentation and Interactive Workshop presenters, respectively, to submit full papers (up to 2500 words) for inclusion in the LOEX Conference Proceedings

Proposal Selection Criteria

The committee will be using a rubric to score the proposals during a double-blind review process. Along with the criteria listed under the session format descriptions, the rubric scores each proposal on:

Content and objectives of presentation
Relevance to the selected conference theme and track and to the field of library instruction
Originality and creativity
Demonstrated expertise of the presenter(s) on the topic
Methods used to inform and also engage the audience

In addition, the rubric scores Presentation proposals on how well they utilize a variety of presentation modes; Interactive Workshop proposals are scored on the degree and type of audience participation.

Presenter Benefits

The solid reputation of the LOEX Conference ensures that presenters benefit as much as their audience. Presenters can expect to:

contribute to the field of library instruction and information literacy
receive professional recognition at the conference
highlight their institution's accomplishments
publish a full paper on the presentation topic in the LOEX Conference Proceedings
obtain valuable feedback from colleagues
receive automatic registration for up to three presenters at the LOEX Conference