CALL FOR PROPOSALS

We are proud to announce the First Annual Connected Learning Summit (CLS) to be held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab. On alternating years, it will be held at the University of California, Irvine.

The mission of the CLS is to fuel a growing movement of innovators harnessing the power of emerging technology to expand access to participatory, playful, and creative learning. It represents a merger between three community events with this shared vision and values: the Digital Media and Learning Conference, the Games+Learning+Society Conference, and Sandbox Summit.

With a unique focus on cross-sector connections and progressive and catalytic innovation, the event brings together leading researchers, educators and developers. The program includes a mix of engaging presentation and workshop formats ranging from speculative design, to game walkthroughs, sharing work in progress, and research panels.

Conference highlights include:

• keynotes and plenary sessions by leaders in academics, industry, and non profit organizations;
• peer reviewed (and blind peer reviewed) research papers, spotlights (for project-based presentations), and symposia;
• interactive workshops on technology research and design;
• hands-on exploration and walk-throughs of games and other media in our well-played sessions;
• a lively “hall of failure” featuring honest post mortems on projects, programs and products;
• smart, fast, performative “ignite” sessions that will jolt your creativity and make you both laugh and cry;
• a community showcase evening event for working papers, tech demos, and kernels of ideas;
• and fireside chats with luminaries across fields.

We encourage the submission of academic papers and project presentations as well as more innovative session formats which focus on digital technologies for learning, educational and commercial games and other media, innovative tech-infused curricula, and theoretical and/or empirical exploration of digital media and technology for learning.

Final paper and extended abstracts from all session types will be included in the Connected Learning Conference Proceedings. All proposals will be peer reviewed. Research papers only will be blind reviewed.

HOW TO APPLY

The deadline for final submissions is January 5, 2018.

The electronic submission system opens November 10, 2017.

Using Templates
* All submissions must use the publication style provided in the template.
* Download the template document in your session format and write your paper in the template by following the required formatting.

SESSION FORMATS 

Research Papers. Academic papers will be subject to blind peer review. (7 pages max, using template) Accepted papers will be given a 15 to 20 minute presentation slot on the program, bundled together in groups of 3 to 4, to create 60 minute sessions on a particular theme or topic and then published in the proceedings.

Papers that do not meet selection standards for individual presentation will be considered for presentation as working papers.

Spotlights. Extended abstracts detailing a specific project, program, or product  (1 page max, using template) . Accepted spotlights will be given a 30 minute presentations slot on the program, organized in groups of 2 by theme. This format is particularly useful for educational designers and practitioners to detail what they did, why, and how. Accepted spotlights will be featured on our conference website catalog (with links to the extended abstract, images, and the project itself when possible).

Submissions that do not meet selection standards for spotlights will be considered for presentation as tech demos.

Workshops.  A single 60-minute session during which presenters engage the audience directly in the framing and analysis of a particular problem or concept. Workshops are highly participatory and include discussion and debriefing following the activities.

Make things, build things, test things—the sky’s the limit! Please submit a detailed description (2 pages max, using template) for peer review; the final text will be included in the published conference proceedings.

Symposium. Symposia are a coordinated series of paper presentations. They are similar to presentation sessions (60 minutes total) but are crafted to tackle a specific theme or issue related to the conference and the field.

Format can vary from a cluster of three or more presentations with a designated discussant to a themed and interactive poster session—be creative! Every symposium ends with audience Q&A, but we especially welcome symposia that promote engagement and interaction throughout.

Submissions should provide a description of the overall symposium topic and of the individual presentations within the symposium. Please submit a detailed symposium description (7 page max, using template); the final text will be included in the published conference proceedings.

Well Played. In-depth 60-minute sessions that focus on the experience of playing through specific video game titles or other media, featuring detailed, live analysis that explicates the interplay of design characteristics and user experience. Sessions are invited to explore a range of issues such as narrative development, user interface and specific populations, character design, aesthetics, or other mechanics.

Inspired by the conversational scholarship of the Well Played journal, the goal of these sessions is to help further develop and define a literacy of games and media as well as a sense of their value. Please submit a detailed well-played description (7 page max, using template); the final text will be published in a special issue of the Well Played journal.

Hall of Failure. Adopted and adapted from the practice of doing post-mortems after videogame launches, our Hall of Failure sessions feature candid discussion of lessons learned in research and/or design projects.

There are multiple venues for sharing our final builds and findings, but too few where we are openly championed for sharing with others what did not work, what did not take, and which questions did not pan out as planned. Accepted papers will be given a 15-20 minute presentations slot on the program, bundled together in groups of 3 or 4 to create 60 minute sessions on a particular theme. Please submit an extended abstract of your topic and conclusions (2 pages max, using template); final text will not be published, streamed, or linked anywhere, so feel free to be completely hones during your frolic in the Hall of What Didn’t Work.

Ignite. Highly engaging, firehose style, punchy 5-minute talks where slides are ruthlessly auto-advanced Pecha Kucha style. Sessions will be featured during one of our evening celebrations at the conference, featuring a lineup of fast and furious content that ranges from the comedic to the philosophical, from the kernel of an idea to the retrospective review of an idea or line of inquiry.

Please submit an extended abstract of your slide deck pitch (1 page max, using template) for peer review; actual performances will be streamed and archived online via the conference website. Be creative, make a splash, ignite something!

Working Paper. The working paper session format is ideal for those who wish to engage in informal, face-to-face discussions about their research with colleagues and other conference attendees.

Working papers will be featured as posters during our signature evening conference event, where we’ll serve  heavy hors d’oeuvres and have open bar. Content can be submitted directly as working papers (7 page max, using template) or will be hand selected from full research paper submissions based on blind peer review.

We especially encourage the submission of ongoing and in-progress research, hence the name! Awards will be given for exceptional work in annually designated categories: Stay tuned for announcements!

Tech Demo. Tech demos are the project-focused counterpart to working papers – ideal for those who wish to engage in informal, face-to-face discussions about their design with colleagues and other conference attendees.

Demos will be featured as round tables during our signature evening conference event, which will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar. Content can be submitted directly as tech demos (1 page max, using template) or will be hand selected from full spotlights based on blind peer review. We especially encourage the submission of early prototypes, wireframes, and first playables!