Proposal submission deadline extended: Monday, March 5, 2012
Click here to download a PDF version of the Call
One of the hallmarks of teaching at the postsecondary level is the intellectual freedom we enjoy in finding creative ways to help students achieve success in their learning. For some, the thought of creativity as an almost “mystical” characteristic (Haring-Smith, 2006) is intimidating. For others, it is the mystery of creativity that engages and excites both faculty and students. Like many other human phenomena however, research makes the mysterious more accessible. There are several research-based dimensions of creativity that are relevant to understanding how we can foster creativity in our teaching and in our students' learning. The first dimension is personal: qualities such as openness to alternatives, self-reliance and risk-taking that predispose us to creative thinking. A second dimension is cognitive: “Creativity involves the ability to synthesize. […] It is a matter of sifting through data, perceptions and materials to come up with combinations that are new and useful” (Florida, 2002). A third dimension is social: creativity thrives when our social environment enables crossing disciplinary and social boundaries and supports sustained efforts to achieve creativity (Haring-Smith, 2006). The 2012 Dalhousie Conference on University Teaching and Learning will focus on the many ways that effective teachers bring together these personal, cognitive, and social aspects of creativity in their teaching and in cultivating students' creativity in expressing their own knowledge.
Faculty, graduate students, librarians, student services professionals, and educational developers are invited to discuss their insights about creative approaches to teaching and learning in and across disciplines. Presentations may be based on research findings, theory and practice in learning and teaching, and/or specific tools and strategies that speak to the theme of the conference.
Colleagues are invited to submit proposals for sessions that address questions such as:
Interested individuals are invited to submit proposals for 50-minute sessions that may be offered in a number of different formats, including:
Interactive Presentations
The presentation format is designed for sessions that describe examples
of creative approaches to teaching and learning and their impact on student
learning, a conceptual tool that you have found useful, or a systematic
inquiry that you may have conducted on the impact on student learning
of a particular strategy. Presentations may have multiple authors. Presentation
proposals should include opportunities for interaction and discussion.
Interactive Panels
Panel sessions are designed to foster discussion by illustrating different
points of view. In a 50-minute time span, several presenters (one of whom
will serve as a moderator) will present issues pertinent to the conference
theme, and the moderator will facilitate discussion among the panelists
and the audience.
Workshops.
The workshop format is designed to provide a forum for the collaborative
development and discussion of creative approaches to teaching and learning.
Workshop proposals should clearly indicate how participants will actively
contribute to the session.
Roundtables
Roundtable sessions will provide opportunities for more informal and open-ended
discussions related to the theme of the conference. Roundtable hosts will
provide a framework or scenario for discussion and facilitate a group
of colleagues in a conversation to explore or resolve that topic.
Poster Presentations
Poster presentations are an opportunity to visually portray and share
beneficial practices or research findings relevant to the conference themes.
Posters should be self-explanatory, but presenters also will be present
during the poster session to engage interested colleagues in discussion.
Accepted presenters will be eligible for a reduced conference rate.
Principal Presenter
First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail:
Work Phone:
Fax:
Institution Mailing Address:
Principal Presenter Biography (75 words or less)
Co-Presenter 1 (if applicable)
First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail:
Work Phone:
Fax:
Institution Mailing Address
Co-Presenter 1 Presenter Biography (75 words or less)
Co-Presenter 2 (if applicable)
First Name:
Last Name:
E-mail:
Work Phone:
Fax:
Institution Mailing Address:
Co-Presenter 2 Biography (75 words or less)
Title of Session:
Session Type
__ 50-minute presentationAbstract (200 words or less)
Rooms are equipped with laptop computers, projection screens, white boards, and data projectors. Please fill in any ADDITIONAL needs in the space provided.