Call for Presentation

Deadline for all submissions extended to 5th March 2018

Download CfP!

Reasons to participate in OCCE.2018
We invite you to submit your work to OCCE 2018 which will enable you to:

  • Take an active role by discussing the future of technology enhanced learning
  • Access latest research and business solutions that can transform educational practice
  • Network with world-leading teachers, educators, professionals and learning technologists
  • Share knowledge and ideas on hot topics such as Computer Science Education and its role in educating creators of the future
  • Engage with strategy and policy experts, from international agencies, national or regional government, research and academia
  • Find out more about best practices in technology enhanced learning from teachers and learners
  • Present your work, research, developments, policy initiatives, and ideas, to inform research and practice
  • Be inspired by our leading international speakers

Background to the conference
Today, young people face a challenging situation. Whilst they have the opportunity to benefit from powerful digital technologies which open up new learning opportunities they also need to deal with handling and making sense of such devices in a complex and non-stable world. Consequently, we need to address the omnipresence of digital technologies, their increasing accessibility and power to shape action and perception, through the development of learners’ understanding and application of creativity, computational thinking, media literacy and digital citizenship. This endeavour is not simply about adaptation to a new technology and its associated culture. Digital technologies are not just a means of handling the given world, providing relevant learning experiences, enabling young people to more easily make connections with knowledgeable others and learn across boundaries. Digital technologies also enable young people to re-invent their world and society through being active creators and producers rather than passive consumers of knowledge and information. At the same time, the job market is shifting and young people now require a range of digital skills to meet employers’ needs. There is currently a lack of clarity regarding what those skills should be.

This complex situation gives rise to many tensions. Will employers place greater value on  computer science skills (e.g. coding) or transversal skills? To what extent does (hidden) datafication surrounding online use undermine security and anonymity?  How can we ensure that  digital learning opportunities are available to all, irrespective of gender, ethnicity and social class? How can we scale up and sustain innovative uses of digital technologies in education when new technologies are constantly emerging?
The challenges and opportunities emerging with the societal impact of digital technologies will be addressed through “Empowering the Learner for Life – in the Digital Age.”

Themes of the conference
Submissions should cover one of the following key themes within the main topic of the conference: “Empowering the learner for life – in the digital age”

  • Computational  thinking and design and system thinking
  • Computer science education
  • Creativity and leadership
  • Datafication and learning analytics
  • Digital and media literacy and agency
  • Digital citizenship, responsibility, ethics and digital security
  • Digital native vs digital naive
  • Game-based learning and behavioural patterning
  • Inclusion and adaptive technologies
  • Innovative learning with emerging technologies
  • Scalability and sustainability
  • Shifting landscapes in strategies,  policies and curricula
  • Schools and technology addiction
  • Tech-free schools

Types of submissions

Full papers
A full paper is a standard academic research paper (maximum length: 10 pages).

Short papers

A short paper is an academic paper, position paper, case study, policy paper or a national perspective (maximum length: 5 pages).

Industry foresights

Companies and developers outline their state-of-the-art technologies, seeking discussion and comment to support their ongoing development. Participants should submit a short description (maximum length: 2 pages) or a short paper (maximum length: 5 pages).

Symposia

A symposium is a collection of related papers on a central theme of the conference. Proposals for symposia outline the theme and the participants (maximum length: 1 page), and include a one-page abstract for each paper. At a stated time, symposium papers can be submitted as long or short papers, but to be involved in the conference there is no requirement to do this.

System presentations

Ongoing hardware and software project developments relating to the conference theme may be presented and discussed during the conference.  A short description (maximum length: 2 pages) of an exhibit should be submitted.

Learner and teacher presentations

We welcome presentations by students and their teachers, demonstrating uses, learning activities and learning outcomes in the fields of computer science education and technology enhanced learning in general. A short description (maximum length: 2 pages) of the presentation should be submitted. Such sessions will allow sharing with all stakeholder communities attending. As the conference will focus on themes and topics that are pertinent to school managers, local managers, teachers and advisers, attendance at selected sessions from across all themes will be highlighted by suggested pathways where possible. These sessions will be particularly useful for practitioners involved in project-based activities.

Panel sessions

Chairs of these panels should submit an abstract (maximum length: 2 pages) for a panel of up to three identified speakers who will briefly present their views on a pertinent topic, leaving sufficient time for discussion.

Doctoral consortium

PhD students are encouraged to submit an extended abstract (with literature review, methodology, results or expected results) for inclusion in the conference (maximum length: 2 pages). The doctoral consortium will start with a pre-conference session on 24th June 2018, for research students to practice presentation and to receive feedback from active researchers.

Fireside chat

A moderator and at least one expert have an informal conversation about a key topic. The moderator prepares 2-3 questions in advance and can elicit questions from the audience (using technology if preferred). This is like a panel presentation but less formal and with more discussion from the outset. Chairs of Fireside chats should submit an abstract outlining the focus of the chat and the starting questions (maximum length: 2 pages).

World café

This event enables a large group to engage in dialogue through smaller sub-groups who sit around tables discussing key questions in three 15 minute sessions. Outcomes of each of the sessions will be recorded and shared. The moderator proposing such an event should outline the focus of the world café together with the key questions to be discussed, and specifics about the format (e.g. recommended number of tables, whether a table has a host or not, etc.). The moderator should submit an abstract providing this information (maximum length: 2 pages).

Pecha kucha

These presentations are short and snappy with 20 slides and no more than 20 seconds per slide. A short paper or industry foresight is suitable for presentation in this format (see above for requirements).

Speed geeking/rapid demos
A networking session where the focus is on finding out what everyone else does and most importantly talking to people you have not met before. Small groups of participants visit tables at which the presenters are sat. The presenters talk about their work. When the bell rings, participants move to a different table. This continues until all participants have seen every presenter. The moderator should submit an abstract outlining the focus and presenters who will share their work (maximum length 2 pages).

We also invite people to suggest alternative formats when they submit their abstract.

Submission
The conference website will provide up-to-date details about submission. Please note that all submissions must adhere to the formatting style stated both on the conference website, and on the conference management system.

Reviewing
Proposals will be reviewed by International Programme Committee members and reviewers according to the form of submission. Submissions for presentation will be selected on the basis of the quality of the submission, relevance and potential contribution to the field, and its potential to benefit others. The diversity of submissions will be considered, to enable a balanced programme to be of value to all participants. All submitted papers and forms of contribution will be peer-reviewed. Submissions may be  accepted without change or accepted subject to revisions.

Publication
One page abstracts for full or short papers accepted for presentation, together with industry foresights, symposia abstracts, system presentations, learner and teacher presentations, panel and audience response sessions, abstracts for the doctoral consortium, fireside chats, world cafe events, pecha kucha and speed geeking/rapid demos will be published in an online conference proceedings prior to the conference.

Selected full and short papers will be published as a post-conference book; in these cases author(s) will have the opportunity to revise their paper post-conference and a second review process will be undertaken.

Financial Support
IFIP TC3 is keen to involve participants from countries worldwide, especially from developing countries. Those coming from a developing country who would like to be involved by presenting a paper, but who do not have funds to cover travel costs, should make early contact (by the end of February 2018) to explore possible sponsorship.
Participants who wish to explore this option are strongly advised to find out at an early stage whether a VISA is required for their travel for academic purposes, and how to apply for this in time to both travel and attend the conference. If invitation letters are required, this must be indicated when a participant registers, and will only be issued after this registration is complete.
Doctoral students (from any country) with best rated papers identified during the peer review review process will benefit from a bursary.