Workshops and Special sessions Submissions
General guidelines for conference workshops and special sessions (panel discussions)
People interested in presenting a workshop or coordinating a special session (e.g., panel discussion, invited speakers around a common topic, sponsor demonstrations and presentations) should submit a 500-700 word proposal, following the guidelines given here.
Workshops and panel discussions are expected to be interactive and should be designed to actively engage the audience. Workshops should incorporate active learning strategies, while panel discussions should have facilitated Q&A time included in the program.
Workshops can vary in format but should be designed to facilitate discussions between participants and the facilitators. For instance, the workshop could start with a short introductory presentation that explains the aims and intended outcomes, and then integrates some tools to encourage collaborative participation.
We encourage the development of workshops and special sessions that appeal to a wide audience, taking into account that the conference aims to target academic management, researchers, engineering students and industry. As such, workshops should avoid any overly academic or scientific language. If theories or research has to be discussed to give context to the workshop, it should preferably be presented in layman’s terms.
Workshops and special sessions that span across the 4 sectors that the WEEF/GEDC/AEEA conference includes, namely management, research, students and industry, are welcomed; you do not specifically have to focus only on one of these sectors.
Recommended Proposal Format:
| Workshops | Panel discussions | |
| Objectives | Please provide at least two learning objectives, i.e., what specific knowledge, attributes or skills will the participants acquire through their participation? | Please provide at least two key foci for the discussion, i.e., what specific issues relating to engineering education will be addressed or discussed? Will you be bringing diverse and new perspectives to the topic, or will you be introducing a new and relevant subject area to the community? |
| Motivation | Please indicate the intended audience, how the topic for the workshop or special session is relevant to the conference and its themes, and what the benefits of participation are. | |
| Presenter/Panelist information | Please describe the relevant experience that you and your co-presenter(s) have in the field related to this proposed workshop or special sessions. (For example, I or my co-presenter have led or taught this workshop at a national or local meeting or have published in this area.) | Please describe the relevant experience or position that you as facilitator and your chosen panelists have in the field related to panel discussion topic. (For example, provide the credentials of the proposed facilitator and panelists in terms of their status as experts or leaders in the panel discussion topic.) |
| Previous WEEF/ IFEES/ GEDC/ AEEA workshops | Has a similar workshop or panel discussion been presented at WEEF in the past two years (by yourself or others)? If so, which years and by whom? If you are expanding or building on from previous workshops or panel discussions, please make sure that this is explicitly described with reference to the topics that were covered previously. | |
| Presentation strategy | Workshops are intended to be small, interactive training seminars. What specific format/strategies do you intend to use to accomplish the above objectives (e.g. round-table discussion, Q&A, hands-on, problem-solving, etc.)? Describe the interactive format/strategies. | Panel discussions should be carefully planned to allow limited and concise presentation from panelists, if appropriate, with sufficient time for discussion and Q&A. The proposal should include the format that will be used, along with the briefing that will be shared with panelists including relevant questions for reflection prior to the session. |
| Logistics | Workshop size | Number of panelists, expected audience size |
| Time to be allocated |
90 min, or 2 x 90 min = 180 min (special motivation required for a double slot) |
90 min, or 2 x 90 min = 180 min (special motivation required for a double slot) |
The submission and review process for workshops and special sessions differs from full paper contributions. The proposals will be reviewed by the international sub-committee for workshops and special sessions, and applicants will be informed of the outcome. The sub-committee may recommend for teams to combine where topics overlap.
Please note that workshop or special session facilitators are required to register in full for the conference. Virtual presentation from panelists or guest speakers will be allowed, but the presentation will only be broadcast to the room. There is no hybrid attendance option for the conference.
Proposal submission deadline: 31 July 2022
Feedback after review process: 15 August 2022
Please direct any queries to Workshop and Special Session Coordinator, Dr Lelanie Smith, workshops@weefgedc.org/2022 .