Constructionism 2020: Constructionism 2020 Trinity College Dublin Dublin, Ireland, May 26-29, 2020 |
Conference website | http://www.constructionismconf.org/ |
Submission link | https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=constructionism2020 |
Submission deadline | September 30, 2019 |
Exploring, Testing and Extending our Understanding of Constructionism
What have you done, and what can you share, to help the wider constructionist community move forward in our collective understanding of constructionism?
The conference theme of Exploring, Testing and Extending our Understanding of Constructionism challenges all of us, researchers and practitioners, to further our collective understanding of constructionism. We need to consider how theory and empirical evidence from other disciplines can be used to critique, and ultimately enhance, constructionism and constructionist activities as we move towards the second quarter of the 21st Century. Disciplines such as sociology and neuropsychology (to name just two) can provide us with new insights into constructionist activities. At the same time, what does constructionism have to offer as a philosophy and theory of learning which can help society address some of the biggest challenges of our time such as intolerance, biodiversity and climate change?
What can be learned from those who engage in constructionist principles but may not see themselves as constructionists? For example, what can be learned from Makerspaces and industry training, those who work in the classroom and in after-school clubs; those in the arts, social sciences and STEM fields? With the rise of computer programming, robotics, etc. in school curricula globally, why do we not see more direct reference to constructionism and what do we need to do to challenge attitudes in education?
We welcome all voices to share their ideas in a variety of formats, details below, and the conference committee is open to suggestions for alternative formats not listed. In addition, throughout the conference there will be a focus on collectively discussing ideas with the aim of developing a coherent consensus of our understanding of constructionism for the future.
On behalf of the conference committees we look forward to receiving your submissions and welcoming you to Dublin in May 2020.
Key information for all submissions
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Please follow the formatting guidelines and correct template for all submissions
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Deadline: Monday the 30th of September
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Submission via EasyChair - https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=constructionism2020
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Accepted submissions will be published in full on-line in an ISBN digital conference proceeding book under an Open Access Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
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At the conference a printed book of abstracts will be available.
Special note:
Following the conference, a special section of the British Journal of Educational Technology will be published entitled Constructionism Moving Forward. There will be an open call for contributions and those contributing to the Constructionism 2020 conference will be encouraged to develop a submission for the journal. More details to follow.
Papers
Papers should describe some combination of original theoretical perspectives, empirical research, innovative tools, methodological developments and/or practitioner inquires which:
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explore innovative ideas, tools, methods, etc.
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test existing tools and approaches in new contexts, with larger cohorts, large scale evaluation etc.
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introduce novel methodologies for evaluation of learning
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help to extend our understanding of constructionism and its relatonship to other disciplines.
Depending on the topic, and your position as a researcher or practitioner, things to consider in a paper submission include the following.
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A statement on the problem being addressed.
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Links to relevant theory, policy, evidence, etc to support claims, aims, hypothesis, etc.
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Plainly stated objectives (of research or practice activity) with research questions (as appropriate).
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A clear description of any learning activity design and implementation and/or technical solution, explaining how it is aligned with constructionism and other relevant theories.
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Relevant contextual information.
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Overview of data collection and analysis approaches.
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Results.
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Discussion of the results of research or activity with reference to what is already known.
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Any implications for practice, policy or research.
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The contribution of the paper to our understanding of constructionism.
All papers will be made available in digital form and therefore a page count will not be applied, to allow for the reasonable and appropriate use of images, tables, etc. and references.
Key information:
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2000-4000 words for the main body (excluding abstract and references)
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1-page abstract (this will be printed in the conference book of abstracts)
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This should include the problem, aims, outline of the study/practice activity/theoretical ideas, key findings and contribution.
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Please follow the formatting guidelines in the template [LINK]
Ignite Poster Presentations
The traditional conference poster format will be augmented by an Ignite Poster Presentation session which allow participants to provide a brief ‘pitch’ to all conference attendees during a full plenary session. Ignite presentations last 2 minutes each and provide an opportunity to capture the interest of attendees at the conference, to encourage them to come to talk to you at your poster. Posters should describe new ideas or work-in-progress that connect to the conference theme. Poster submissions can include empirical studies, innovative tools, practitioner experiences, work-in-progress, etc.
Depending on the topic and the status of the work at time of submission, the poster abstract submission should include the following.
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The problem being addressed.
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Links to theory, policy, evidence, etc to support claims, aims, hypothesis, etc.
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Objectives (of research or practice activity) with research questions (as appropriate).
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A brief description of any learning activity design and implementation.
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A brief description of any technical solution in development.
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Outline the context, data collection and analysis approaches.
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Any results anticipated by the time of the conference.
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Potential implications of the study for practitioners/policy/research and our developing understanding of constructionism.
Key information:
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1-2 page extended abstract (this will be printed in full in the conference book of abstracts)
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Please follow the formatting guidelines in the template [LINK]
Workshops
Workshops should provide hands-on activities for participants to engage with and can follow a variety of formats. For example, workshops may be a pedagogic activity, involve exploring a new tool, roundtable discussion, etc.
Workshop abstracts should include the following.
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Outline what the activity will involve.
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Clearly identify the key ideas which underpin the activity.
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Explanation of how the activity will be beneficial to participants.
Following the abstract, include a section outlining the following.
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Who the target audience is.
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The maximum number of attendees.
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Any equipment that will be required (including who you expect to supply it).
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Whether there are any requirements regarding the physical space.
Key information:
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1-page abstract (this will be printed in the conference book of abstracts)
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This should include a brief description of the activity, the key ideas which underpin it and an explanation of how the activity will be beneficial to participants and who those participants might be.
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1-page information for organisers
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This should explain who the target audience is, maximum number of attendees, equipment requirements etc.
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Please follow the formatting guidelines in the template [LINK]
Demonstrations
Demonstrations, of an interesting innovation, tool or method, will be hosted in the poster area of the conference venue and presenters can also request a poster to be displayed in their demonstration space. Those providing a demonstration will also be offered a 2 min slot in the Ignite session to pitch their contribution to all conference attendees.
Demonstration proposals should include the following.
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Outline of the innovation, tool or method to be demonstrated.
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Clearly identify the key constructionist ideas which underpin it.
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Explanation of how the demonstration will be beneficial to participants.
Include a section in the proposal outlining the following.
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Who the target audience is
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Any equipment that will be required and who will provide it.
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Whether the demonstration will be including a poster or not.
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Any requirements regarding the physical space.
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If there is a linked workshop proposed.
Key information:
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1-page abstract (this will be printed in the conference book of abstracts)
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This should include a brief description of the innovation, tool or method to be demonstrated, the key ideas which underpin it and an explanation of how the activity will be beneficial to participants and who those participants might be.
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1-page information for organisers
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This should explain who the target audience is, maximum number of attendees, equipment requirements etc.
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Please follow the formatting guidelines in the template [LINK]
Panel Discussions
Panels and symposia both provide opportunities for a group of researchers and/or practitioners to engage their audience with a common topic. Panels are chaired discussions, and the role of the chair is to ask questions and ensure that each panellist engages in the discussion, avoiding dominance from a single voice and ensuring multiple perspectives are heard. They will also chair engagement with the audience. There should be an opportunity for participants to get involved and the benefits for participants should be made clear. Submissions should include the following.
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The topic to be discussed, which should be clear and linked to relevant literature.
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The significance of the topic should be clear.
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Describe the expected nature of the discussion, for example will the first question be put to each panellist in turn? How active will the chair be within the discussions?
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Explain how multiple perspectives will be represented.
All accepted panel submissions will be printed in full.
Key information:
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1-page abstract (this will be printed in the conference book of abstracts).
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This should provide an overview of the topic and its significance.
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1-page information on panellists and chair
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A short bio for each panellist and the chair.
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It should be clear from the bios and abstract how multiple perspectives are represented.
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Under the bio for the chair, include information on how the discussion will be structured/organised.
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Please follow the formatting guidelines in the template [LINK]