CAESL 2008: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING IN SCIENCE

CALL FOR SESSION PROPOSALS

At the fifth annual conference of the Center for the Assessment and Evaluation of Student Learning, researchers and educators from around the world will share information and practices in the development of assessment systems for science. The conference will promote a constructive dialogue about the latest theory, research and practices in the development of assessment systems for science that help teachers to diagnose student learning in the classroom and which link meaningfully to large scale accountability systems.

The CAESL 2008 conference will be held from October 21-23, 2008 in San Francisco, CA.
The CAESL 2008 Conference Planning Group invites submissions for session proposals. All non-poster proposals must involve an interactive component, i.e. a hands-on demonstration or group discussion. Proposal submissions are due by July 7, 2008. Late submissions will not be accepted.

REQUIRED ELEMENTS FOR ALL PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS

1. Title of the proposed session, as it would appear in the agenda.
2. The presenter’s name, institutional affiliation, and email; include all co-authors, presenters, or panelists involved in the presentation, and indicate who will be the organizer for the session. The organizer must obtain the consent of all participants before submitting a session proposal.
3. An abstract of 100 to 120 words, which may be made publicly available online or in print.
4. Strand(s): indicate the CAESL 2008 strand(s) that are relevant to your proposed session. The strands are:
• Building teacher capacity in assessment
• Equity in science assessment
• Formative assessment: assessment for learning
5. Type of session: indicate if the proposed session is a demonstration, interactive symposium, roundtable, workshop, panel, or other interactive session (please describe).
6. Summary: Provide a summary of up to 1,000 words for use in judging the merits of the proposed session. CAESL encourages session proposals that demonstrate diverse approaches to assessing and evaluating science learning, reflecting various cultural, national, racial, language, and gender perspectives; disciplinary bases and/or research paradigms; education levels (K–12, and institutions of higher education); and kinds of research and practice. Preference will be given to sessions of international interest and relevance and to collaborations between researchers and practitioners.
7. Equipment: specify any audiovisual equipment that you will need. Reasonable equipment requests will be accommodated and funded by CAESL 2008, but the equipment must be requested when the proposal is submitted.
8. Special arrangements: indicate any requirements related to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

REVIEW PROCESS:

The CAESL 2008 Planning Group will informally review all proposals. Proposal teams will be notified of the decisions by email by July 30, 2008.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Submit electronic proposal submissions as Microsoft Word document (.doc), Rich Text File (.rtf), or Portable Document Format (.pdf).

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submit session proposals by email to: caesl@wested.org (preferred)

Or by mail to:
CAESL 2008 Conference,
c/o WestEd
300 Lakeside Drive, 25th Floor
Oakland, California 94612-3534

TYPES OF SESSIONS

Demonstration: In a demonstration session, two or more presenters explore uses and capabilities of an educational tool (e.g., a piece of software to aid research, a computer-based simulation, a specific teaching method, or a multimedia based approach) including some hands-on time for participants. The purpose of the session is to demonstrate the tool, though the presentation my also include some references to relevant research.

Interactive Symposium: An interactive symposium encourages engagement via active discussion with participants, and promotes deeper understanding by all. The session may include a lengthy panel discussion among the presenters and discussants, questions and discussion among all those present at the session, or small-group interaction. A designated chair must maintain time limits on speakers and facilitate discussion. Innovative formats (e.g., town meetings) can also be proposed under this rubric. All proposed interactive symposia for CAESL 2008 must be international collaborations.

Roundtable. Roundtables maximize interaction with the presenters by eliminating the formal presentation. Individual presenters are assigned to numbered tables in a large meeting room where interested persons may gather for discussion with the presenter about his or her paper or project. This format is particularly appropriate for addressing topics best pursued through extensive discussion. Authors must bring copies of the full paper and should remain available for discussion throughout the 40-minute session. Time for a discussant and for general discussion may also be included.

Because of the physical configuration of this type of session, no additional audio-visual equipment, such as a screen or overhead projector, is provided. Authors wishing to use a PowerPoint-type presentation may plan on displaying the presentation from their own laptop computer screens or providing participants with printouts of the presentation. Presenters planning to use personal laptops should ensure that batteries are fully charged, as room configurations do not always allow for power outlets where needed.

Symposium. A symposium provides an opportunity for examining specific problems or topics from a variety of perspectives. Symposia may present alternative solutions, interpretations, or contrasting points of view on a specified subject or in relation to a common theme. Symposia may also use a panel discussion format targeted at a clearly delineated issue or idea. Panel members are expected to prepare a commentary paper addressing central questions regarding the issue under consideration. All proposed symposia for CAESL 2008 must be international collaborations.

Workshop. A workshop provides an opportunity to exchange information or work on a common problem, project, or shared interest. Presentations are brief, allowing adequate time for reflective discussion and interaction.

Poster presentation. Posters are visual summaries of research enhanced by researcher explanations and experiences. They may address assessment tools or ongoing research and projects. Graduate students are particularly invited to showcase their current work in the area of science assessment. Posters should be no larger than 24" x 30".