Conference Proposals

Call for Proposals:

Welcome!

You are invited to join us for the Centre for Excellence in Professional Placement Learning`s (Ceppl) Conference, `Transforming Learners, Transforming Lives` at the University of Plymouth, UK, April 13th-15th, 2010. The conference will feature keynote speakers Professor Dan Goodley (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK) and Dann May (Oklahoma City University, USA) and will provide delegates with opportunities for stimulating discussion and debate with national and international colleagues. Proposals are welcomed from across all disciplines and professions which include a placement or work based learning element in their programme of study. We invite proposals for paper and poster presentations, and workshops, focussing on a range of issues which underpin the transformative potential of placement learning.

We look forward to hearing from you!

2010 Conference themes

The Ceppl`s 2010 conference has six themes:

• Transforming learners, transforming lives
• Rethinking interprofessional education
• Technology enhanced learning: connecting students and contexts
• Preparing and supporting students: making the most of the placement experience
• Assessment for learning? Assessment for practice?
• Sustaining impact: ensuring the future for our learners

Each of these themes and related strands are presented in further detail below together with information on submitting proposals for posters, single papers and workshops.

Transforming learners, Transforming lives:

The overarching theme of the Centre for Excellence in Professional Placement Learning is its commitment to promote positive societal change through critical pedagogy and transformative research and practice. Presentations in this theme may include:

• Development of new and innovative placement opportunities for students with an explicitly transformative agenda
• Models of successful interprofessional placements
• Examples of transforming the curriculum through critical approaches to learning
• Development of learning opportunities/modules underpinned by a commitment to social inclusion
• Challenges to positivist research in an attempt to develop more equitable and emancipatory forms of research

Rethinking Interprofessional Education:

The impetus for this theme is drawn from the belief that to make Interprofessional Education meaningful and sustainable it has to be subject to the same pedagogic rigour as other forms of educational practice. Furthermore, it needs to uncover the `real` issues in terms of interprofessional practice and actively seek engagement with all stakeholders to initiate new thinking, research and educational provision. Presentations in this theme may include:

• Authentic interprofessional placement learning
• Engaging colleagues in interprofessional working
• Researching and evaluating interprofessional education
• Policy and theory in the development of models of interprofessional learning and working
• Innovative and creative approaches to delivering interprofessional education

Technology enhanced learning on placement: connecting students and contexts:

This theme is concerned with research, evaluation and development that exploits the potential for new and emerging technologies to enhance students` placement learning experience. Presentations in this theme may include:

• The benefits and challenges of technology enhanced learning in the placement context
• Using technology to meet the pedagogic needs of students on placement
• The effect of increased connectivity for students on placement
• Facilitating student engagement with technology to enhance placement learning

Preparing and supporting students: making the most of the placement experience:

Effective preparation and support of students for and on placement is vital in enabling an optimal placement learning experience. Provision of comprehensive support presents many challenges in ensuring that the diverse needs of students and placement contexts are met. Presentations in this theme may include:

• Effective placement preparation
• Innovative support structures for students on placement
• The support needs of students on placement
• Monitoring and enhancing the placement learning context
• Ensuring inclusivity in placement learning

Assessment for learning? Assessment for practice?

This theme focuses on best practice and associated challenges with assessing students` learning whilst on placement, and furthermore in ensuring reliable measurement of the student`s ability to practice competently. Presentations in this theme may include:

• Local, national and international perspectives on practice assessment
• Evaluation of the efficacy of practice assessment tools and procedures
• Service user and carer involvement in the assessment of practice
• Innovative practice assessment methods
• The impact of practice assessment on student learning

Sustaining impact: ensuring the future for our learners:

Focussing on strategies regarding sustainable development of teaching and learning initiatives. Presentations in this theme may include:

• Sustaining and building on excellence
• Influencing organisational culture
• Ensuring impact on students` learning
• Exploring employability
• Life-long learning
• Enterprise

Submission details:

Posters:

We invite proposals for posters presenting completed projects or work in progress related to the conference themes and related strands. The poster session will be held on the first evening of the conference and will provide presenters with the opportunity to discuss their work with fellow delegates over cheese and wine. Poster proposals should include:

• Author (s) and affiliation
• An abstract (up to 500 words)
• Related conference theme(s)

Paper presentations:

Proposals are invited for paper presentations of research and/or development projects related to the conference themes detailed above. Papers will be divided into sessions according to appropriate themes and strands, each paper being allocated 20 minutes for the presentation and ten minutes for questions and discussion. Paper proposals should include:

• Author (s) and affiliation
• An abstract (up to 500 words)
• Related conference theme(s)

Workshops:

We welcome proposals for 60 minute interactive workshops which facilitate delegate engagement with important issues in placement learning. Sessions will address the conference themes but must include activities that enable delegates to collaborate and connect with current matters in placement learning provision (i.e. not simply comprise a presentation). Workshop proposals should include:

• Facilitator details and affiliation
• Facilitators` relevant experience for the workshop
• An abstract (up to 500 words)
• Details of proposed delegate engagement (e.g. planned activities) (up to 250 words)
• Learning outcomes of workshop for delegates (up to 250 words)

Submission procedure:

Please note: The deadline for submissions has been extended as per the information below.

Proposals can be submitted on an attached word document via email to ceppl@plymouth.ac.uk until 12th February 2010.

Proposal notifications will be sent to delegates by 26th February 2010.

Accepted authors will need to confirm their participation by 5th March 2010.

All proposals will be reviewed by a panel from the Centre for Excellence in Professional Placement Learning. Proposals will either be accepted, accepted with minor revisions or rejected. Authors with proposals requiring minor revisions will be invited to resubmit their paper to the panel. The reviewers` decision will be final.