Calls for Proposals

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Calls for Proposals

Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence Summer Conference

Learning in Action: Experiential Pedagogy, Practices, and Pathways

 

Date: August 27th, 2025

Time: 8:00am - 5:00pm

Location: Weston Hall, NJIT

Overview:

The Center for Educational Innovation and Excellence (CEIE) is excited to announce the call for proposals for the Inaugural CEIE Summer Conference at NJIT, “Learning in Action: Experiential Pedagogy, Practices, and Pathways.”  We invite university staff, faculty, instructors, and TAs to submit proposals that showcase innovative experiential learning practices and emphasize interactive and engaging delivery methods. Overall, this conference is dedicated to exploring and enhancing experiential learning for our students.

Themes & Topics:

Proposals should focus on experiential learning and may cover areas such as:

  • Design and implementation of experiential learning activities

  • Assessment strategies for measuring the impact of experiential learning

  • Case studies and evaluations of experiential learning initiatives

  • The role of experiential learning in promoting student engagement and achievement

All breakout sessions will be 45 minutes in length.

Submission Guidelines:

  • Session Title: Approximately 75 characters

  • Abstract Requirements: Abstracts should be no more than 250 words, clearly describing the experiential learning activity or approach, its impact on education, and evidence of effectiveness. (This will be posted in the program along with the title).

  • Session Types: All sessions must be designed to be interactive, engaging, and require audience participation. Types include workshops, interactive panels, and demonstrations.

  • Engagement Strategy: Each proposal must include a detailed plan for engaging participants, ensuring that attendees are active contributors rather than passive listeners for at least 50% of your time with them.

  • Formatting: Proposals should be submitted through the provided Google Form.

  • Deadline: Proposals must be submitted by May 18th, 2025 at 11:59pm.

Review Process:

Proposals will be evaluated by the CEIE staff and Advisory Board, and assessed based on their relevance to the conference theme, the innovativeness of the experiential learning practice, the engagement strategy's effectiveness, and the overall potential for impact on educational practices.

Special Considerations:

We highly encourage submissions that include students as co-presenters or significant contributors. Special consideration will be given to these proposals, as they provide valuable perspectives and demonstrate the direct impact of experiential learning as well as providing additional professional experiences for students and accomplishments for their own resumes.

CEIE Champions League:

New for 2025!

Starting with this summer conference in August 2025, the CEIE will offer an annual award structure for engagement each academic year. Presenters in particular will receive gifts at the end of each spring semester, and automatically be entered in a raffle for an iPad or similar grand prize. The more times you present, the more entries you will receive! Additional information on the CEIE Champions League will be available on the CEIE website soon, but submitting a proposal to present at the inaugural summer conference is the first opportunity to participate!

Extra Resources on Experiential Learning

To support the proposal process, the CEIE has compiled a list of literature on Experiential Learning. 

Aldrich, C. (2005). Learning by doing: A comprehensive guide to simulations, computer games, and pedagogy in e-learning and other educational experiences. John Wiley & Sons. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=n1zfEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Aldrich,+C.+(2005).+Learning+by+doing+summary&ots=AqT0I6mpkB&sig=m8q0gQMZHb1NZfN-wvqMaDMkiH8#v=onepage&q&f=false. 

  • Aldrich explains how to select, research, build, sell, deploy, and measure the right type of educational simulation for the right situation. It covers simple approaches that use basic or no technology through projects on the scale of computer games and flight simulators. 

Beard, C. M., & Wilson, J. P. (2006). Experiential learning: A best practice handbook for educators and trainers. Kogan Page.

  • Beard and Wilson offer a guide for educators and trainers on best practices in experiential learning, with tips on designing and facilitating effective learning experiences.This handbook pulls together for the first time both the theory and the practice of experiential learning and all types of learning that employ activity-based experience.

Boud, D., Keogh, R., & Walker, D. (1985). Reflection: Turning experience into learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315059051. 

  • Focuses on the crucial role of reflection in learning, providing a detailed exploration of how reflecting on experiences can lead to deeper learning and personal development.

Clark, R. W., Threeton, M. D., & Ewing, J. C. (2010). The potential of experiential learning models and practices in career and technical education and career and technical teacher education. Journal of Career and Technical Education, 25(2), 46-62. https://doi.org/10.21061/jcte.v25i2.479. 

  • This article discusses the application of experiential learning in career and technical education, highlighting effective models and practices that enhance vocational training.

Corbett, A. C. (2005). Experiential learning within the process of opportunity identification and exploitation. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 29(4), 473-491. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2005.00094.x

  • This article investigates how experiential learning processes influence entrepreneurial opportunity identification and exploitation, demonstrating the practical implications of experiential learning in business contexts. 

Dewey, J. (1986). Experience and education. The Educational Forum, 50(3), 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131728609335764. 

  • Dewey's classic work advocates for education that is grounded in experience, critiquing traditional educational approaches and proposing a progressive model based on experiential learning.

Fenwick, T. J. (2000). Expanding conceptions of experiential learning: A review of the five contemporary perspectives on cognition. Adult Education Quarterly, 50(4), 243-272. https://doi.org/10.1177/07417130022087035. 

  • Fenwick explores five cognitive theories that underpin experiential learning, offering a comprehensive review that expands the understanding of how experiential learning can be conceptualized.

Itin, C. M. (1999). Reasserting the philosophy of experiential education as a vehicle for change in the 21st century. Journal of Experiential Education, 22(2), 91-98. https://doi.org/10.1177/105382599902200206.