Frequently Asked Questions
ITL: Ask Me Anything (AMA)
Check out the below video to hear the answers to some FAQs! Recorded March 3, 2025:
Submitting Proposals
The RFP for 2025 ITL is closed.
If you have additional questions, we encourage you to contact the Stearns Center ([email protected]). If you wish to discuss your proposal content ideas before submitting a proposal, please contact Conference Director, Crystal Anderson ([email protected]).
What’s the format for the proposal?
Session proposals are submitted via Request for Proposals Form. Proposals for all sessions include an abstract and a description of additional criteria specific to each session. We encourage you to consult the Session Proposal Guide for details about each session proposal type and review criteria.
What are the requirements to be a presenter?
We ask that the lead presenter be an instructor of record or staff member at George Mason. Co-presenters should be related to the instructor’s work but do not need to be affiliated with Mason. In the past, this has included other instructors, administrators/staff, graduate student instructors of record, graduate student teaching assistants, undergraduate students, government/non-profit employees, etc.
I’m a graduate student. Can I present?
Yes, we especially welcome your submission as a Teaching Talk. We do ask that the lead presenter for Interactive Sessions be instructor of record or staff member at George Mason. However, there may be situations where it is appropriate for a graduate teaching assistant to be the lead presenter for an Interactive Session. Graduate students working with faculty on curriculum development or teaching are encouraged to present as co-presenters.
Can my undergraduate students be presenters?
Yes. We do ask that the lead presenter for Interactive Sessions be instructor of record or staff member at George Mason. However, there are situations where it is appropriate for an undergraduate student to be a presenter for an Interactive Session. Undergraduate students serving as Learning Assistants or Teaching Assistants or working with faculty on curriculum development or teaching are encouraged to present as co-presenters for Interactive Sessions. Also, students are encouraged to co-present if they have participated in the teaching strategies or activities the instructor presents.
My teaching idea or activity isn’t long enough for a whole session—should I still propose it?
Yes! We encourage you to submit it as:
- A Teaching Talk, an individual, 10-minute lightning presentations via Zoom on a teaching strategy, innovation, technique, tool or SOTL research
- An On Demand Resources, which are teaching artifacts from courses. These include, but are not limited to, assignments, in-class activities, lecture notes/slide decks, syllabi and other supplementary teaching materials.
Still not sure which session type is the best fit for you? See the Session Proposal Guide for details and samples of proposals or reach out to Conference Director, Crystal Anderson ([email protected]), to discuss your idea.
I have an idea, but it’s “nothing new or what I’d call innovative.” Will anyone be interested? Should I submit my idea?
Yes! What’s not new to you may be new to someone else. We seek to meet the teaching practice needs of all instructors, from someone new to teaching to an experienced instructor who has been formally trained in educational theory and practice. We also encourage proposals that are built on evidence-based practices. Innovation doesn’t mean having to reinvent the wheel. If you have an “oldie, but goodie” idea, we want to hear those, too.
I have a tip/strategy for my class, but would people outside of my discipline be interested?
Yes! If it’s something that is helping your students learn, it is likely something that is adaptable to other contexts. We seek proposals situated in a context (your class) but could be applied or adapted to a variety of disciplines. If you need help or ideas on how to “translate” your activity or present your idea in a way that is applicable across disciplines, we encourage you to ask Crystal Anderson ([email protected]).
Can I have an extension/more time to complete and submit my proposal?
We strongly encourage you to submit your proposal on time to guarantee that it is considered and reviewed by the selection committee. Presenters will have three weeks to submit proposals. Late proposals will not be considered.
I have a couple different session ideas. Can I submit more than one proposal?
Yes! There is no limit to the number of session proposals you can submit, but acceptance may be impacted by the needs of the program. Interactive Sessions are the most selective session type. There is no limit to serving as a co-presenter on multiple sessions. However, please consider scheduling realities may impact your ability to serve as a co-presenter on multiple sessions. We encourage you to submit an On Demand proposal in addition to your Teaching Talk as a way to increase your chances of being selected for our program.
How do I submit my proposal?
Please submit your proposal via our Request for Proposals Form.
When are proposals due?
Proposals are due Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
How will my proposal be reviewed?
Your proposal will be reviewed using the following criteria. Abstracts will be rated on a scale of 2-10 (2 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest). Other criteria will be ranked on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest). In addition, the reviewer will provide an overall recommendation for acceptance as well as comments.
- Abstract: The abstract describes the topic.
- Relevancy: The abstract explains the knowledge or skills attendees will learn from the session.
- Engagement, Pedagogy or Reflection: The proposal describes a specific interactive activity, how the topic relates to the presenter’s teaching practice and goals or how a teaching artifact relates to the student learning outcomes of the course.
When will I find out if my proposal was selected?
We will notify proposers by email in late April or early May. We ask that authors of selected proposals confirm their intent to present by mid-May via an online form included in the acceptance email.
Proposal Reviews
The Request for Reviewers Form for 2025 ITL is closed.
If you have additional questions, we encourage you to contact the Conference Director, Crystal Anderson ([email protected]) or send an inquiry to [email protected] with the subject line “2025 ITL”).
How do I become a reviewer?
Please complete our Request for Reviewers Form before March 17, 2025, at 11:59PM. You will be contacted with your review assignments and additional information in March.
I have or am submitting a proposal; can I still serve as a reviewer?
Yes! On the Request for Reviewers form, you can indicate that you have submitted a proposal. You will not be assigned your own proposal to review.
What’s involved with reviewing?
Proposals this year consist of a 150-word abstract and responses to two, session-specific questions. Typically, we ask people to review 6-10 proposals, and it takes about 1-2 hours to complete. The more volunteers we have, the fewer proposals we will ask you to review–so please help spread the word. You will be asked to review no more than 10 proposals. Proposal reviews will be submitted through an online form. Note: Proposals will not include identifying presenter information, and proposers will receive your review comments without your name attached (double-blind).
How do I submit my reviews?
You will submit your reviews via our online form (the link will be shared via email). We recommend writing your comments in a Word document and then copying and pasting them into the online form.
Can I have more time to do my reviews?
If you find yourself needing more time to complete your reviews, please contact the Stearns Center with the subject line “2025 ITL Reviewer.” We may be able to grant an extension of a day or two, but due to the tightness of our notification schedule for presenters, we are unable to grant extensions beyond that.
How are proposals evaluated?
Proposals will be reviewed using the following criteria. Abstracts will be rated on a scale of 2-10 (2 being the lowest score and 10 being the highest). Other criteria will be ranked on a scale of 1-5 (1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest). In addition, the reviewer will provide an overall recommendation for acceptance as well as comments.
- Abstract: The abstract describes the topic.
- Relevancy: The abstract explains the knowledge or skills attendees will learn from the session.
- Engagement, Pedagogy or Reflection: The proposal describes a specific interactive activity, how the topic relates to the presenter’s teaching practice and goals or how a teaching artifact relates to the student learning outcomes of the course.
Session Hosts
If you have additional questions, we encourage you to contact the Conference Director, Crystal Anderson ([email protected]) or send an inquiry to [email protected] with the subject line “2025 ITL”).
What does being a session host entail?
As a facilitator for Interactive or Teaching Talk Sessions, you will be responsible for introducing the session and presenter(s), keeping time, reporting session attendance, reminding attendees to complete our survey and closing out the session. Session hosts for Teaching Talk sessions will have a tech host that will handle technology issues, admit attendees and monitor the chat box. We will provide scripts as well as a training video for session hosts.
Please complete our Volunteer Session Host Form to sign up to be a Session Host.
Why ask for individuals to volunteer so early as a session host?
We would like to assign session hosts at the same time we create the draft schedule for the conference. As a result, presenters and session hosts would be notified at the same time and have more time to prepare.