Conferences

Proposal formats
Proposals are invited for papers, research roundtables, panels, posters and symposia on any aspect of adult learning and education anywhere in the world. Our goal is to provide a forum that represents the range and diversity of contemporary scholarship in the field. We are striving for an inclusive, diverse, and stimulating conference, so whether the scope of your work is global, local, or somewhere in between, consider submitting a proposal.

Download the call for proposals.

Papers
Papers are reports of completed research and will be published in the online conference proceedings. Three types of paper proposals are invited:

(a) empirical research

(b) model or theory development

(c) theorising from the literature.

Empirical research
An empirical research paper should adequately describe:

• Purpose of study: What does it contribute?
• Perspective or theoretical framework, including relevant literature.
• Research design (including rationale for choice of methodology, research questions, modes of data collection and analysis).
• Findings and conclusions.
• Implications for adult education theory and practice.

Model or theory development
A paper focusing on model or theory development should address:

• What practical or theoretical void will this model or theory fill with respect to adult education?
• What is the basis for proposing this model or theory (experience, literature, your own empirical research, etc.)?
• What are the elements of the model or theory and relationships among its elements?
• What is its relationship to existing theory?

Theorising from literature
A paper that theorises from the literature can be either an exploration based on literature (reviews and/or critiques) or applications from one field to another which yield new insights about adult learning and education. The following should be addressed in the proposal:

• What is the purpose of this exploration or application?
• What fields of study, disciplinary perspectives, or bodies of literature are being analyzed?
• What are the implications for the development of adult education theory and practice?

The time allotted for each paper is 45 minutes.

Paper proposals should be a maximum of 750 words. If your proposal is selected for presentation, you will be responsible for submitting a 3,000 word paper for inclusion in the Proceedings. Papers must be received by March 31, 2020. Papers received after this date will not be included in the conference program or the Proceedings.

Research roundtable
A research roundtable provides an opportunity to informally discuss research in progress and research issues with a small group of conference participants. Several roundtable discussions will take place concurrently in the same room with each presenter assigned to a different table.

Roundtables are opportunities to discuss research and research issues informally with interested conference participants.
Abstracts should describe the purpose of the session, explain why the topic is important, provide any background information needed for the discussion, and pose the questions or issues that will be addressed.
Roundtable proposals will be judged based on the importance of the research or research issues they address and their potential to generate lively discussion and debate at the conference. The time allotted for each roundtable is 45 minutes.

Roundtable proposals should be a maximum of 250 words not including references. If your roundtable proposal is accepted, you will be responsible for submitting a 1,000 word summary for inclusion in the Proceedings. This summary must be received by March 31, 2020. Summaries received after this date will not be included in the Proceedings nor will the roundtable be included in the conference.

Panel
In a panel, three or more participants present and discuss research or research-related issues on a common theme or from a common perspective. It is distinguished from a symposium by the lack of differing views or perspectives among the panelists. Time allotted for each panel is 45 minutes.

It is the responsibility of panel organisers to identify the topic and recruit other panelists. Organisers must have the consent of all panelists before submitting the proposal. Organisers not wishing to chair the session must indicate a chairperson. The chair should ensure that all panelists are aware of which aspect of the topic each will address and the sequence of presentations. Only the organiser will be notified of the acceptance of a panel and is responsible for notifying the other panelists.

A panel proposal should be a maximum of 500 words. If a panel proposal is selected, the organizer is responsible for submitting a 3,000 word summary for inclusion in the Proceedings. This summary must be submitted by March 31, 2020, or the summary will not be included in the Proceedings and the panel will not be included in the conference program.

Poster
A poster session is a combination of a visual display of a research project and an opportunity to discuss the project with conference participants. Multiple posters will be displayed during each session. Approximately 20 posters will be presented at the conference. Posters should:

• Present research on a topic explicitly connected to adult learning and education.
• Combine text and images to provide a snapshot of the research.
• Be visually appealing, informative and consistent with principles of engaging design.

Those presenting posters are expected to be present during their session to answer questions and engage in discussions with interested participants. Time allotted for each poster session is 45 minutes.

Poster proposals should be a maximum of 250 words. If your poster proposal is accepted, you will be provided with poster specifications/dimensions and the opportunity to submit a one-page summary that includes both text and an image of the poster for inclusion in the Proceedings. This summary must be submitted by March 31, 2020 to be included in the Proceedings.

Symposium
In a symposium, three or more participants present and discuss diverse or contrasting perspectives on a topic of interest to adult education scholars and practitioners. A symposium should not be merely a presentation of a related set of papers (see panel above). Each symposium will last 90 minutes.

It is the responsibility of organizers of symposia to identify topics and presenters. Organizers must have the consent of all participants before submitting the proposal. Organizers not wishing to chair the session must indicate a chairperson. Should unforeseen circumstances prevent a participant from attending, it is the responsibility of the organizer to: (1) find a suitable replacement; and (2) notify the CASAE review coordinator, all other participants, and discussants involved in the session to enable them to have prior access to abstracts of each presentation, so they may formulate their remarks in the context of what the others plan to say. Organizers are urged to encourage such an exchange of information.

Only the organizer will be notified of the acceptance of a symposium, and is responsible for notifying other participants. A symposium proposal should address the following:

• What is the controversial issue or topic being addressed? Why should adult educators care about this matter?
• What are the competing perspectives (including related bodies of literature) from which this issue will be addressed?
• On what basis do presenters each hold their perspective (experience, literature, one’s own empirical research)?
• What action plan or policy implications are likely to emerge from this examination?

Symposium proposals should be a maximum of 750 words. If a symposium proposal is selected, the organizer is responsible for submitting a 4,000 word paper for inclusion in the Proceedings. Such papers must be submitted by March 31, 2020 or the symposium will not be included in the conference.

Note that all symposium proposals must be submitted to CASAE.

Submission dates

• October 15, 2019: Deadline for submitting proposals
• December 15, 2019: Decisions communicated by review coordinators to those who submitted proposals.
• January 15, 2020: Authors of accepted proposals confirm intent to participate in the conference.
• March 1, 2020: Registration opens
• March 31, 2020: Deadline for submitting papers and other summaries for the Proceedings.

Submit your proposal here.

Proposal details

• Only one proposal per first author may be submitted for review.
• All proposals must be submitted by the end of the day on Monday, September 30, 2019.
• Proposals should be submitted online through the conference website at UBC. A separate submission portal is available for each partnering organisation using the Open Conference System (OCS) platform. Please, do not submit proposals directly to any of the review coordinators.
• We recommend that you prepare your proposal in a word processor, then cut and paste the text into the spaces provided on the submission form.
• There is no need to include full reference information in proposals, although you may wish to cite key references in the text of the proposal.
• To submit a proposal, go to the conference website, select Submit a Proposal, then the organization to which you wish to submit your proposal.
• You will need to create a username and password to access the platform.
• Select the type of proposal you wish to submit, then provide the information requested.
• Paper, roundtable, poster and panel proposals should be submitted to the organisation of your choosing.
• All symposium and French-language proposals should be submitted to CASAE.

Registration opens: March 1, 2020

To register for this unique event, go the AEGT2020 registration page.

To find accommodation, go to the AEGT2020 conference page.