Presenter Guidelines and Presentation Formats

Presentation Sessions

Most sessions at the ELI Annual Meeting are lecture-style presentations involving one or more speakers, often using PowerPoint. For annual meeting presentations, ELI strongly encourages presenters to allocate a minimum of 10–12 minutes to Q&A or participant interaction. The rooms will be arranged with theater-style seating. The following A/V equipment and connectivity will be available: a corded lavaliere microphone, podium microphone, projection screen and projector (at least 1024 x 768), and Internet access through a dedicated Ethernet line. Computers are not provided in session rooms, so presenters are asked to bring their own laptop equipped with a standard VGA output. Other A/V requests will be handled by request through the speaker liaison.

Annual meeting presentations should directly relate to one of ELI's major areas of interest (learners, learning principles and practices, and learning technologies) as identified in the Proposal Guidelines. ELI encourages team presentations that address a subject from multiple perspectives or explore the experiences of multiple institutions.

ELI seeks proposals that present research (quantitative and/or qualitative) or evidence of effectiveness. Those who wish to share innovations or early implementations with the community are encouraged to submit in the innovation demonstration category or use the Innovation Submission Form on the ELI Community Exchange site.

In keeping with its strategic focus on learners and successful learning, ELI also encourages presenters to incorporate learners as co-presenters or contributors to session activities. For example, presenters might consider including students in a panel discussion or presenting student work or videos that explore the learner experience with teaching, learning, and technology.

To maximize the effectiveness of your ELI presentation, please consider the following:

1. Identify the questions you will address. Plan to start your presentation by highlighting the key questions or topics that you intend to discuss (which should match those identified in the "Session Focus" section of your proposal).
2. Describe how your issues/findings might apply to other contexts. Your session participants will represent a diverse array of institutions and professional backgrounds. Indicating how they might abstract the key elements of your presentation and apply them to their situations will increase the value they derive from your session.
3. Provide resources for participants to consult at their convenience. Please incorporate references and resources for further study into your presentation, including URLs. These should also be listed as session resources.
4. Facilitate participant reflection. During your session, encourage participants to reflect on new ideas discovered during your presentation and how they might transfer this “new learning” to their institutional context or professional practice. If possible, schedule specific times during your session to allow for this.

Innovation Demonstrations

An innovation demonstration showcases instructional use of a new technology or application utilizing a laptop and a poster display to demonstrate unique features and functionality. As attendees visit a display, the presenter has the opportunity to discuss the innovation with them; therefore, presenters should prepare a few introductory remarks. A short introduction of about one to two minutes should engage listeners in the subject.

A presenter should also prepare a one-page handout summarizing the innovation that includes contact information and URLs for additional material, if applicable. A presenter may also provide supplemental resources (for example, copies of diagrams or articles). The standard arrangement for an innovation demonstration is:

• A 6-foot skirted table
• Two chairs
• Electricity
• Wireless Internet access
• Two easels
• Up to two poster boards (30 x 40 inches, white foam core)

As you plan your innovation session, please consider the following:

• Make sure the participants can read the laptop display (no projector or screen will be provided). Presenters are responsible for bringing a laptop with wireless capacity.
• Try to develop a simple, uncluttered design for your poster display. For example, plan to:
• Use contrasting and complementary colors
• Leave sufficient space between elements to make the layout readable
• Use only one or two fonts
• Avoid all capitals, which are more difficult to read
• Include a title, institution or organization name, and a brief topic summary.
• Make the text readable at 5 inches or more. Use bullets for main points. You can provide further details in conversation, on a handout, or on a postmeeting Web site.
• Use color, graphics, photos, and other visuals to illustrate your topic.

Poster Sessions

A poster session involves a display that presents a project or practice in easily understood printed text and graphics. As attendees visit a display, the presenter has the opportunity to discuss the poster topic with them; therefore, presenters should prepare a few introductory remarks. A short introduction of about one to two minutes should engage listeners in the subject. A presenter should also prepare a one-page handout summarizing the topic that includes contact information and URLs for additional material, if applicable. A presenter may also provide supplemental resources (for example, copies of diagrams or articles). The standard arrangement for a poster session is:

• A 6-foot skirted table
• Two chairs
• Two easels
• Up to two poster boards (30 x 40 inches, white foam core)
• Electricity
• Wireless Internet access

As you plan your poster session, please consider the following.

• Try to develop a simple, uncluttered design. For example, plan to:
• Use contrasting and complementary colors
• Leave sufficient space between elements to make the layout readable
• Use only one or two fonts
• Avoid all capitals, which are more difficult to read
• Include a title, institution or organization name, and a brief topic summary.
• Make the text readable at 5 inches or more. Use bullets for main points. You can provide further details in conversation, on a handout, or on a postmeeting Web site.
• Use color, graphics, photos, and other visuals to illustrate your topic.
• If you plan to augment your session using a laptop, make sure participants can read the laptop display (no projector or screen will be provided). Presenters are responsible for bringing a laptop with wireless capacity if a computer is needed for their session.

Uploading Session Materials Prior to the Annual Meeting

Prior to the annual meeting, you will be able to upload session materials to the ELI Web site so they are accessible to meeting participants. Take advantage of this opportunity to allow potential attendees to better prepare for your session. If you plan to provide attendees with documents or other resources during your session, ELI highly recommends that you make them available in advance via the online upload feature.

Presenter Release

By accepting the offer to present at the ELI 2008 Annual Meeting, you agree to the EDUCAUSE Presenter Release [56 KB PDF]. The release authorizes EDUCAUSE and ELI to record and post online audio and video files of Annual Meeting sessions. Please review the release in advance of the Annual Meeting. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail Jarret Cummings (jcummings@educause.edu).