ICLS 2020 Early Career Workshop: Interdisciplinarity in the Learning Sciences

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This ICLS Early Career Workshop (ECW) will provide a high quality learning and networking opportunity for early career researchers doing work related to computer-supported collaborative learning and the learning sciences. Within the workshop, participants will share their research with peers and experienced ICLS researchers serving as mentors. Participants will engage in collaborative inquiry and scholarly discourse to improve their research work and prepare for a future career as a Learning Sciences/CSCL researcher. The Early Career Workshop is open to scholars within 5 years of completing their PhD. Early Career Scholars will be chosen through a competitive application process for participation. Accepted participants are expected to provide a two-page summary of their research for inclusion in the ICLS Proceedings. Depending on availability of funds, there may be support to offset some of the costs of accommodation and registration, as well as travel stipends.

Objectives and Design

The workshop aims at supporting participants in:

  • Defining innovative and productive programs of research that lead toward an impressive record of inquiry;
  • Focusing learning on high-yield professional activities such as grant-writing, peer editing, and building a publishing trajectory;
  • Supporting strong data analysis skills and evidence-based arguments in their research projects; and
  • Expanding the professional networks of workshop participants through interactions with other early career scholars, mentors, and journal editors
  • The ICLS Early Career Workshop will involve a two-day event on June 19-20, 2020, just prior to the 2020 ICLS conference in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. In the workshop, we will focus on collaborative inquiry and scholarly discourse with peers and a panel of experienced faculty serving as mentors.

Main workshop activities include:

  • Sharing and discussing current research with peers and mentors
  • Small group career path consultancies with peers and mentors
  • Meeting with Journal Editors to discuss the writing and reviewing process in Learning Sciences journals including JLS and ijCSCL.
  • Opportunities for group and individual consultation and networking between Early Career Scholars as well as with Doctoral Consortium Scholars and senior colleagues.

Prior to the workshop, a few preparatory activities are required to enable us to use the time within the workshop as best as possible.

Who Should Apply

The ECW is open to scholars within 5 years since completing their PhD at the time of application submission. Scholars with involvement in Learning Sciences and/or CSCL are encouraged to apply, but all applications will be considered. Participation is open to early career researchers in universities, non-profit organizations, museums, and other learning-oriented organizations.

How to Apply

Each proposal should contain the following within one document in the following order, and be submitted through the conference system.

  • A cover sheet with your name, title of your main research project, your institution, your personal webpage, your e-mail address, and your mailing address.
  • A 1-page personal statement that includes: (a) your research and/or specialization; (b) current status of your career; (c) your career objectives; (d) why you want to participate in the early career workshop; (e) what specific issues or challenges with your research and career you would like to explore further in the workshop (You do not necessarily need these as headings, as long as the issues are addressed).
  • A 2-page summary of your research including tables, figures and references using the template by the ICLS 2020 general submission (Please follow the template for a 2-page poster submission). The summary should include the following: (a) Abstract; (b) Goals of the research; (c) Background of the project; (d) Methodology; (e) Preliminary or expected findings; (f) expected contributions. You do not necessarily need these as headings, as long as the issues are addressed. Submissions should be written in English and follow the current version of the ISLS author guidelines (there is also a Microsoft Word template). If accepted, you will be asked to revise your paper upon feedback from the reviewers before it can appear in the conference proceedings.
  • And your current CV.

Participants for the Early Career Workshop will be selected on the basis of the academic quality of their proposal; relevance and potential contribution to the researcher and to the field of Learning Sciences; and their anticipated contribution to the workshop goals. The proposals will be reviewed by at least two international experts in the field. Emphasis will be placed on forming diverse groups of participants whose research career is at a stage that can best benefit from the workshop and who reflect individual excellence, interesting projects, and motivation while at the same time contributing to the workshop objectives and the aggregate diversity of the cohort.

Please direct all questions to the ECW co-chairs: ICLS2020ecw@gmail.com

Important Dates for the Early Career Workshop

December 15, 2019 – Applications due (through the ICLS 2020 Conference System)
February 15, 2020 – Notification of acceptance
March 15, 2020 – Submission of the final 2-page summary for publication in conference proceedings
June 19 & 20, 2020 – Early Career Workshop

Co-Chairs

Ravit Golan Duncan Rutgers University, USA
Rogers Hall, Vanderbilt, USA