Ed Session Proposals

• Title
  • Give your ed session a title. While it is nice to have a catchy title, it is also important that the title reflects what the session is about. Try to limit the number of words in your title.
• Description
  • You will be asked to provide two descriptions. The first description will be more in depth for the reviewers to read. The second will be a brief description (this is your elevator pitch!) that will be included on the NACA webpage and other print materials.
• Target Audience (Choose ONE of the following audiences)
  • Undergraduate Students
  • Graduate Students
  • Professional Staff
  • Associate Members
• Topics: These are the topics we're seeking at this time.
  • Programming 
  • Marketing 
  • Assessment/Evaluation 
  • Organization Development 
  • Individual Leadership Development 
• Learning Outcomes
  • List 2-3 learning outcomes (What will participants know or be able to do as a result of attending your session.) What will they learn, not what they will do. Identify how participants can apply the material presented to their own work or personal development. 
  • For example, “Students who attend this session will be able to list the five stages of the team development model.”
• Additional Presenter Details:  Be prepared to share the name, title, and institution/agency for any additional presenters.

NOTE: If you intend to submit an ed session to more than one conference, we recommend you type everything into a Word document so that you can copy and paste for each conference.

1. Apple Devices: If you are using an Apple device or computer for your presentation, bring along your adaptor for LCD projectors. It will be needed in order to connect to the system correctly.
2. Sound: Sound from your computer may not be provided. If you plan to show a video, bring a speaker.
3. Microphone: You are required to use the microphones provided. This is an accessibility issue. Use the microphone even if you think you are loud enough or if you ask everyone can hear you and they say yes.
4. Internet can be tricky: The convention center does have Wi-Fi, but with thousands of delegates, we cannot guarantee its strength. Bring a hot-spot, or download the videos and files you need before arriving at the conference. 
5. Respect the next presenter: Pay attention to the time so you allow the next presenter the full time for set-up. Some set-ups are simpler than others, but everyone deserves the opportunity to fully prepare themselves to do what you just completed! 
6. Determine the take-away message: People tend to only remember three to four points from a presentation. 
7. PowerPoint/Prezi, keep it simple: Slides/frames that are easy to read and understand are typically the most effective slides in the presentation. Charts and graphs should be easily interpreted. We suggest no more than five words per line and no more than five lines per slide. Striking contrasts in color between words, graphics, and the background are more appealing to the human eye. 
8. Respect the audience: Your message is further engaged in the audience’s mind when they sense that you care for them as audience members.
   • Eye contact: maintain eye contact with the audience. Slowly move from person to person and occasionally hold the contact for a few seconds.
   • Honesty: No one is perfect and all-knowing. When you don’t know an answer, admit it, offer to find out, and get back to the person. 
   • Save face: If you must disagree with an audience member, do so in a manner that allows the person to not feel shamed for their answer. 
   • Challenge:  We are all attending NACA events to learn something.  We understand that many of our delegates are students; however, that doesn’t mean they are not capable of grasping high-level concepts. We have delegates that are all at different levels of their experiences with campus activities, so make sure you create opportunities for delegates who attend your session(s) to expand their learning.
   • Learning Styles: Everyone has different learning styles.  Try to create some variety in your session in order to cater to different learning styles.  For example, if you’re presenting a lecture style session, you don’t have to stick to the traditional lecture, activity, share, questions, wrap up outline.  Have some fun and mix it up a bit.
9. Manage questions: Make sure to allow time within your slotted presentation time for questions. Thank audience members for their questions and praise them for good points. Anticipate questions that most likely will be asked and mentally prepare answers. After the last question, transition into your summary as to have the last piece of your presentation.

Volunteers review educational sessions on five categories using the following scoring guide:
0 = poor     1 = fair     2 = good 
Sessions that score an average of 4 or less will not be considered.

• Session Description
  • Are the descriptions clear and does the session seem organized? Does the type of presentation chosen align with the subject matter and audience?
• Learning Outcomes
  • Are the learning outcomes clearly stated? Are they relevant and applicable to the intended audience? Does the content align with the learning outcomes?
• Applicability
  • Does this session provide practical knowledge that participants can apply to their own professional or personal development? 
• Relevance/Importance
  • Is the session relevant for the intended audience? Is this topic important to the work of NACA participants and/or important to offer at the conference? Does the session align with NACA's values and/or competencies?
• Overall Quality
  • Is the session new and innovative? Will this be a good session?