Conference Environment
The number one thing to keep in mind is that the Lilly Conference is very supportive of its presenters. Is is a welcoming community of teacher-scholars who share your passion for teaching and learning. Lilly participants look forward to hearing what you have to say and to participating actively in your session. They will be willing to provide constructive feedback that you can use in your teaching and scholarship. So have fun with your session!
Preparing for Your Session
- All concurrent session rooms are set up in theatre style seating. It is difficult to know how many people will attend each session, so the number of seats in each room needs to be as large as possible.
- Please plan your presentation to fit into the time allowed (45 minutes), including time for follow-up questions and discussion. Practice to be sure your timing is accurate. If, as often happens, participants wish to continue discussing your topic with you at the end of the time allotted, invite them outside and find a convenient place to talk so that the next session can begin on time.
- Your primary audience members are college and university faculty from throughout the United States and internationally. Although they will respect you as the authority on the issue you are presenting, they will also appreciate very much the opportunity to share and participate. Thus, design your session to include participants through some type of dialogue or activity. If you use PowerPoint or other media, keep the slide text to a minimum.
- After acceptance, your proposal will be posted to the Lilly website before the Conference. We encourage you to post any additional documents or handouts so that participants may read it beforehand.
- All presentation rooms have a built-in LCD projector, WiFi, and audio capability. Note: Presenters must supply their own laptops and any needed adapters. You will be notified of when and where to report for a technology check before your session. If you are unsure of what equipment you have requested or need to make changes, notify the Conference AV facilitator as soon as possible at wentzegw@miamioh.edu.
- Session attendance is difficult to predict. Unless having handouts in the session is absolutely necessary (e.g., participants will be writing in response to prompts), it is probably best to refer them to your proposal posted online or offer to email them materials afterwards. If you do bring handouts, bring at least 35 copies.
Presenting Your Session
- Arrive at your presentation room at least 5 minutes before you are scheduled to begin to allow yourself time to check the equipment and get your materials in order.
- Each session will have a session chair (a Miami student) who will give you a brief introduction and assist with the timing and participant evaluations of your session. Introduce yourself to the student before the session. During the session, feel free to include the student in group discussion to hear a different perspective!
- Remember that Lilly attendees are proponents of active learning and expect to be engaged as learners. Begin by stating your session learning outcomes and the activities they’ll be engaging in to achieve them.
- Avoid “Death by PowerPoint.” If you use PowerPoint, only in very rare circumstances should you read your slides to participants, for instance, a powerful quotation that is key to your discussion. Instead, use the time to elaborate on the slide.
- Model your topic if possible. For example, if you are talking about group learning, put participants in groups.
- Plan at least one interactive breakout activity. Have a clear goal for each activity, and debrief with participants afterwards.
- Provide references to the relevant literature on slides or in a handout as appropriate.
- Plan to leave the last 5-10 minutes of your session for questions. You may wish to brainstorm possible questions that might arise during the question-and-answer period and practice answers to those questions. Have a watch or clock so you are sure to stop yourself in time to answer questions. Paraphrase all questions asked to ensure they were heard correctly by both you and other audience members. Answer questions clearly and concisely and avoid rambling. Remember to speak to the entire audience, not just the person who asked the question. If there are no questions, model good teaching practice by having questions ready for participants.
- Offer to email any session materials to the group if appropriate, or give them your email so they may contact you. You may take leftover handouts to the registration desk, where individuals who missed your session may pick them up. Alternatively, you may refer participants to your proposal posted on the Conference website.
If you have any question regarding this session format, please let us know as soon as possible (wentzegw@miamioh.edu).
