Call for Submissions

For researchers to present current and future projects in the realm of digital fabrication, hands-on science and engineering, and making in educational settings. Acceptance will be based on submissions that report original work that has not been previously published. Authors are encouraged to demonstrate work in progress and late-breaking research results that show the latest innovative ideas. We invite the presentation of ongoing work and preliminary results, by experienced academics as well as young researchers and designers. Short papers are not expected to include as through a literature review as full papers but should include some details on methods and analysis as well as initial results Papers should stress the importance of the submission to the digital fabrication/makers/hands-on learning communities. At the conference, authors of accepted short papers will participate in a ‘madness’ session, giving a very quick overview of their work. This will be followed by a poster session where they will have the opportunity to speak with attendees about their work.

Submission/presentation guidelines:

• Presentation: Structured poster sessions with short (1-3 min) presentation + poster time with facilitated question & answer session. (5-10 posters per grouping)
• Page limit: 4 pages
• Format: Within the 2017 ACM Master Article Template, use the ACM_SigChi format  (www.acm.org/publications/proceedings-template)
• Submissions must be submitted without author identification
• Submissions via EasyChair by September 30, 2019, by 11:59 pm (GMT -3:00)

Teachers, administrators, and program facilitators: we are looking forward to reflections on your experiences with maker-centered learning in classrooms, museums, and other learning spaces. Please include a description of the formal or informal educational experience, an explanation of its importance to the maker-centered/hands-on/digital fabrication learning communities, and thoughts about what can be learned more generally from your experience and its value for other educators. This category is not meant to be an “academic” paper, but rather a structured report of best practices and interesting experiences.

Submission guidelines:

• Page limit: 4 pages
• Format: Use the FabLearn Educator Submission Template (Google Doc: Educator Template). Remember to submit in PDF format (you may need to reduce the file size of the PDF to submit to EasyChair)
• Submissions must be submitted without author identification (leave the author and bio sections of the template unfilled, where possible do not include obvious identifying information within the submission body); if your paper is accepted, we will ask you to reupload with this information added
• Submissions via EasyChair by September 30, 2019, by 11:59 pm (GMT -3:00)

Presentation descriptions – Educators will participate in one of the following:

• Panel – 5-minute presentations by each of 3-5 panelists followed by a discussion and Q&A for all panelists. Panels will be formed by the FabLearn Education Chairs.
• Ignite Talks – A series of 5-minute high-energy presentations with 20 slides each.

For educators and designers to lead a workshop for conference attendees demonstrating digital fabrication and/or hands-on learning activities, hardware, software, or non-digital techniques, used in classrooms, museums, and any other type of learning space. Workshops will be 100 minutes long.

Submission/presentation guidelines:

• Presentation: 100-minute workshop during the weekend conference on November 7 or 8. 
• Word limit: 1000 words and 4 pictures. You may include links to videos as well.
• Format: Use the FabLearn Workshop Submission Template (Google Doc: Workshops Template). Remember to submit in PDF format (you may need to reduce the file size of the PDF to submit to EasyChair)
• Content: Every workshop submission should include: (1) Title and abstract; (2) short bios of the instructors; (3) description of the scope of the workshop, expected level of experience of participants, main topics covered, and outcomes; (4) explanation of the importance of your submission to the digital fabrication/makers/hands-on learning communities; (5) maximum number of participants and technology/space/material/logistics needs
• Submissions via EasyChair by September 30, 2019, by 11:59 pm (GMT -3:00)

For elementary to higher-ed students willing to showcase a project, technology, idea, or share a reflection on their fabrication space. We are also seeking incomplete projects, things that went wrong, and experiences that could be valuable lessons for other students and the maker community.

Proposals should describe a completed (or not completed) project that could be brought to the conference and exhibited during the presentation session or discussed by the student in a small panel format. Submissions may include a critique, project documentation, and/or stories about the student’s experience in a fabrication space. If you are an educator and you have some great work in your class, please encourage your students to submit!

Submission guidelines:

• Page limit: 2 pages, with as many pictures and explanations as needed. Links to videos are also OK.
• Format: Use the FabLearn Student Submission Template (Google Doc: Students Template). Remember to submit in PDF format (you may need to reduce the file size of the PDF to submit to EasyChair).
• Submissions via EasyChair by September 30, 2019, by 11:59 pm (GMT -3:00)