A pre-conference event of the 2019 Annual Conference of the European Distance and E-Learning Network16 June 2019 – VIVES University of Applied Sciences, Bruges, Belgium

PhD Symposium programme

Given the success of the EDEN 2018 Barcelona Research Workshop – PhD Student Symposium, this tradition was continued on Sunday 16 June 2019 as part of the 28th EDEN Annual Conference hosted by VIVES University of Applied Sciences in Bruges, Belgium 16–19 June 2019.

The Symposium was co-organized by VIVES, KU Leuven and EDEN. The members of the PhD Symposium Committee are:

Chair:

• Josep M Duart, EDEN Vice-president for research, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain

Committee Members:

• Airina Volungeviciene, EDEN President, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania
• Alan Tait, Professor Emeritus of Distance Education and Development, The Open University, UK
• Wim Van Petegem, K.U. Leuven, Belgium
• Sarah Guri-Rosenblit, The Open University of Israel, Israel
• Albert Sangra, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain
• Sylke Vandercruysse, VIVES University, Belgium
• Isabel Vanslembrouck, VIVES University, Belgium
• Jan Elen, K.U. Leuven, Belgium
• Tinne De Laet, K.U. Leuven, Belgium

The PhD Student Symposium aims at fostering the exchange of experiences and knowledge among doctoral students doing research in the broad area of the conference’s theme: “Connecting Through Educational Technology – To Produce Effective Learning Environments”, while providing a discussion forum for the advancement of doctoral research.

The Student Symposium was supported by a panel of international scholars of education and supported by the community of EDEN Fellows.

The aims of the PhD Student Symposium are to:

• Create a community for intellectual exchange and support among doctoral students researching in the area of e-learning and support for learning.
• Provide practical (peer)feedback on research topics, specific problems or concerns about students’ research.
• Create an opportunity to receive feedback on research topics, problems and concerns from international experts in e-learning research and experienced supervisors.

Call for Presentations

Current doctoral students in the field of e-learning or educational technology are encouraged to submit short abstracts to present an overview of their research at the PhD Student Symposium. Proposals related to the conference theme topics are especially welcomed. We do encourage to reflect upon how your research may contribute to one of the conference theme topics.

PhD students are currently engaged in doctoral research, i.e. have had their research proposals approved but have not yet defended their thesis. Priority was be given to students who already have collected data.

The abstract should be in English and contain:

1.  a 300-350-word description of the state of their research (including research title, research objectives/questions and methodology) and
2.  a problem they would like to address in the symposium.

PhD students are invited to submit abstracts before 29 March 2019 using this form. The panel of international experts reviewed the abstracts and select students to participate. Notification on the results and PhD students invited to present was be sent by 19 April. Authors needed to prepare a short presentation (between 5-10 slides) for the symposium.

There is no fee for the PhD Symposium. PhD students who want to attend the Annual Conference have to pay the relevant registration fees. There is a reduced rate for young scholars.

Symposium presenters received a certificate.

The language of the symposium is English.

The deadline submission date/time is March 29th midnight CEST.

Structure of the PhD Symposium

The selected students gave a brief presentation (between 5-10 slides) which could include one or two questions for the expert panel and/or other students. The presentation is limited to maximum of 10 minutes. At the end of each presentation, there was a group discussion, approximately 15-20 minutes per presentation, to comment, discuss the questions raised and/or offer research advice.

Target Participants

The PhD Student Symposium is an open-invitation event for all PhD students and their supervisors working in the field of e-learning or educational technology. It is aimed at current doctoral students enrolled in any university, both full-time and part-time. We encourage you to take this opportunity to network with fellow researchers, discuss your research, and receive feedback from international experts and your peers.

Date and Place of the Symposium

The PhD Student Symposium took place on 16 June 2019 at the VIVES University of Applied Sciences in Bruges, Belgium.

Important Dates

Open call for presentations: The call was open until the week after Easter

Notification of acceptance: 19 April 2019

Confirmation by presenters: 30 April 2019

Publication of PhD Student Symposium programme: 15 May 2019

Submission of participant presentations: 30 May 2019

PhD Student Symposium: 16 June 2019

Contact Details

If you have any queries, or for further information, please visit the EDEN Annual Conference website or email bruges@eden-online.org.

Symposium Agenda