Special Session

Special sessions are creative, non-traditional, interactive ways to engage engineering and computing education professionals at the frontiers of education. These sessions are approximately ~80 minutes long and should be of value to FIE Conference attendees, enhance the experience and knowledge of the session participants, and help advance the frontiers of engineering and computing education. The Technical Program Committee (TPC) may ask facilitators/authors to modify their submission to Pre-conference Workshops based on the availability of special session slots, the peer-reviewed results, or the fit with the conference’s program.

 

Special Session Approval Procedure

To be approved to offer a special session, facilitators/authors will need to 1) submit a special session proposal (800-1000 words) via the conference submission website and 2) if the proposal is approved, submit a special session paper (4-6 pages) that provides sufficient detail to give attendees a sense of what to expect during the workshop to motivate them to attend.

 

The special session proposal will be reviewed to determine if it is an appropriate fit for the FIE conference. If the proposal passes the first review, the facilitators/authors will be invited to submit a paper draft that conforms to the required IEEE format for the conference. This paper will undergo a more thorough, second round of peer review. Following the second round of peer review, facilitators/authors will be notified of acceptance/rejection and any final requested edits before final paper submission. Please see the conference website for a list of relevant deadlines.

 

Expected Content for Special Sessions

Both the Special Session proposals (800-1000 words) and the special session papers (4-6 pages) must include the elements listed below, except for the items listed under “Proposal ONLY Components.” An approximate word count for each section of the proposal is provided and can be scaled for the full paper, if accepted. The final 4-to-6-page paper will be included in the conference proceedings.

 

  • Title: The title should start with “Special Session:” 
  • Abstract: This is a brief summary of the special session (approximately 100 words).
  • Goals: A description of the special session goals and how these goals align with the goals of FIE (approximately 100 words).
  • Description and Selected Relevant Literature: A description of the special session, including the topics/subjects/content of the session in the context of the relevant literature (approximately 200-300 words).
  • Rationale and Novelty: The rationale for the special session and why it is novel and/or thought-provoking (approximately 100 words).
  • Agenda and Description of What to Expect During the Session: A session agenda that includes details and approximate time allotted for each activity for the special session lasting 80 minutes. An explanation of the interaction expected during the special session – how will participants interact with each other and the session facilitators (approximately 100-200 words).
  • Expected Outcomes: A description of the takeaway skills, knowledge, or materials that attendees will acquire because of this special session (approximately 100 words).
  • About the Facilitator(s): Brief biographies describing the expertise of the facilitators /organizers (approximately 100 words).

 

Proposal ONLY Components 

These components will NOT be included in the 4-to-6-page Special Session Paper if the session is accepted for the Proceedings.

  • Special Session Contact Information: Name, affiliation, and email of the principal organizer of the special session.
  • Anticipated Audience: A description of the anticipated audience (community), and why they would be interested in the session.
  • Maximum number of participants: An estimate of the maximum number of people that your session can accommodate given its interactive nature.
  • Special Requirements: Any special requirements for electricity, audio-visual equipment, materials, or setup

 

Additional Information

  • All individuals involved in organizing and presenting during a special session are expected to register for and attend the conference. 
  • Because special sessions are partly evaluated based on the expertise of the facilitators, special session submissions should be prepared for single-blind review (i.e., the authors and affiliations should be identified in the submission)
  • Special session proposals and papers will be peer-reviewed by at least three reviewers.

 

Special Session Paper Format

Special Session Papers should adhere to the required IEEE format for the conference. Submissions should use the US Letter Template available on the IEEE conference website (https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html).