Letters spelling NERDS (Neoteric Educational Research and Development Symposium) against a geometric design.

Present at the NERDS Conference

Deadline to Submit for NERDS: Thursday, February 20, 2025

Join your colleagues to collaborate, connect, and reflect at the 2nd Annual Neoteric Educational Research and Development Symposium – NERDS! A symposium by and for EFSC faculty, NERDS will begin with a face-to-face slate of peer-led presentations, posters, and discussions with opportunities for online poster sessions the following week.

Note: The new NERDS event date is Friday, April 4, 2025.

Sponsored by the Professional Development Council, review this page for all the current details, plus themes and how to submit your abstract!

The reviews are in: NERDS is a hit with college faculty.

Last year’s inaugural event was a one-week online poster conference with eight sessions and 15 participants across several disciplines. Here are just some of the comments:

"I thought all the facilitators did just a GREAT JOB with their videos and their varying subject-areas. I loved the back-and-forth of the discussion boards, and I loved the energy of hearing faculty say 'I didn't know about that' — so cool!" 

"I surprisingly enjoyed the experience more than anticipated. It was very informative. More importantly, the information is useful and I'm able to enhance my classroom strategies!"

"I really enjoyed learning how our high-flying educators (in house) demonstrate stellar and dynamic ideas in the classroom." 

NERDS Themes, Presentation Options & Schedule

THEMES for the April 2025 event
  1. AI — What are you doing with Artificial Intelligence? What has AI done for/to you?
  2. Student engagement online through Regular Substantive Interaction (RSI). How does it work in your classroom?
  3. Reflections and Lessons from Online Course Development training (OCDD/OCDD+). What concepts or techniques have you put into your own practice?
  4. Online Course Tools: Whether face-to-face, hybrid or online, how do you use online tools to improve your classes?
  5. Universal Course Design: Do you have tips to share that improve accessibility for students?
PRESENTATION OPTIONS

How to Submit Your Abstract

Anyone who teaches at EFSC is eligible to present. Submit your abstract in a WORD document via email to nerds-2024@easternflorida.edu by Thursday, February 20, 2025. Applicants will receive suggested revisions and feedback following that, with more symposium details and presenter logistics provided via email.

All abstract submissions must include the following in your Word document:

Remember, submit abstracts by February 20, 2025 to: nerds-2024@easternflorida.edu

TenTative EVent Schedule

The on-campus symposium date is Friday, April 4, 2025 with a Meet and Greet starting at 8:30 AM. It will include two 45-minute sessions of concurrent presentations, separated by a coffee break and a 45-minute session of the three-minute micro-lectures, and will wrap up by 1 PM with a luncheon and closing session sponsored by United Faculty of Florida.

For questions, contact Katina Gothard, PDC Chair at gothardk@easternflorida.edu