Download CSCL 2005 Student Community Poster here. (1.96M)

The Student Community program aims to foster a community of CSCL students by providing a forum for students to meet and network with their peers and leading members of the CSCL community while providing service to the conference. Students who are selected for the Student Community program will serve as volunteers for the conference. In addition to their volunteer duties, doctoral students may also apply to present their doctoral research at a pre-conference Student Community Workshop for selected faculty members and the other members of the Student Community program.

In return for about twenty hours of work immediately before and during the conference, Student Community participants will receive:

• Free conference registration, including free admission to all conference sessions and tutorials (space permitting).

• Admission to the Student Community Workshop. Student Community members will be expected to participate in the Student Community Workshop either as presenters or audience members.

• Free lunches and refreshments during the main conference days. Additionally, we are planning on inviting noted researchers from the CSCL community to join the Student Community for lunch and informal discussion about different aspects of CSCL.

• A coveted CSCL 2005 Student Community t-shirt.

In addition, there will be planned social events in Taipei where the members of the Student Community can socialize and meet with their peers in a fun and informal setting.
 

Volunteer Duties

Volunteers are a very important part of the conference, handling much of the behind-the-scenes activity and are vital for a successful conference. Volunteer assignments include duties such as assisting presenters at conference sessions, supporting workshop and tutorial leaders, providing technical support throughout the conference, checking attendee badges at sessions, staffing the information booth, helping attendees find their way around the conference, and any other general assistance needed to keep the conference running smoothly. With the exception of pre-conference work, all hours will be assigned on-site at the conference, where we will try to balance your preferences with our support needs. Students at any level of study (Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctoral level) are eligible for volunteer duties.

The Student Community Workshop

The Student Community Workshop will provide an opportunity for a selected number of Ph.D. students to share their current dissertation work-in-progress with their Student Community peers and faculty members selected from across the field. Students can apply to present their work at the workshop if they are Ph.D. candidates who have a draft dissertation proposal, but are early enough in the process that they can revise their work based on comments received in the workshop. For example, students should be at a stage where they have a rationale for their research, preliminary research questions, a description of the contribution their research can make to the field, a literature review, a proposed methodology, etc. Students who have completed their dissertation work or are completing their dissertation are not eligible to present at the workshop.

The workshop objectives include:

• Providing a setting for mutual feedback on current research and guidance on future research directions.

• Developing a supportive community of scholars and a spirit of collaborative research across institutions.

• Contributing to the conference experience of students by fostering interactions with peers and key faculty.

The Student Community Workshop will be a one-day workshop held prior to the start of the CSCL conference. Students who are selected to be presenters will present their work with discussion to follow from faculty participants and other members of the Student Community. Through this format, we also hope to foster additional research discussions throughout the Student Community throughout the conference week. Students who present their work at the workshop will also receive credits that count towards their twenty hours of volunteer service.

Requirements and Application Process

We are looking for reliable, hard working, enthusiastic students are excited about the conference and want to help make CSCL 2005 a first-class international event. We have limited space, so sign up early. Students who wish to apply to the Student Community program should designate whether they wish to apply for volunteer duties only, or for volunteer and workshop presenter duties.

All applicants to the Student Community Program should submit by email the following information:

• Contact information (Address, country, email address, daytime telephone number).

• University affiliation (University, department, address).

• Student Community Program preference (Volunteer only or Volunteer/Presenter).

• Previous experience: Specify whether you have been a student volunteer in previous conferences. If so, please state your previous volunteer duties and the conferences where you have volunteered.

Students who wish to be considered as volunteers only can be at any level of study do not need to submit any other information.

Students who wish to also be considered as workshop presenters should also include the following materials in PDF or Microsoft Word format:

• A cover page with your name, dissertation title, and advisor's name.

• A 2-3 page summary of your proposed dissertation work, following the CSCL publication format as specified in cscl-2005-template.doc, cscl-2005-template.rtf or cscl-2005-template.pdf.

• A letter of recommendation from your dissertation advisor, including an assessment of the current status of your work, and an expected date for dissertation completion.

Applications for workshop presenters will be reviewed by a committee and selected on the basis of their anticipated contribution to the workshop goals. Emphasis will be placed on forming a diverse group of high quality students. An effort will be made to keep the number of student presenters small to encourage discussion and interaction. Students who are not ultimately selected as presenters are still eligible to participate in the Student Community program as volunteers, if desired. 

Any questions and all applications to the Student Community Program should be emailed to:

All applications are due by December 15, 2004. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance status via email. Regardless of duties, upon acceptance to the Student Community program, you will be asked to provide confirmation of student status at the conference.