SIGCSE 2017 welcomes colleagues from around the world to present demos, lightning talks, papers, panels, posters, special sessions, and workshops, and to discuss computer science education in birds-of-a-feather sessions and informal settings. The SIGCSE Technical Symposium addresses problems common among educators working to develop, implement and/or evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. The symposium provides a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy, at all levels of instruction.
Submissions are welcomed that are in line with the conference theme, Inspire, Innovate, Improve! The theme highlights the aim of SIGCSE to inspire all computing educators to innovate new teaching strategies, and to improve those strategies by engaging in the self-reflection and evaluation necessary to deliver the best possible learning outcomes for all. We are particularly interested in keeping our community connected with interesting educational efforts in upper level courses, open- source software, outreach, and education research. We are continuing to keep our commitment to the inclusion of a wide- variety of submissions in the program that span the spectrum of experience reports to scientifically rigorous educational studies. We are excited for you to be a part of showing our community why we all need to keep computing.
PAPERS
Papers describe an educational research project, classroom experience, teaching technique, curricular initiative, or pedagogical tool. Submitted papers for review will be anonymous. Papers will undergo a blind reviewing process and must not exceed six pages. Accepted papers will need to submit a non-anonymous version for publication in the proceedings after acceptance. Authors will have 25 minutes for their presentations, including questions and answers.
PANELS
Panels present multiple perspectives on a specific topic. To allow each panelist sufficient time to present his or her perspective and still enable audience participation, a panel will normally have at most four panelists, including one moderator. Panel submissions should include a list of the panelists, their affiliations, and a description of the topic, with brief position statements from panelists. Proposals with more than four panelists must provide a statement connecting the extra panelist to the effectiveness of the panel and must convincingly show that each panelist will be able to speak, and the audience able to respond, within the session time. Panel abstracts must not exceed two pages. A panel session is 75 minutes.
SPECIAL SESSIONS
Special sessions are your opportunity to customize and experiment with the SIGCSE conference format. Possible special sessions include a seminar on a new topic, a committee report, or a forum on curriculum issues. More generally, they must be 75 minutes in length, held in standard conference spaces, and justifiably be distinct from the panel, paper, and poster tracks. Within those constraints, the form is yours to design. Special session abstracts must not exceed two pages.
WORKSHOPS
Workshops offer participants opportunities to learn new techniques and technologies designed to foster education, scholarship, and collaborations. A workshop proposal (including abstract) must not exceed two pages. Proposals must specify equipment needs (e.g., participant-supplied laptops, room configurations, and A/V equipment) and any limitation on the number of participants. Workshops are scheduled for a three-hour session and do not conflict with the technical sessions.
BIRDS OF A FEATHER SESSIONS
Birds of a Feather (BoF) sessions provide an environment for colleagues with similar interests to meet for informal discussions. A maximum one-page description (including abstract) is requested to describe the informal discussion topic. A/V equipment will not be provided for these sessions. Each BoF topic is allocated 45 minutes.
POSTERS
Posters describe computer science education materials or research, particularly works in progress. Proposals (including abstract) are limited to two pages. Poster demonstrations are scheduled to permit one-on-one discussion with conference attendees, typically during session breaks. Prepared handouts are encouraged in order to share your work.
LIGHTNING TALKS
Lightning talks describe works in progress, new and untested ideas, or opportunities for collaborative work. The purpose of a lightning talk can be to start a discussion, find collaborators, or receive input and critique about an idea. Proposals are limited to 500 words and will be anonymously reviewed for acceptance. Lightning talk presentations will be 5 minutes each and given without media/slide support.