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06/26/2025
CSCA 2026 Convention - Great Ideas for Teaching (G.I.F.T.) Call for Submissions
GREAT IDEAS FOR TEACHING (G.I.F.T.) INTEREST GROUP
Call for Papers and Panels
Central States Communication Association (CSCA)
Annual Convention-Minneapolis, MN
April 14-19, 2026
Translate!
Great Ideas for Teaching (G.I.F.T.) invites submissions of classroom-tested teaching activities, applicable to both virtual and face-to-face (F2F) formats. These activities are designed to benefit both novice and veteran communication instructors.
G.I.F.T. sessions feature roundtable presentations that showcase innovative ways to apply a wide range of communication theories and concepts. While past submissions have focused primarily on public speaking, interpersonal, small group, organizational, and hybrid courses, we encourage creative ideas from all areas of the discipline—especially those that align with this year’s convention theme: Translate.
The top two submissions will receive a cash award and a Certificate of Merit.
Online Teaching Focus
Recognizing the continued growth of online education, this year we will offer a dedicated G.I.F.T. session focused solely on teaching activities used in virtual classrooms, whether synchronous or asynchronous. Although the featured assignments must be designed for online use, presenters will share their ideas in person at the conference.
Presentation Format
Presenters selected for the G.I.F.T. session will share their activities in two formats:
- Elevator Pitch – Each presenter will give a brief 2-minute overview of their activity to all session attendees.
- Roundtable Discussion – Presenters will then move to small group tables, where they will have 6–8 minutes to explain their activity in greater detail and distribute any materials.
Presenters should bring 25 hard copies of their activity to share during their roundtable discussion. If printing is not feasible, an email sign-up sheet may be used to connect with interested attendees.
All accepted activities will also be uploaded to an electronic database for access during and after the conference.
Submission Requirements:
Successful G.I.F.T. submissions must contain each of the following components:
- Title of the activity
- Course(s) for which this activity is intended
- Objective(s) of the activity
- Rationale for conducting the activity
- Description of the activity, including any preparation/preliminary steps and materials needed
- Debriefing of the activity, including typical results
- Appraisal of the activity, including any limitations or variations
- References and/or Suggested Readings
Additional Requirements:
- Submissions must be no longer than two pages of actual written text within accepted publishing guidelines (not including references/bibliographies or handouts).
- All technology requests must be made at the time of submission.
- Submissions must be received by 11:59 p.m., CDT, October 10, 2025.
- Send submissions electronically through our CSCA online submission system site.
- If your submission is accepted, you are expected to attend the convention to present your activity. However, if multiple authors submit a joint activity, only one author need attend.
In the online submission system, choose “competitive paper” as the submission type. You will be able to add (1) your name, (2) title of the activity, (3) school affiliation, (4) current CSCA membership status, (5) mailing address, (6) email address, and (7) phone number. Information for any additional authors – name, email, and school affiliation only – should be placed after the first author’s information.
Note: ALL submitters/potential presenters should create a profile on the CSCA online submission system site. Membership is not required to create a profile. This will make later steps in the process much easier.
Attach your MS Word file. The file should contain only the GIFT activity as outlined above and should not contain any information that might identify the authors. If your activity is meant for online teaching, please make this clear by typing “ONLINE ACTIVITY” at the top of your attached file.
Proposals not meeting these submission guidelines may not be distributed for review. If you have questions about G.I.F.T. or your individual submission, please contact G.I.F.T. chair and program planner Tracie Devault at tracie.devault@mst.edu.
