We aim to support active dialogue around submissions, transforming the review process itself into an interactive knowledge building experience, with the conference then providing additional time for sustained work with your ideas to advance collective goals. Accordingly, rather than proposal submissions entered separately into a conference system, they will be entered into Knowledge Forum’s community space. There, team members will interact to facilitate design, implementation, and feedback. Conference proceedings will be published, with authorship as you propose originally—or expanded as you might prefer—based on ideas developed through this process.

Submitters must be KBI members and submissions must include two elements: 

1. Written submission. A paper (long, short) or a poster, with KB ideas clearly stated and related to guidelines or themes that are listed on the home page, or additional themes below.  Of course, in the spirit of knowledge creation, we encourage you to build-on with new issues and themes related to our collective goals; and
2. Video submission. A two-minute (maximum) narrated video that provides an overview of the submission conveying KB ideas & connections to themes to be raised to the attention of the viewer.

Submitters must enter both their written and video submission into Knowledge Forum. There you will find a conference scaffold with supports for entering your submission; if necessary, you may also use your own structure.

We will provide three types of feedback for each submission (paper/poster + video):

1. A primary consultant will provide the initial set of comments. 
2. Then one other designated community member, also engaged in initial consultations, will build onto the primary consultant’s comments.
3. Then, authors of submissions interested in other submissions will be able to engage in written discussion of submissions to create thematic groupings and position their own work thematically. 

We understand time is limited so we plan an efficient process to advance and position your ideas in best context for ongoing discussion (September 1-October 8) and to encourage unique and engaging sessions that advance design challenges related to your work and conference themes (October through November conference, and beyond).

As our account suggests, we go beyond the traditional model in which papers are rejected or accepted. Adhering to the KB principle of “Improvable Ideas”, submissions will receive constructive feedback from reviewers and from the community at large, which the authors may incorporate into their submissions to improve the work. Therefore, note that proposals will show authors’ names, and reviewer feedback for contributions will NOT be blind. As we are all working as part of a KB community, we are taking collective responsibility for advancing knowledge for public good. 

Current themes you may wish to build on:

Theme 1: Knowledge Building Innovation Network 
Knowledge Builders across the globe are addressing the many and significant problems of our modern world. The Knowledge Building design experiment will make use of sophisticated analytic tools to support discursive connectedness and opportunistic alliances across communities, within and beyond the Knowledge Building Innovation Network. Partnerships for sustained innovation will position Knowledge Building International members to take collective responsibility for crossing boundaries, removing barriers, and closing gaps–including gaps between schoolwork and knowledge work in the world beyond school.

Theme 2: Knowledge Building Analytics: Exploring Distinctions Between Learning Analytics and Knowledge Building Analytics 
New assessments, analytics, and notification tools will be used to identify points of convergence and divergence in the work of different communities throughout the knowledge building network. “Playable” analytics will support exploration of view and metaspace idea landscapes, both locally and globally, while also addressing local assessment needs.  Cross-community connections will open new research and professional development opportunities for all sites. Based on discoveries of cross-community alliances and challenges, we will schedule webinars to advance common interests.

Theme 3: A rising Knowledge Building Tide Lifts All Boats: New Knowledge Building Research and Development will Support a Coherent Approach to Modern Pedagogies and Assessments 
Knowledge Forum views and notes will serve as “epistemic artifacts”—knowledge objects that aid in the further advancement of knowledge (Sterelny, 2005); in parallel, Knowledge Forum scaffolds will provide epistemic markers to facilitate new competencies (e.g., computational thinking, effective use of authoritative sources, evolution of thought, second-language learning)—much as theory development has been targeted in the past. This will allow us to bring new competencies into focus to enhance the “Saving the Planet, Saving Lives” initiatives and to test models for “a rising Knowledge Building tide lifts all boats.” In contrast to approaches that use tests to assess the extent to which students possess certain “21st- century skills,” the design experiment will use sophisticated tools to determine the extent to which students are actually doing creative thinking, problem solving, design thinking, collaboration, effective communication, resulting in heightened sense of well-being and understanding in core content areas.

During the Knowledge Building Institute each session will be hosted by a KB community member. The goal of each session will be to continue to advance work initiated in the KBSI2021 community space through lively KB discourse exploring how each contribution, or set of contributions, can help to lead our community forward on these and other themes.

We look forward to your submission and your participation in this year’s KB Institute where our focus will be on building knowledge for the public good while meeting new ideas and new people in Knowledge Building’s Metaspace!

Submission Requirements:

1. Research Papers (long or short)

Papers can be either long (3000 to 4000 words, without references) or short (2000 to 3000 words, without references) and should focus on conceptual or empirical contributions at an advanced stage of development. The long paper is for work requiring lengthy explanations of the conceptual background, methodology, data, analysis, and implications. We also welcome shorter papers reporting significant work in progress.
Template: All papers should follow this template, and should be saved as a .pdf document: KBSI2021-Paper-template

2. Posters

Posters allow colleagues to gather around visual displays for extended dialogue regarding novel and promising ideas. The work may be at advanced or early stages of development and might focus on Knowledge Building high points, discourse analysis, case studies, pilot initiatives featuring new knowledge practices, technology developments, exemplary work from teachers, students, administrators, engineers, researchers, and so forth.
Template: Poster submissions should follow this template, and should be saved as a .pdf document: KBSI2021-Poster-template

Along with your Paper and/or Poster submissions you must submit a Video:

Video: A two-minute (maximum) video that provides an overview of the submission with similar points (KB ideas & theme connections) raised to the attention of the viewer. 

Here is an example for your video from last year’s KBSI. Here is a tutorial for making videos on Zoom.

How to submit your proposal:

1. Become a Knowledge Building International (KBI) member,  if you are not a member already.  If you are not sure if you have paid your membership dues, please contact Susana La Rosa. 
2. Access the KBI2021 Knowledge Forum Community Space.  KBI members will receive access information within 24 hours of becoming a member.
3. Once you have entered the KBSI2021 Knowledge Building community, you will see notes providing detailed information on how to upload your proposal.