Teachers, mentors, BEST hub personnel, and others with an interest in robotics education are invited to present their ideas and successful practices during a presentation session or the poster session at the upcoming BEST National Conference. Presentation and poster session abstracts should be submitted to the appropriate session chair by May 20, 2011.

Call for Abstracts Submission Form
Submit abstract and form via e-mail to the appropriate SESSION CHAIR:

PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

• Short abstracts are 25 words and reviewed for selection of conference presentations
• Abstracts will be accepted on the basis of content and accepted abstracts will be featured in the conference program guide
• Presenters of accepted abstracts must register for the conference
• Full length abstracts (150-200 words in length) of accepted presentations will be published in the Conference Proceedings CD, which will be distributed to attendees and posted on the BEST website following the conference

*Note: Authors of accepted presentations will not be required to submit a full-length paper. However, all presenters will be expected to submit at registration check in their presentation materials (handouts and PowerPoints) for inclusion in the conference CD.

Questions:
Regina Halpin, Program Chair: rhalpin@auburn.edu

POSTER SESSION GUIDELINES

CASH AND PRIZES WILL BE AWARDED FOR 1ST, 2ND, 3RD Places

Poster Preparation and Materials:

Poster Presenters have two options for preparing their poster for the upcoming BEST National Conference:

Option 1:  Prepare poster ahead of time on one sheet of 30”x40” foam board 

Option 2:  Bring the poster content and place on the provided 30”x40” foam board 45 minutes prior to the poster session.  One sheet of foam board and the necessary mounting materials (pushpins, thumbtacks, and poster putty) will be provided, at no cost, for presenters to assemble their poster.  If you choose this option, please contact Regina Halpin, Program Chair, at rhalpin@auburn.edu and a foam board and mounting materials will be ready at registration.

An easel will be provided for each presenter.  One skirted table will be provided for all poster presenters to place handouts for attendees.  Due to space, tables and chairs cannot be used at each individual poster.

Poster Requirements:

• Each poster foam board must be one sheet 30”x40” in size.  The poster content can be mounted landscape or portrait.

• A heading should be prepared using lettering at least two inches high for the title of the presentation. The name(s) of the presenter(s), and their institutional/organizational affiliation(s) should also be included on the heading, but can be printed in a smaller font.

• ALL lettering should be easily legible at a distance of 4 – 6 feet

• Do not simply enlarge the abstract or print 8 1/2 x 11 sheets from a PowerPoint presentation as the main content of the poster

• Make poster presentations as self-explanatory as possible

• An electronic copy of handouts must be provided at registration check-in

• 50-100 copies of all handouts should be prepared prior to the conference and             placed on the provided table at the Poster Session for distribution to attendees.  The purpose of the handout is to summarize the poster,  project/ideas, and provide the presenter’s contact information.  Presenters will not be able to do photocopying on site.

Registration
All poster presenters must register for the conference.  A designated table for conference presenters will be available at registration where presenters will receive their registration materials (presenter ribbon, evaluation forms, nametags, poster materials if needed, etc…) .  All poster presenters must submit at registration check-in an electronic copy of their full abstract and handouts for inclusion on the Conference CD.

Poster Session Location:  The poster session will be held in the Student Activity Center on the Auburn University Campus on Thursday afternoon, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Setup:  Thursday, 4:00 – 4:45 p.m.  Posters must be completely setup, handouts placed on the provided table, and presenter(s) at their poster by 4:45 p.m.

Poster Session Procedures:  Poster presenters must be available at their poster by 4:45 and remain the entire session (5:00-7:00 p.m.).   It is suggested that presenters prepare a 2-3 description of their poster content to guide the discussion of ideas and poster content as attendees visit their poster.  In addition to business cards, presenters should bring a sign-up sheet or pad with pen to record the names and addresses of attendees who might want more information, handouts, etc…

Clean-up:  Authors are responsible for promptly removing all materials, trash, and handouts at the end of the session.

For questions about the Poster Session, contact Regina Halpin, Program Chair Contact information:  rhalpin@auburn.edu

Additional Suggestions for preparing a poster for presentation