Eastern Communication Association

07/30/2025

2026 ECA Convention G.I.F.T.S Interest Group Call for Submissions

Dear CCIG members,

Hello and Happy Summer to all the wonderful members of the Community College Interest Group (CCIG) of ECA! I met many of you at ECA this year in Buffalo, but if we haven’t met, my name is Ellen Santa Maria (West Chester University and Widener University). Laura O’Connell (Nassau Community College) and I will be teaming up to co-chair the G.I.F.T.S. (great ideas for teaching students) interest group for ECA 2026. At ECA this year, we were energized by everyone’s generosity and passion for effective and empathetic pedagogy. We look forward to another enlightening and energizing gathering next spring in beautiful Pittsburgh, and we are calling on all of you to share your innovative teaching ideas.

The call for  ECA 2026’s G.I.F.T.S. sessions is below!

This year, we are looking for a variety of submissions including lessons and activities that can be completed in one to two days, and projects that would be implemented over the course of an entire semester. We are also interested in submissions that highlight emergent ways to combine course content that foster overlap between communication courses, for instance: an activity from an Interpersonal Communication course that enhances a Public Speaking course. Beyond these, we welcome submissions that engage the following themes and ideas:

• AI (specifically, how to train students to use AI effectively)
• Remote learning and belonging
• Digital reading and Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Online public speaking requirements and live audiences
• Strategies for engaging digitally distracted learners both in-person and online
• Creating cheat-proof assessments in the age of AI
• Textbook alternatives (podcasts, videos, documentaries, etc.)
• Assessment alternatives (applied learning, experiential learning, etc.)
• Access and inclusion for diverse student learning styles and abilities
• Upcycling activities and lessons to better fit the digital and AI age
• Fresh ideas for injecting otherwise mundane topics with intrigue
• Emergent information literacy exercises

These are just some of the ideas we discussed this year at our CCIG business meeting, and we welcome submissions outside the realm of what’s highlighted above. Please encourage your peers, colleagues, and friends to submit to the G.I.F.T.S. call for 2026, and keep in mind our October 19, 2025 11:59 PST deadline. We look forward to receiving your awesome ideas

Call for Submissions
G.I.F.T.S - Great Ideas for Teaching Students
The 117th Annual Convention of the Eastern Communication Association
Emergence  
Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA
April 9 – 12, 2026 
Submission Deadline: October 19, 2025 11:59 PST

G.I.F.T.S. stands for Great Ideas For Teaching Students, so share your creative, innovative, and emergent teaching ideas for the 2026 ECA convention. Your submission should be based on a quick and unique activity, assignment, game, or simulation that you have successfully used in the classroom. The idea should cater to undergraduate courses, offering broad appeal to modalities and be easily completed in ONE class period. G.I.F.T.S must also be easily explained and presented within 5-7 minutes. Submissions that are for niche courses or larger projects that expand beyond one class period will not be considered. 

All submissions must be uploaded through Attendee Interactive, accessed through https://ww4.aievolution.com/eca2601/. Training material is available online for using this site. 

Guidelines for Submission:
Choose a “Great Idea For Teaching Students” that you have successfully used in the classroom. When submitting a G.I.F.T.S., complete the following Attendee Interactive fields:

• Title
• Author/s 
• Abstract - a concise summary of your GIFT. 
• Additional Information:
• Scheduling & Special Requests: Please identify any accommodations associated with physical or religious needs that may impact scheduling.  
• Documents: Upload a BLIND Word or PDF file that contains the following information: 
• The course(s) for which it is intended
• The goals and objectives of the activity
• A rationale for conducting this particular activity
• Directions for the activity, including
• any preparation/preliminary steps &/or materials needed
• an explanation of the connection to concepts, theory, and/or skills covered in the activity
• How to debrief the activity
• Typical results
• The following statement of professional responsibility: In submitting the attached paper or proposal, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional responsibility. I/We agree to present this panel or paper if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees.
• Note: If your submission is selected, this document can also serve as a template for your in-session handout.

Technology A/V Availability
The 2026 Convention will be fully equipped with technology capabilities. A projector, screen, sound, wireless mouse and slide advancer, and Wi-Fi will be available in all breakout rooms. Presenters must supply their own laptop. Google Slides and PowerPoint templates featuring the convention theme and logo are available on the convention tab of the website. We encourage all attendees to take full advantage of these resources to create engaging presentations! 

This is a competitive process. Please understand that when you are submitting this proposal, you are committing to attend and present at ECA’s 2026 Convention if your proposal is selected. If you are selected and an emergency arises that prevents you from presenting at the conference, you MUST contact Ellen Santa Maria at esantamaria@wcupa.edu or Laura O’Connell at laura.oconnell@ncc.edu as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about the submission process, please email G.I.F.T.S. 2025 Program Planners Ellen Santa Maria at esantamaria@wcupa.edu or Laura O’Connell at laura.oconnell@ncc.edu.

Convention Acceptance Notifications: January, 2026