The National Conference to Advance POGIL Practice (NCAPP)

The idea for this event grew from interest within our thriving community of experienced POGIL educators who have been applying their knowledge and skills in new and innovative ways over the past several years.  The goal of the inaugural NCAPP in 2017 was to create a conference where POGIL practitioners could come together to share new ideas, get targeted feedback, engage in in-depth discussions, interact with a diverse community of teachers, and gain a deeper mastery of the POGIL approach.

By all measures, 2017 NCAPP was a huge success for both attendees and The Project, and the subsequent NCAPPs built on that success.  We are excited for 2025, when we continue our tradition of transforming education and educators.

The 2019 NCAPP Planning Committee
The 2019 NCAPP Planning Committee
Tim Herzog and our epic swag bags!
Tim Herzog and our epic swag bags!
Fun at our opening reception.
Fun at our opening reception.
The NCAPP 2019 attendees at Washington University.
The NCAPP 2019 attendees at Washington University.
Bal Barot presents his poster.
Bal Barot presents his poster.
POGIL's executive director Rick Moog shows off his wiffleball pitching form.
POGIL's executive director Rick Moog shows off his wiffleball pitching form.
Santiago Toledo swings for the fences during opening night wiffleball.
Santiago Toledo swings for the fences during opening night wiffleball.
We are a learning team!
We are a learning team!
A visit to the Crayola factory was a great way to blow off steam during Day 3.
A visit to the Crayola factory was a great way to blow off steam during Day 3.
POGIL Giant Jenga.
POGIL Giant Jenga.
Making connections is one of the reasons to come to NCAPP.
Making connections is one of the reasons to come to NCAPP.
2017 NCAPP Planning committee
2017 NCAPP Planning committee
The 2017 scholarship winners with representatives from our scholarship partners.
The 2017 scholarship winners with representatives from our scholarship partners.
Our new "unposter session" was a great way to get to know each other.
Our new "unposter session" was a great way to get to know each other.
Unpostering with friends and colleagues - old and new.
Unpostering with friends and colleagues - old and new.
Hard at work on a POGIL activity.
Hard at work on a POGIL activity.
Susan Shadle facilitates during her opening plenary.
Susan Shadle facilitates during her opening plenary.
Santiago Toledo (left) leads his team during a breakout time.
Santiago Toledo (left) leads his team during a breakout time.
The poster session is always well-attended.
The poster session is always well-attended.
Asha Brunings is all smiles during our plenary session.
Asha Brunings is all smiles during our plenary session.
Marcy Dubroff (left) of The POGIL Project, poses with this year's scholarship winners (Sara Fox, Kassie Lynch, Rodney Austin) and presenter Ashley Hill (right).
Marcy Dubroff (left) of The POGIL Project, poses with this year's scholarship winners (Sara Fox, Kassie Lynch, Rodney Austin) and presenter Ashley Hill (right).
Sylvia Hurtado delivers her 2019 plenary talk.
Sylvia Hurtado delivers her 2019 plenary talk.
No POGIL meeting would be complete without chocolate.
No POGIL meeting would be complete without chocolate.
Another POGIL tradition - raising your hand to quiet the room.
Another POGIL tradition - raising your hand to quiet the room.

NCAPP 2025: Dates TBA

We hope you'll join us for the 2025 POGIL NCAPP and inspire us with your ideas, expertise, and experience. Together, we will improve, enhance, and transform education for every student, everywhere.

 

NCAPP 2023 Promo

NCAPP Application

Attendance at the National Conference to Advance POGIL Practice is by application.  All conference participants actively contribute to the planned program.  Therefore, in addition to basic information about you and your POGIL experience, the application provides opportunities for you to summarize any work you would like to present in any of the various types of sessions.  Applicants invited to attend the conference are also notified of accepted presentations.

Applications for 2023 NCAPP are now closed.

Stay tuned for 2025 application info!

About the NCAPP Application

Who Should Apply?

We encourage applications from POGIL practitioners who have previously completed a Fundamentals of POGIL workshop or a 3-day POGIL workshop or who have substantial experience implementing POGIL in their classrooms or laboratories.  NCAPP is not an introduction to POGIL pedagogy, so we recommend novices start by attending a Fundamentals of POGIL workshop before applying to attend NCAPP. All conference participants should expect to contribute or actively participate in the program.

Application Timeline (2022-2023)
  • October ~ The call for applications is sent out to our database of POGIL users and is also available on our website.
  • November 30th ~ Priority consideration deadline
  • January 15th ~ Applicants who applied by November 30th are notified of an acceptance decision.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis from November 30th through March 1st, or until the conference has reached maximum attendance.

Conference Details and Agenda

Conference Details

The next NCAPP will take place in June 2025 (dates TBA) at the University of St. Thomas (MN). Registration costs are TBALimited scholarships are available for NCAPP attendance. 

Conference Schedule

The conference schedule is largely dependent on the accepted applicants and the types of sessions they are interested in participating in and/or presenting.  The conference schedule for 2025 NCAPP will be a work in progress through the spring of 2025. If you'd like a feel for the overall types and balance of sessions, check out our tentative agenda below as an example.

Learn More about NCAPP

Resources to Learn More

Our Podcast: Listen to our episode: Preview of The POGIL Project's 2023 NCAPP with NCAPP Chair Joyce Easter. Listen Here.

The NCAPP Brochure: Find out everything you need to know about our upcoming event with our 2023 NCAPP Brochure linked below.

Plenary Speakers

The plenary speakers for 2023 NCAPP were: 

  • Elyse Eidman-Aadahl, National Writing Project;
  • Urik Halliday, Chicago Public Schools 
  • Elli Theobald, University of Washington

Activity Writing:

A series of sessions on best practices related to activity writing, one-on-one coaching with an experienced author, and guidance on submitting activities to the POGIL Activity Clearinghouse (PAC).  These sessions are limited to those who have completed Collaborative Feedback Training through the PAC.   (Limited slots available)

Informal Networking:

This time is designed to provide participants with a chance to network and work on collaborative projects in a variety of settings.  In the virtual format, we will set up specific times and create breakout rooms based on participant requests.  These sessions provide an opportunity to expand your network and develop new collaborations and projects in an informal setting.  If you have an idea for a breakout session during informal networking, do a bit of research and communicate with the POGIL National Office before the conference so you can take the lead in heading up the session.  

Poster:

This formal graphic presentation of your topic, displayed on poster board, offers an excellent opportunity for reporting your results and gathering detailed feedback on your work. A poster abstract should detail the focus of the presentation and the way(s) in which it contributes to the body of knowledge. The conference provides the tri-fold display boards and pins for posters while presenters provide all items to be attached to the boards.

What does a poster session look like? All posters are presented during one of the conference’s poster sessions. Posters are presented on tri-fold display boards placed on tables or easels throughout the room. Poster presenters stand beside their posters and discuss their work with attendees one-to-one or in small groups. Most attendees meander through the posters, stopping to review or discuss those that pique their interest. Some poster presenters supplement their posters with a handout that summarizes their work and provides contact information for further follow up. 

Click Here for an exemplar description of a Poster

Birds of  Feather:

Birds of a Feather Gatherings will be organized as part of the conference program. These sessions are aimed at building networks and exploring ideas among relatively small groups of participants who share common interests. This is the only session type for which there is NO formal presentation. Instead, the facilitators ensure that people have a chance to get to know each other and come with questions or ideas to spark discussion.

What does a Birds of a Feather Session look like? At the beginning of the session, the facilitator will welcome attendees and ask everyone to introduce themselves and to note their interest in the topic. The facilitator will likely pose a thought-provoking question or challenge, and from there, those in attendance will be encouraged to share and discuss, to network, and to learn from one another. It is a 'meeting of the minds' and the time together will be whatever you make of it.

Click Here for an exemplar description of a BoF

Professional Development Workshops: 

As part of 90-minute sessions taking place during the conference, professional development workshops provide instructors from both high schools and colleges/universities with an opportunity to obtain professional development and to gain new insights into teaching and learning. Workshops will be selected by The POGIL Project from recently developed advanced workshops and presented by a trained facilitator who has significant experience facilitating workshops in the subject area. 

What does a professional development workshop look like? Professional Development Workshops are 90 minutes in length. Participants work together in small groups on facilitated activities designed for interactive learning. Participants receive take-home materials and have an opportunity for interaction with the facilitator and their peers.

Roundtables:

Roundtables are 45-minute discussions that typically include 5-15 minutes of presentation, followed by 30-40 minutes of discussion and feedback. Roundtable presenters should bring targeted questions to pose to others in the session. Roundtable presentations are among the most flexible format offered at the conference, and may look quite different from session to session. The one thing that they have in common is that each allows for extended discussion within a small group. Roundtables are excellent venues for giving and receiving targeted feedback, engaging in in-depth discussions, and meeting colleagues with similar interests. Topics may include, but should not be limited to group formation, classroom management, metacognition research, feedback on SoTL research projects, facilitation issues, and writing activities. The abstract should detail the focus of the presentation.

What does a roundtable session look like? The session begins with a 5- to 15-minute presentation. Each presenter will be supported by a moderator to include an extended discussion component with ample time for questions. Most roundtable presenters provide supplemental materials illustrating their work. Roundtables are excellent venues for providing  demonstrations of techniques, getting targeted feedback, engaging in in-depth discussions, and meeting colleagues with similar interests. While your attendees may be eager with questions, it is useful to have one or two prepared questions at the ready that you can use, if needed, to stimulate the discussion.

Click Here for an exemplar description of a Roundtable

Facilitation Fishbowls:

Facilitation fishbowls are 45-minute classroom simulations in which the presenter will facilitate an activity of their choice for 20 minutes. Conference participants will be involved in the fishbowls, either as an activity facilitator, student, or observer. The presenter will be selected through the application process. These sessions are designed to assist both presenter and participants in improving facilitation skills. This experience will provide participants with a number of different perspectives on which to reflect, including how different strate­gies impact the effectiveness of POGIL activities.

What does a fishbowl session look like? At least one month before the conference, fishbowl presenters will complete the Fishbowl Activ­ity Form and submit their activity.  This includes information about the intended student population, place in the curriculum, and prerequisite knowledge along with one clearly stated content goal and one clearly stated process skill goal that can be achieved by “students” within 20 minutes. The process skill area (such as teamwork, management, assessment, communication, etc.) should be indicated in a parenthetical at the end of the goal.  Fishbowls are not intended to provide feedback on a classroom activity. At the start of the session, a moderator will set up the fishbowl, separating the participants into fish (“students” who will work on the activity in teams) and observers. For the first half of the 45-minute session, the presenter will conduct an activity as they would with regular students, with attendees acting as students and observers. Afterward, the moderator will lead a discussion about the strengths of the facilitation, areas for improving facilitation, and insights from the attendees about general POGIL facilitation strategies.

Click Here for an exemplar description of a Fishbowl

Thank You

A special thank you to our returning NCAPP Scholarship Partner Flinn Scientific. As a Scholarship Partner, Flinn is making it possible for several teachers to attend NCAPP this summer. We are grateful to have our key publishing partner as a sponsor and supporter of NCAPP, and as an integral part of the POGIL community. A special POGIL thank you to Flinn!