Designs for Learning conference 24-26 August 2026

We warmly invite you to the 9th Designs for Learning conference, taking place on August 24–26, 2026, at the Department of Education, Frescati, Stockholm University. This year’s theme is Designing for participation and engagement in the contemporary landscape.

The conference uses the concept of design as a starting point to explore participation and engagement in relation to critical global challenges such as sustainability, democracy, peace, equality, and rapid technological change—both within and outside formal education. The focus is on designers for learning (such as students, educators, museum curators, educational leaders, and policy makers) in shaping these landscapes. These stakeholders need to navigate a complex environment where education, learning, and knowledge are constantly evolving due to technological advancements and innovative approaches.

Topics to be adressed in relation to the conference theme

  • Power relations and stakeholders
  • Emerging technologies
  • Teaching and assessments
  • Interdisciplinary research and education
  • Learning environments
  • Design in relation to research methods and research gaps

This includes research methods and practical examples, such as practice-based research.

Important dates

  • March 31, 2026: Last date for submission of abstracts and panel proposals
  • April 30, 2026: Notice of acceptance
  • April 30, 2026: Registration open (Early bird)
  • May 31, 2026: Full price registration starts
  • July 16, 2026: Final day for registration

Åsa Mäkitalo

Professor of Education, Department of Education, Communication and learning, University of Gothenburg.

Kate Cowan

Honorary Senior Research Fellow at University College London Knowledge Lab and Lecturer in Education at the University of Sheffield.

Anders Björkvall

Professor of Swedish language, School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences, Örebro University.

Nina Bonderup Dohn

Professor of Learning and ICT, Dept. of Design, Media and Educational Science, University of Southern Denmark

You are welcome to submit proposals for presentations in the following categories: Paper presentation, Workshops proposal, Symposium. Link for submission below.

Paper presentation

Paper sessions consist of presentations and discussions of papers on ongoing or completed research and development projects, as well as PhD projects. The time frame for each paper presentation is 20 minutes, including the presentation (max. 15 mins) and discussion (approx. 5 mins). Abstract proposals for paper presentations should be 300-500 words, including title, keywords, main text, and key references.

Workshops proposal

Workshops are intended to be interactive and collaborative sessions that aim to provide participants with hands-on learning experiences, practical skills, and in-depth discussions on a specific topic/theme presented by researchers, practitioners, or policymakers. Please indicate the desired time allocation. The organiser of the workshop should submit a workshop proposal including the following information:

  1. The title of the workshop
  2. The chair(s) of the workshop
  3. Indicate the desired time allocation
  4. An abstract describing the workshop (max. 500 words).

The workshop proposal should include the purpose and the rationale of the session, a description of the presentation, and a statement regarding participants' involvement.

Symposium

An organised symposium session builds on a theme and is proposed and planned by a symposium organiser. The papers focus on a common theme. A symposium has a chair (often the organiser) and one or more discussant(s), who have read the papers in advance. The symposium organiser will decide how the symposium is to be organised. The symposium lasts 90 minutes. The organiser of the symposium is responsible for submitting the symposium proposal, including the following information:

  • The title of the symposium
  • The chair(s) and discussant(s) of the symposium. Please include these in the abstract.
  • An abstract describing the entire symposium, the discussant(s) (max. 500 words)
  • Individual abstracts for the included papers in the symposium (max. 500 words), including: title, keywords, main text, and key references.

NOTE: Attach a separate file below containing the overall abstract and individual abstracts.

Submissions

Submissions (Oxford Abstracts)/Open for Submissions

  • Eva Insulander
  • Anna Åkerfeldt
  • Fredrik Lindstrand
  • Susanne Kjällander
  • Staffan Selander
  • Eva Svärdemo Åberg
  • Ola Knutsson

Eva Insulander, Department of Education

eva.insulander@edu.su.se

Anna Åkerfeldt, Department of Teaching and Learning

anna.akerfeldt@su.se

Last updated: 2026-01-08

Source: Department of Education

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