following the sun: sustainable conferencing in a climate of change - evaluation results presentation...
DESCRIPTION
This paper reports on a new initiative in online conferencing that has resulted from the collaboration between three tertiary institutions on three continents and across three time zones. The paper describes the role of the Follow the Sun Online Learning Festival in revitalising professional online learning and networking events in a similar manner to the way in which elearning revitalised tertiary education. The paper also discusses the evaluation of online conferences and introduces the new learning methodology as an alternative method for evaluating online conferences. The methodology used to evaluate the Follow the Sun Learning Festival is discussed and some preliminary findings are shared. Initial results suggest that online learning events have the potential to engage and connect professional peers and facilitators across traditional geographical boundaries. The potential for the Follow the Sun conference to result in new learning is however still unresolved.TRANSCRIPT
Following the Sun: Sustainable
Conferencing in a Climate of Change
Angela Murphy Shirley Reushle
Ascilite 2012
The Follow the Sun Online Learning Futures Festival ran non-stop for 48 hours, over six shifts of eight hours each, with consecutive handovers between
Australia (University of Southern Queensland), United Kingdom (Leicester University) and Canada (Athabasca University).
The aim of the conference was to bring together university staff and students from a range of disciplines across the world to share ideas and explore
knowledge development. 750 participants from over 35 countries registered for the conference.
1. Identify participation trends during conference sessions.
Objectives & Approach:
Analytics
2. Explore networking and interactions trends. Twitter, chat and social media
3. Real-time insights into participant perceptions and new learnings.
4. Identify and track new learning and intention to action.
5. Presenter experiences and future support requirements.
6. Inform the conduct of future events.
Real time evaluation questions
Summative survey evaluation
Presenters’ survey
Focus group with organisers
Objectives & Approach:
4. Identify and track new learning and intention to action.
Summative survey evaluation
194 people completed the survey
60% registered but did not attend
194 people completed the survey
194 people completed the survey
70% were attending FTS for the first time
194 people completed the survey
30% were attending an online conference for the first time
Work gets in the way…….
We need to accommodate tight schedules and competing priorities
One in two register for online events then don’t attend because of work
51%
22%
Attended only one session
Attended two sessions
7% 3
Most attend only one or two sessions
5% 4
3% 5
4% 6
1% 7 8 9
find online conference session times to be inconvenient or
outside working hours
31%
Only 8%
didn’t attend because there was nothing else they were interested in
Most attending online conferences are not giving you their full attention…
4% 3% 6%
21%
28%
38%
None of these I tried to listenand multitask
but didntmanage it very
well
I dropped in andout of sessions
I listenedoccasionally
while workingor multi-tasking
I listened closelyto the sessionsbut did not ask
questions
I was activelylistening, asking
questionsand/or
communicating
Three in every ten people are multitasking or dropping in and out
Online conferences are not always easy or simple to attend, or make new connections…
80%
Say that difficulties scheduling time off work is the no 1 barrier to attending online conferences
experience connectivity or
network problems
34%
17% consider registration
fees to be too high
15% think that online
conference sessions are too long
found networking and connecting opportunities to
be limited
20%
45% Found the format makes it difficult to establish new contacts
People attend online conferences for different reasons than face to face conferences…
2% 2% 2% 2% 5%
11%
15% 18%
44%
Other Interest in aspecificspeaker
Interest in aspecific topic
Interest inhow it works
Opportunityto network
Relationshipwith one of
theparticipating
hostorganization
The content isdirectly
related to mydiscipline
Generalinterest in the
topicspresented
Particularinterest inlearning
technologies
44% attended because
of a specific interest in learning technologies
2% 2% 2% 2% 5%
11%
15% 18%
44%
Other Interest in aspecificspeaker
Interest in aspecific topic
Interest inhow it works
Opportunityto network
Relationshipwith one of
theparticipating
hostorganization
The content isdirectly
related to mydiscipline
Generalinterest in the
topicspresented
Particularinterest inlearning
technologies
15% were there to
enhance knowledge about their discipline
2% 2% 2% 2% 5%
11%
15% 18%
44%
Other Interest in aspecificspeaker
Interest in aspecific topic
Interest inhow it works
Opportunityto network
Relationshipwith one of
theparticipating
hostorganization
The content isdirectly
related to mydiscipline
Generalinterest in the
topicspresented
Particularinterest inlearning
technologies
Only 5% are there to network
Email is still important……
Most not on email or newsletter lists will not get the message
11%
2% 2% 5%
10%
14% 14% 16%
23%
41%
Othersource
SearchEngine (i e
Google)
Printedflyers orposters
Otherwebsite or
blog
AustralianDigital
FuturesInstitute
website orblog
BeyondDistanceResearchAlliance
website orblog
AthabascaUniversitywebsite or
blog
SocialMedia
(Facebook/ Twitter)
Word ofmouth
Email ornewsletter
41% found
out via email
11%
2% 2% 5%
10%
14% 14% 16%
23%
41%
Othersource
SearchEngine (i e
Google)
Printedflyers orposters
Otherwebsite or
blog
AustralianDigital
FuturesInstitute
website orblog
BeyondDistanceResearchAlliance
website orblog
AthabascaUniversitywebsite or
blog
SocialMedia
(Facebook/ Twitter)
Word ofmouth
Email ornewsletter
16% from
Social Media
11%
2% 2% 5%
10%
14% 14% 16%
23%
41%
Othersource
SearchEngine (i e
Google)
Printedflyers orposters
Otherwebsite or
blog
AustralianDigital
FuturesInstitute
website orblog
BeyondDistanceResearchAlliance
website orblog
AthabascaUniversitywebsite or
blog
SocialMedia
(Facebook/ Twitter)
Word ofmouth
Email ornewsletter
43% from
various blogs
Yet 47% say social media is the
most effective way of reaching them in the future 74%
47%
26% 24% 23% 21% 19%
7% 5% 5%
Email ornewsletter
SocialMedia
(Facebook /Twitter)
SearchEngine (i e
Google)
AthabascaUniversitywebsite or
blog
Word ofmouth
BeyondDistanceResearchAlliance
website orblog
AustralianDigital
FuturesInstitute
website orblog
Printedflyers orposters
Othersource
Otherwebsite or
blog
What formats will appeal more to people considering online conferences?
3% 5% 6%
7%
12%
16% 17%
34%
Otherpreferences
Half day miniwebinars
Full onlineconferenceover a day
Full onlineconferenceover two ormore days
Shortersessions, e g ,
30 minutes
Mini webinarsof one or two
hours
Pre-recordedmini webinarsaccessible at
any time
Synchronousand
asynchronousevents
Combining pre-recordings with live questions is ideal
Learning, technologies and futures are the topics of greatest interest
Audiences everywhere are
tough. They don’t have time to be bored.
Craig Davis
Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide J. Walter Thompson (World’s 4th Largest Ad Agency)