Predictions for 2010
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I did lousy on my predictions last year, despite actually having ESP. (I
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4 hours ago
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Traditional vs. Online Conferences: How different are they?
George Siemens, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), and Adobe Connect have joined forces to bring live online discussions on how to improve traditional conferences. The ning serves well to connect like minded people, but the live discussions do not do justice to the questions on how to improve traditional conferences because of the way the presentations are set up as flat, formal, and somewhat lacking in promoting ongoing interactions. I am amazed how the criticism of traditional conferences as being boring because they lack interactions is repeated in the online live sessions. Listening to speakers online is just as boring as in the traditional sessions. The tools may be different, but the way the tools are used is exactly the same. I suggest more thought into how to engage and involve the participants in a more meaningful way. How should presenters talk less and facilitate rather than take over people's mind. I found the AACE live online presentations frustrating just as I find traditional conferences. Listening may not be enough for many participants altogether. Perhaps the speakers should conduct a needs assessment inventory to find out what the audience knows to avoid repetition. Many speakers ignore their audience and talk to themselves. What's the point of talking at an audience? I believe speakers can develop an awareness of the target audience and go from there. After all, isn't the presentation about the learner?
I would like to generate interest on ways to engage the learner in active learning whether face-to-face or online. Contact me if you are interested in collaborating with other educators in learning how to engage the learner.
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5 comments:
At college I had a very engaging Calculus teacher. He totally ignored his desk, standing up at the blackboard writing formulae or as near to us as he could be. He was funny, but serious about his subject (he authored the calculus textbook). He used to be generous with committed students but strict with lazy guys. He used to challenge us to create calculus problems.
He was like an actor in his performance… a perfect balance between corporal expression, voice modulation, always looking at students eyes, he knew all students names, and absolutely funny. I remember when, in the middle of a calculus examination, he suddenly stopped us to... TELL US A JOKE! That’s what I call a very engaging professor.
Most of these strategies can be applied online. If you look at the camera, you give attendees the perception to being addressed to them. Self-confidence, a relaxed face, making eventually funny expressions, all this is absolutely perceived through the camera. That's engaging. Of course contents you want to transmit are also important.
Hello Nellie and all,
I think this is a terrific issue... the point is that we are using new midia to perform old practices. I know some folks at a University here in Brazil are trying their best to put together voice, animation, images, in a way that a session may bring more than a podcast, for instance. Still this keeps the lesson on the teachers hands, it doesn't demand the audience anything but attention. That's the challenge, I guess.
warm regards, Lilian
Hi Lilian and thank you for adding your comment. Many educators seem to be using technology in the same way they use a textbook in the traditional face-to-face classroom.
I'm about to face my second experience as presenter in an online session. I was wondering how to make an interesting and engaging presentation when I found this post.
Now I realize that I was paying more attention to the "what" rather than to the "how" (sorry I don't know if this sounds well in English).
Both, traditional and on-line conferences could be very boring no matter how interesting the subject is, if the presenter is boring and he/she talks only for himself/herself forgetting the audience, as Nellie remarked.
I love when presenters talk about personal experiences regarding with the topic of the presentation. In this way they make a real connection with people, engaging them, talking as if they were among friends.
Exactly as Nellie and Gladys do in each conference. I love their presentations.
Ale,
Thank you for your kind words.
You said: Now I realize that I was paying more attention to the "what" rather than to the "how" .
That is what they say. If you smile everyone will be with you no matter what you say. :)
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