HSGC Blogs | Hot Science/Global Citizens - Museums, Action & Climate Change http://ics.westernsydney.edu.au Thu, 04 Jan 2018 04:10:42 +0000 Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Management en-gb What is an unconference? http://ics.westernsydney.edu.au/hotscience/index.php/viewblogs/viewpost/31 http://ics.westernsydney.edu.au/hotscience/index.php/viewblogs/viewpost/31 Wikipedia says that an unconference is “... a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants, generally day-by-day during the course of the event, rather than by one or more organisers in advance of the event.” From what I’ve been given (thanks to tweets from @russmaxdesign, @NancyProctor and @Timh01) they appear to happen at webby-type events within  a set structure. Dave Briggs’ presentation about how to run a unconference, says that: "Unconferences are what conferences are like when you view then through the filter of the web. They’re open, social and collaborative. The best bits of traditional conferences are always the coffee breaks. Unconferences make the whole event a coffee break. Unconferences are usually

free

without an agenda

participatory

organised by someone who’s enthusiastic ...”

 

I’m planning to run the second day of the Symposium as a modified version of an unconference. My initial thoughts are:

 

  • Build discussion leading up to the event (via this blog and Twitter)
  • Offer participants a two minute opportunity to present any thoughts, ideas, experiences around climate change and museum programming (they sign up for this)
  • Presentations
  • Choose some themes that capture our imagination and that arise from the discussions and Day 1
  • Have series of roundtables where these themes are discussed (plus any others from the presentations)
  • Each table has a leader who takes notes and keeps discussion moving
  • Report back
  • Do it all again!

 

 

By the end of the session we could have a series of projects that we could move ahead with – some may be collaborative, others become funding proposals, etc etc.

We do need to keep in mind that the day is experimental, not directed and not stress about that.

Be keen to hear your thoughts…

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