EduWiki Conference 2012/Speaker guidance

This page is for speakers and panellists at EduWiki Conference 2012.

Facilities

The conference rooms are very modern and well equipped, with a networked presentation laptop and audiovisual facilities. You can bring your own laptop, but remember to bring an adaptor if it needs one to connect to a VGA projector. There will be microphones for the presenter and audience. If there is a piece of equipment that you need and think it may not be available please let Daria Cybulska know (daria.cybulskawikimedia.org.uk).

Ground rules

Be promotional...

If you're speaking at this conference, it's because you've worked on, or supported, something innovative and ground-breaking in education. Don't be shy about what you've done: tell us the benefits and opportunities for teachers and learners.

...but be honest

If you've been involved in a bold, ground-breaking project, there will inevitably have been problems and complications; issues you wish you'd anticipated, but hadn't. Tell us honestly about what went wrong, so we can learn the right lessons.

Keep to time, but allow audience questions

The conference is geared to have lots of opportunities for audience contributions. The standard half-hour slot is normally expected to be a 20 minute talk with ten minutes for questions: a one-hour keynote slot is normally 40 minutes of presentation and 20 minutes of discussion. You don't have to keep to this format: anything that keeps the audience engaged is welcome! The chair will move on to the next slot when the total time has elapsed: if the audience have unanswered questions, they will be encouraged to talk to you during the breaks.

The audience

The participants will be coming from various backgrounds - some will be Wikipedians interested in education, some will be people from the education sector either already working with Wikipedia or interested in finding out more. So the level of knowledge of your topic will be quite varied.

Recording and social media

We will be recording sessions on video for later sharing. We will also be encouraging the use of Twitter and other social media during all the sessions, using the #eduwiki hashtag. If there is anything in your talk or slides that you do not want recorded, then talk to Martin Poulter beforehand. If some of the audience seem to be preoccupied with their mobile devices, it's because they are thinking about what you've just said and how to digest it into 140 characters.

We will also be recording short interviews exploring your opinions on open education and Wikipedia - if you are interested in participating you can let us know now, or get involved on the day.

Presentation materials and other content

All of Wikimedia UK's activities try to create or promote material that is freely and openly licensed for reuse - even meeting minutes! We hope you'll share any presentation materials, or example materials from your course or give us a pointer to online open materials you're already created (if you're a Wikimedian, this will be easy as pie). We'll be able to host certain kinds of material on this site or on sister sites such as Wikiversity or Wikimedia Commons. The conference organisers can help.

Practical arrangements

• Even if you are presenting on one day only, you are mostly welcome to stay for both days.
• Wikimedia UK is happy to cover your registration fee if needed. Unless requested and explicitly confirmed with Wikimedia UK, we do not cover any other expenses (travel, per diem, accommodation).
• We are expecting the speakers to book their accommodation, which can be done here
• All the directions can be found on the main page of this event.
• Free parking is available

• If you are a Wikimedia UK volunteer coming to deliver a talk we may be able to support you further with regards to expenses - please check with Daria.

Organisers

Martin (content) looks like this and Daria (logistics) looks like this. Talk to us if you don't already know us. On the day please feel free to contact Daria with any queries on 07803 505 170.