Online conferencing: participant preferences for networking and collaboration

Online conferencing: participant preferences for networking and collaboration

Conferences and training events have, for many years, been perceived as a primary tool for improving professional knowledge and networking, resulting in improved competence and performance in practice. With the increasing economic and environmental costs associated with long-distance travel, many organisations have implemented environmental policies to limit meetings that involve travel and professionals are required to be more restrained with the number and range of professional development opportunities they engage in. Online professional learning conferences or events have the potential to combine the e-learning models developed for online tertiary education with the needs of participants prevented from attending conferences as a result of time or travel restrictions.

Web conferencing software enables synchronous, internet-based collaboration and communication and is therefore ideally suited to enabling the interaction between facilitators and participants that is so valued in traditional face-to-face training or conference proceedings. The increasing use of social media platforms and the availability of interactive spaces has also increased opportunities for dispersed participants to collaborate, share and network long after completion of the event.
This study was aimed at identifying participant perceptions towards social networking and trends in the use of online and social networking tools provided for use during an online conference, such as Twitter and Facebook.

Three primary sources of data were collected during a recent online conference to achieve these aims. The conference was delivered through the web conferencing system, Blackboard Collaborate, and ran non-stop for 48 hours, with consecutive handovers between partners in Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada. The non-stop nature of the event aimed to mirror a 24-hour digital society and the 21st century learner who wants to be engaged with other learners around the world at all the times.

The first data source was the recordings from the online conference technology, 'Blackboard Analytics', which included such information as drop-out rates and active participation in live sessions, such as whether or not the participant used the chat function. The second data source was the actual content of the online chat boxes during each session and the frequency and content of any discussions posted via the conference social media environments. Content analysis was used to assess the themes and types of discussions generated in these environments. The final data source was a summative online survey that requested information about participation trends and use of social media during the conference and in general. The data from these three resources, as well as recommendations for encouraging collaboration during online conferences, are presented visually using an info-graphic presentation style.

© Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA) 2013