We had planned to hold the second In Beta Experiments in Physiotherapy Education Unconference on the 14th and 15th September at HAN University of Applied Sciences in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. However the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made us pause and consider how we should proceed. As a result we have decided that the Unconference will be moved entirely online.
In Beta’s name reflects the fact that we are always in a testing phase with our teaching. Always looking for the problems in the old code and how to improve for the next iteration. The period of disruption resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging and uncomfortable for physiotherapy programmes who have undertaken an unprecedented paradigm shift to online and distance delivery of education. But disruption also provides a unique opportunity for change. Going back to business as usual after Covid-19 might not be possible, and even if it is possible, does that mean it is desirable?
An unconference is a perfect space to pause, to unpick, understand and share our learning and experiences in order to improve what we do next. Therefore the unconference will now have the theme; Covid-19: Where next from here?
How will it work?
We will still be building on the brilliant experience that we had at HESAV in Lausanne in May 2019 for our first face to face event by continuing to experiment with alternative approaches to the standard conference format, with a focus on creating a friendly and inclusive environment in which conversations and ideas can flourish. Except this time it will all be online.
The Unconference format
The move online will change how we run things slightly. We will still run 2 full days of interactive activities aimed at physiotherapy educators. It will still be free to attend and it will still be based on the principles of an Unconference. This means that the agenda is set by those who are attending, there are no selected speakers and everyone is an active participant contributing their knowledge and experience. Everyone who attends will still be able to suggest ideas relating to physiotherapy education that they want to discuss and we will still vote as a group to decide which ones to begin working on together. Moving online also allows us to experiment with some different activities, so there will be additional activity streams, also built on the idea of stimulating reflection and engaging in conversation.
We will abide by the 4 rules of unconferences:
- Whoever shows up are the right people
- Whatever happens is fine
- Whenever it starts is the right time
- It is over when it’s over
The aims of the unconference remain to:
- Facilitate meaningful interaction between all attending delegates.
- Stimulate all delegates to think about aspects of their teaching practice and share their reflections with others in a collaborative learning environment.
Programme
Moving to an online unconference allows us to be more flexible with attendance and format. We will be using the Canvas virtual learning environment to build the unconference hub, through which participants will be able to access a range of activities across the two days at a time that suits you. Activities will include a mix of asynchronous and synchronous engagement, using high and low bandwidth and might take place online or offline. We definitely don’t want this to be a 48 hour Zoom marathon. We will be asking you to move away from your computer at times, maybe even to go outside as you think and collaborate.
For the activities themselves we will experiment with a variety of online and distance approaches, drawing on experiences of online and blended teaching so that the experience of engaging in the unconference is itself a stimulus for thinking about your teaching practice .
Activity streams
The activity streams will include
- Participant -led unconference discussions
- Guided reflection podcasts within a flipped-conference approach
- Community noticeboard to facilitate collaboration on individual questions and projects
- Arts in physiotherapy education collaboration to develop teaching resources
These videos give a brief overview of how the different activities will work
Social event
One of the absolute highlights of the first unconference was eating together and socialising as a group. Whilst we can’t promise an Alpine backdrop wherever you are attending from, on the Monday night (UTC) you will be able to join one of our three virtual social events linked to our arts in physiotherapy education stream.
- Synchronous watch-a-long of a participant chosen movie
- Synchronous listen-a-long of a crowdsourced playlist
- Synchronous make-a-long of a piece of art influenced by a crowdsourced gallery
Accessibility
In line with our principle that everything that we do as In Beta is free and open to everyone, there is no cost to participate in the unconference.
One of our the benefits of moving online is that we no longer need to feel conflicted about asking people to travel to attend a physical event, and will be able to significantly reduce our carbon footprint. We hope that this experience will inform our decisions for future events and help us identify what is truly worth travelling for and what can be achieved virtually.
We are however conscious that digital does not guarantee equality of access. We are therefore approaching our design of unconference sessions with consideration of accessible learning design.
Registration
Registration for the 2020 Unconference has now closed. We hope you can join us next year!
The empty classroom photograph is by Daniil Kuželev on Unsplash