Utility of OS in Conferences of 1,000+

[Diane Gibeault]

I  agree with Lisa ....that other than logistics,  a large OS event is
basically the same animal  as a smaller one.

On that aspect  - logistics , there is a part  for which I'd like to compare
notes and this may be useful for others too. I found with large groups, that
the process for signing up for a computer and getting a report number
sometimes created line ups and slowed down the limited time participants
had - or wanted to take - for entering reports before joining other
discussions . The line up usually occurs when all the discussion groups
finish almost at the same time.

When doing a series of large group OS recently with colleagues, we
experimented different ways and the  one described below seemed the save the
most time:

But first, why sign-up? One might say that we could skip the Sign-in because
we should just leave a stack of diskettes and let people take responsibility
to bring their report in. That's right. For example, after working on a
report, participants may change their minds and decide not to submit their
report, especially when they were the only participant.  We shouldn't feel
we have to oversee that.

The other reality is that even if you had a stack of diskettes lying around,
often participants just walk up to the computer, fill the screen with their
words, press print and leave - whether  instructions posted say otherwise
and wether computers are networked or not  -  and most of the time they are
not for reasons that Harrison explains well in his book.  At the end of the
day or when all participants get their copy of reports, they show up asking
what we did with their report. Also at times, there are technical problems
(ex the diskette is returned to us but the report has not been saved on it
or the diskette is infected.).  It's good to be able to tract down people
who worked on those reports to help correct the situation.

A name, a title  and a simple tracking process can help ensure reports get
printed, posted and distributed.  That's the help we offer in support of
particpants who are holding their self-organized discussions.

One process:
As always, we had a big sign at the table inviting people to sign in and get
a number and "tools" (which could be a diskette or memory stick) for their
report.  They noted their name on the next available line beside a report
number on  a tracking sheet, picked a diskette and off they went to a
computer. The line -up melted faster since they did not have to enter their
whole topic title - which they are often ambivalent about after the
discussion and so they ponder on it for a while when filling the sign-in
sheet. Without having to deal with that part, they could start working
immediately on a computer . Instruction sheets were beside each computer.

Then when everybody was busy at their computer, one person of the OS
facilitation team would go to each computer  with a blank sign-in sheet. We
note from the computer screen ,  their  report number and title and if it
wasn't there or visible, then we'd quickly ask the person. That allowed us
to remind them to enter their number on the report on the screen if they
hadn't done so. The new information gathered, ie the topic title, helped us
track reports  more efficiently when  needed.

It  would  be great to hear from others as to what worked best for them  in
large groups,  and in particular with groups of 1000 +. What process gave
participants access faster to computers while helping keep track of what
reports may be expected to come in for printing  and distribution.

Diane

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