Use of Wireless, wiki and other high-technology for documentation (long)

Fri Sep 16 12:52:53 PDT 2005

Hello, dear colleagues -

Thank you thank you for the thoughts you have shared regarding using
different forms of technology for documenting Open Space discussions
during an event.

My own experiences reflect some of yours.  Here is a summary of what I
am hearing from you plus what I have experienced.  I know that some of
you may experience it differently or have found different ways of doing
these things that also work.

Posting Notes on the Wall

I have found that it is important / ideal to post hard-copy (hand
written or printed out from the Newsroom) session notes on the walls
throughout the event.  No matter what the technology available.  Even
*if* the final proceedings are to be posted on wiki or website.  This
informs people throughout the day(s) as to what is happening in other
groups - it seeds and pollinates what happens next, and next, and next.
Everyone has access to the wall (and everyone may NOT have access to a
computer monitor).  In addition, this is a tangible measure of the work
they are accomplishing as they are going along.  

Posting notes on the wall also keeps transparency in all conversation -
everyone can read everyone's words - you know who wrote them and who was
there.  Also: reading online (in my observation) separates people (they
sit and look at a screen).  Reading on the wall gathers people together
for further conversations at the wall - and indeed this may be where
their greatest work and richest conversations may occur.

I feel reflection is a very useful part of a facilitated process.  So
the wall is an additional way to help people reflect, read in silence,
review, etc.

Having a Physical Location for the Newsroom

I agree with several of you who noted - there is a benefit to having a
physical location for the Newsroom - it invites mutual assistance and
camaraderie - it is incredibly useful for folks to help each other with
notes-taking or transcribing.  When this step is eliminated through use
of another technology (depending on how we decide to use that other
technology) we could miss a lot of great conversations on what happened,
how others see it, more memories triggered in the transcribing which
allow someone to add a bit more to the notes, and so on.  And again, the
power of reflection as someone inputs or adjusts their notes.

Writing Those Discussion Notes

I am one of those OS facilitators who actually invite notes-taker folks
to *not* write just the summary points.  I actually recommend they *do*
take running notes of the conversation.  I know that all of you do not
feel/do the same.  However I have found that it is often the
*un*-answered questions. the *un*-summarized bits of conversation that
may give an outside reader (someone who was unable to attend that
session) an incredible jewel of information and thought, sparking their
interest in contacting members of that discussion group for further
exploration.  In my experience, often it is *how* you got there that
gets to the essence of something, not just the key points.

Basic Information on Everyone's Session Notes

No matter whether hand-written or via laptop, I think it is important to
have every notes-taker include the same basic information in their notes
(session title, convenor(s), notes-taker(s), other participants who
attended, discussion notes).  This is important in tracking of notes and
topics, documentation of who was present, and so on.  So even if
multiple methods of documentation are used (such as a bank of computers
+ hard-copy notes-taker forms + some folks putting notes into their own
laptops) we would want to figure out a way to give everyone the same
template or post instructions clearly at each discussion area to remind
folks of the components we're looking for.

Newsroom Coordinator

No matter which way one goes with technology decisions, I think it is
very important for someone to coordinate and track the receiving and
posting of discussion notes at the event (the Newsroom Coordinator).
And it is very useful to have the discussion notes gathered in one
location - someone from a discussion group may want to add their notes
to some already-entered notes on that topic later in the day or the next
day. I find that posting notes immediately to a website or email list
often posts the first version only, which is something to keep an eye on
(noting a change and updating for the latest version). A Newsroom
Coordinator (no matter what the technology) keeps a running list of
what's coming in and where it's located, can help participants find
these existing notes to update, ensure lastest postings (on wall and on
wiki or website if used), and so on. The Newsroom Coordinator also helps
construct the Book of Proceedings, either during the event itself or
soon after (whatever is your preference / design decision).

Access to Proceedings

Thinking about how different people take in data in different ways, I
would like there to be as part of the documentation design the ability
(post-event or during-event) for anyone to easily print out a hard-copy
version of the Book of Proceedings.  When I've constructed a book off
wiki site notes, it has taken me a bit of time to cut and paste text and
adjust the formatting a bit so my eye (and for other people for whom
text is not their strongest way of taking in data) easily goes to
session headings and contact list and such, and so there is pagination,
table of contents for easily locating things, and so on.  Maybe others
of you have found ways to assemble this off-the-wiki for
hard-copy-or-Word-document Book of Proceedings more easily.

People are each so different - reading notes on a screen is not so easy
for everyone - and I'd hate to make the assumption --  even in a group
of folks who are very high-tech -- that electronic-version-only serves
every individual.  Plus, eventually some folks want to send a book to a
funder, or a colleague, or etc. - so I love offering the printed book
option even if a lot of folks will be saving paper and sending around
electronic versions.  In addition, as I understand it, some people go
*to* websites for information and community, and some prefer to have the
information *pushed* to them / to their inbox.  The proceedings, to me,
should be distributed in a way that is accessible to all kinds of
people.  So to me this would speak both to posting on the web and
providing something like a Word document.

High-Tech Always for High-Tech People?

I agree with Larry's and Nancy's observation and some of you others have
had that experience as well - often folks working in a high-tech
environment for a living actually appreciate working in a low-tech way
for a change.  It's like their bodies remember how it once was ( ;o)  .
Plus let's think of folks with different abilities and disabilities
(learning and physical ones) and access / mobility - technology can
really assist some people in this - but/and it also would be important
for me to include options for folks who really like to write notes by
hand, don't travel with laptops, take a while to process their thoughts
as they write, and so on.  I always like to check my assumptions by
assuming that there are folks in any group who aren't like the others in
the group.

Tech Used In A Way That Enhances

So sometimes we work in zero tech environments, even in settings where
people do not read. Sometimes we and our participants have access to
tons of technology.  I guess the idea is to think of ways that our use
of any technology enhances - does not lessen - face-to-face
interactions, transparency, data made available to all during the
process, spontaneous conversation areas in the room, and ability for
anyone to read notes in a simple way that is accessible to each and
every individual.

Allowing for Multiple Technologies / Multiple Forms of Documentation

As others have shared - it might be interesting to think of how
technology is used in a way that might add dimensions to the
co-documentation - such as digital photos, drawings made by people in a
session on their hand-held devices or on paper that could be added into
session notes on-site, mapping software, art and other multi-media
materials / equipment available, electronic whiteboards that somehow
could create an electronic copy.you all know more than I do about what's
available out there.  As some others of you note - I think it is
incredibly useful (if budget allows) to -- if this isn't the main way
you are having people take notes -- still add a flipchart and markers to
every discussion / breakout area for those people who want to think big
and graphically as they talk.  Those flipcharts can be transcribed (if
text) by someone in the group or a digital photo can be taken and added
to the notes.  (I know that flip charts cost money and renting stands
for them can often cost high rental fees for groups with small budgets
operating in some hotel and retreat sites).  And I would like there to
also be a way to include spontaneous documentation of the experience
that did not happen in a discussion - such as someone drawing a picture
or scribbling out a poem during the event - so perhaps if there is
technology these can be scanned or photographed - in low tech
environments they just go up on the wall.

Love This Conversation

Oh.  Not much more to write here, and if you've read this far, you need
a rest!  Thanks for all your ideas - you have really helped me inform
this host team about possibilities, opportunities, things to keep in
mind as together we make our choices in the design of and preparation
for this event.

I am so lucky to have you all,

Lisa

___________________________
L i s a   H e f t
Consultant, Facilitator, Educator
O p e n i n g  S p a c e
2325 Oregon
Berkeley, California
94705-1106   USA
+01 510 548-8449
 <mailto:lisaheft at openingspace.net> lisaheft at openingspace.net
 <http://www.openingspace.net> www.openingspace.net 

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