(Live-) Tweeting a conference: advice for ⌗BCUR14

For any conference these days, such as ⌗BCUR14 or really any other academic conference, the game plan for delegates and presenters has changed enormously withe the seemingly unstoppable rise of the internet- enabled phone and tablet. Basically, what has happened is that conference attenders can now use Twitter, Facebook and a wide range of social media platforms to offer live commentaries and  analyses about papers being presented. If down well, the availability of such commentaries allows scholars who are not able to be physically present at the conference to follow discussions and even contribute. It also allows delegates who attend, lets say, session A, to look at tweets about Session B, or where somebody collates a storify, to catch up with discussions that way. Its pretty amazing really.

just how much good tweeting can do to enrich a conference experience, is demonstrated by the quote below:

Perhaps more importantly, I also know that others benefited from my live-tweeting. I have a fair number of followers, the vast majority of whom are not Classicists. One might have expected them to voice some dismay as I merrily filled up their timelines with conference chatter, but their response was quite the opposite: I received nothing but enthusiasm from them. Simply by being at the conference and sharing a small sliver of my experience, I was able to generate real excitement for the field of Classics amongst people who would otherwise have very little exposure to this kind of material. One individual even mentioned that it had helped finalize their decision to pursue a Classics degree. I don’t mention this to brag, but instead to illustrate that the power and promise of Twitter is in just how vast an audience it can reach, and how varied that audience can be, including everyone from authors under discussion (as in the case of Caroline Lawrence) to students considering their futures. Though live-tweeting obviously can’t offer a follower the whole experience or advantages of attending a conference in person, there are clear benefits to actively engaging with these external voices.

In the absence of Twitter, my trip to Reading would not have been wasted. Too many people worked too hard for that to have ever been a potential outcome, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped make the conference possible. In the simplest terms, I’m sure I would still have met many people and learned many things – but reflecting on the examples I’ve shared, I’m also quite sure that without Twitter, my experience would have been much less rich overall. Far from being a frivolous waste of time, Twitter was in fact key to me making the best use of my time in Reading, and I’ve no trouble believing it would prove equally useful to others.

(Robert Harris is currently an MA student at the University of Birmingham. He intends to start a PhD this year and tweets under the name @foalpapers. For the full story, follows this link.

This process of live-tweeting though works best if a number of basic rules are adhered to, and here I would like to acknowledge Dr Liz Gloyn (@lizgloyn) as the author of a “tweeting Guide’, linked to below. Gloyn’s superb piece was written for the Classical Association 2014 Conference, but her advice is equally valid for ⌗BCUR14. Just change her hashtag to ours, and we should be off. Add any advice you have through the comments:

Tweeting the CA Conference  ⌗CA14

Gabriele Neher (@gabrieleneher)

 

New opportunities- Tina (Than Ngan) Le blogs

“I am not ready for it”. I used to think so and feel very nervous when there was something new happening to me. I used to choose to avoid anything that causes that unpleasant thought and feeling, instead of choosing to face it. However, after many times participating in various activities in university, I have realised that no one feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zone, which means we will not feel totally comfortable at first.
To me, the British Conference of Undergraduate Research is a great opportunity. After reading the task description for support team, I was so enthusiastic that I decided to apply for the volunteer position without hesitation. What made me so interested in it? Well, the answer is simple: Most of the tasks involved are out of my own comfort zone. Talking about social media, I know how to use Facebook and Twitter for personal purposes, but not for creating a strong online presence of an event. Talking about communication, I have presented many topics in class, but haven’t been in charge of chairing a conference. Talking about logistics, I have dealt with some student events, but not an academic conference. That’s why BCUR 2014 is an amazing chance for me to learn lots of new things, not only from doing and experiencing but also from the instructions provided by highly qualified and experienced academic staff, Martin Luck, Gabriele Neher and Lucie Sutherland, who are in the board of organisers of BCUR 2014.
Although the conference is on 14th and 15th May, we (BCUR 2014 Support Team) started to prepare for it from early March. Only after the first training session did I realise how broad BCUR reaches and how important the role of support team is in running a successful conference. The conference will feature posters and presentations from around 350 undergraduate students not only from UK but also from 20 countries around the world. During the training period in preparation for running BCUR 2014, I have learnt a lot, from what is expected and will happen in a conference to the skills that are essential for organizing, for instance, teamwork, technical skill, time management, unexpected event handling skill.
One important skill that I want to gain most from BCUR is communication. Communication has always been my fear. However, it is also the one that I take every opportunity I have to improve, because avoiding the anxiety only maintains and magnifies it. The only way out is through. For me and all of my peers (I believe), this will be the first time we chair a conference panel, which is a challenging yet interesting experience. As chairperson, we are responsible for making the delegates feel more comfortable and confident, while making sure that the conference is well managed by helping the delegates to track time using the “traffic light” system. So far, I have practiced presentation and interacted with other volunteers throughout the discussion, which helped me a lot to build up my confidence. What is more? CV and career session is also a special part of the training programme. Exchanging and viewing each other’s CV as well as discussing it with other volunteers and Lucie provided me a much clearer insight into how to format and tailor my CV to make it better and more competitive.
Besides gaining new skills, I also seek to enhance my confidence in the existing skills I have already had. I have some experience in logistics and teamwork gained from previous activities I participated in, which I believe very helpful in running this conference. The best thing in task allocation this time is work rotation. By this way, every member in the support team can have an opportunity to experience all types of task involved in running BCUR, getting the whole picture of how an academic conference is, not just knowing a small part of it. The scale of this conference and the variety of activities are much larger than anything else I have done before. Thus, it will be a big leap of my professional skills.
Last but not least, BCUR is an opportunity to meet a lot of new people. Although there are thousands of students in the University of Nottingham, you cannot even make one new friend by just passively waiting for people to approach you. The only way is to actively get involved in conversations and extracurricular activities. Working in a strong team of 25 students from different backgrounds and degrees, together preparing and helping to run the conference is a good way to make friends and an enjoyable and effective way to spend my time. Furthermore, approximately 350 delegates from different universities, or even from different countries, will be here in the University of Nottingham for 3 days. What a great chance!
I am very much looking forward to playing my role in the conference. Despite the fact that those 3 days of conference will be exhausting, I hope that I will get as much knowledge as possible, from the delegates’ presentations of different areas as well as from what I will contribute to make BCUR 2014 successful.
Tina (Thanh Ngan) Le

More tips on how to give a successful conference paper

This great page proved a handy list of pointers for a great talk- click here to follow the link to Nicola’s Top Ten Tips for giving a paper. Below is just a little taster of what you can find on the site:

1. Ask yourself: “What would happen if my PowerPoint completely failed?”
Would you still be able to get your message across? Don’t use PowerPoint as a crutch – your slides should compliment your message, not mirror it. If you must use text on slides (must you?), it should be for the benefit of the audience, not yourself.

 

Gabriele Neher (gabrieleneher)

 

Team work and individual excellence: Osman Hong reflects on volunteering for BCUR14

 

Firstly, I would like to say that I am absolutely delighted to have been selected for the BCUR14 Copference Support Team from a pool of applicants. I am very much looking forward to playing my part at the conference. My role as one of the student volunteers potentially provides me with an incredible opportunity to take an active part in this excellent conference. When I first read the email that said ‘recruiting volunteers’, I did not realize the full extent of the reach of BCUR, that it is such an important conference where Undergraduate students from other universities, from a range of disciplines, participate and gather to share their research. As a science student, I am interested in everything surrounding me. For me, volunteering work is not just about helping people who benefit from my contribution, it can also be an extraordinarily powerful experience for me, and I am looking forward to being part of it all.

Prior to the conference, we attended four training sessions; this was definitely an informative and effective way of preparation for our tasks as conference support team, emphasising just how important the role of volunteers is and introducing us to expectations of the conference.
In the first ever meeting on 12th March, I was excited about meeting some of the staff involved in organising the Nottingham Conference, such as Martin Luck, Gabriele Neher and Lucie Sutherland. I also met people from different academic backgrounds. We talked about the expectations for this event and shared our thoughts about what sort of skills and experiences we can get out of this conference. My instinctive feeling was “wow”, and I could not believe that we have so many different roles to play in this event. The main reason I wanted to take part in this volunteering work is to meet more people within our group and widen my horizon during the conference. Mostly importantly, I would also be taught how to be a confident chair to manage a conference.
In the second and third meetings on 26th March and 2nd April, the focus of the sessions shifted towards gaining an insight into how the conference will be run smoothly and what other technical advice can be provided. Moreover, I had an opportunity to practice my presentation skills and improve the details of my CV, and this could potentially enhance my confidence in my own skills and my determination for my future, as these skills will be helpful in job interviews. Also, acting as a chair for one of the sessions will help me improve my presentation skills, as this asks of me to demonstrate the same presentation skills as the delegates who will be speaking on their research, but I also, in addition, have to lead the session. At the final training session before the start of the conference, I have learnt how a good team works. Everyone in the room paid the best attention when the organizers briefed us of the procedures of what we are going to do during the conference days.

Although it will be three absolutely tiring days, I intend to approach this task with the intention to enjoy getting involved and seeking to succeed, rather than looking at this job as tiring and stressful. I have high hopes that this event will be running smoothly because of the power of our teamwork and leadership. If there are any problem s happening on the day, our excellent problem-solving skills and intelligence will solve them. It will be my first time as chair of a conference panel, and although my contributions will be divided into smaller chunks, I will do more preparation about the conference and will be ready. For instance, I have to be sure to know which research presentations belongs to what delegate, keep timings within the session and be confident of what part of the conference I am responsible for. Despite the fact that there will be a lot of challenges and difficulties that I will face, I hope that I will get as much knowledge as possible from the conference. In addition, since each of the volunteers does have their own strengths and weaknesses that are totally different from others., as a team, this is an advantage that can definitely encourage us to learn from each other. In the event of conference, I hope that all my personal skills can be improved in terms of communication skills, leadership and decision making. Those skills developed during this event can be applied to any future situation.

Finally, this is an extraordinary memory that I will treasure. I look forward to being a part of this event that encourages me to widen my horizon and strengthen my personal skills.
Osman (Kok Cheung) Hong

 

 

Why #BCUR14 matters: Nathan Rowe blogs on the role of the Conference Support Team

For us,[the Conference support team], BCUR 2014 started in early March when we were told of the fairly daunting task ahead of us. All 350 delegates will need to be guided to the correct rooms around the campus, with no signposts and up to 6 different events happening at any one time. We are to be the first line of defence in any technical problems and take responsibility for the smooth running of all the sessions. It promises to be 2 long days.

Which begs the question, why do I want to do this?

Put simply, I want to do something different, plus I think my previous experience will help to make the conference a success. I have worked as a waiter in a restaurant and with my mum carrying out wedding receptions and other social events in her catering business. Both of these require a lot of forward planning, solving problems as they occur and plenty of communication with the public. I know the amount of work that is needed behind the scenes to make things run smoothly. The flexibility to change roles quickly is also important.

In Nottingham, I feel I know the campus well (except the Law and Social Sciences building – I hope to master which entrance I need in time for the conference) so am confident in guiding delegates who are new to the university between buildings. I also run the Twitter account for The Film Show on the student radio station URN. I have used this to promote the show and engage with our audience. I want to the same with the delegates in the run up to, during and after the conference.

BCUR 2014 will give me the opportunity to refine these skills within the slightly more formal academic setting of the conference, especially when chairing presentation sessions.

So what have the group been doing in preparation for the conference?

Our first training session, as I said at the start, was an explanation of the wide range of roles we will have to work in and what will be expected of us over the 2 and a half days. We also began the formation of the digital footprint of the conference, which will act as a legacy for both us and the delegates, by using a consistent hashtag, #BCUR14. After this session, I created a story on Storify, a service I had not seen before, collating a selection of the tweets that used this hashtag.

Our second training session started with an explanation of the technology we will be using in order to project and record presentations. This was detailed information about two systems that were unfamiliar but will help us to troubleshoot any problems a delegate may have and highlighted the key differences we will need to be aware of between some rooms.

We practised using the capture facilities on ourselves as we did short presentations. We identified what makes a good presentation in terms of accessibility, engagement and quality – we will be nominating our favourite speakers for the overall best presentation prize. I found this particularly useful because I had another presentation later that week. It allowed me to practice in front of a different audience, the situation I will be in during the conference.

The third training session focussed on careers, CVs and the impact of being part of the conference support team on both. I want BCUR 2014 to strengthen the interpersonal skills I already have. For example, I have volunteered at open days and this involved a large amount of ‘crowd control’ and human signposting. This is probably the most basic yet most important part of the conference.

Our final session involved going through the new, detailed plan, identifying the key tasks like when to signpost and set up poster boards. This highlighted the number of small, yet important jobs that the team will need to carry out over the 2 and half days.

Being part of the conference support team will act as my second module in my Nottingham Advantage Award. My first was based on career skills for chemists. BCUR is a totally different situation. This will form part of my CV going forward demonstrating, along with my other work and interests, the range of extra-curricular activities and modules I have undertaken around and outside my degree.

I am looking forward to playing a large part in the running of the conference. My previous experience at large events has been good preparation but the scale of the conference and the variety of different sessions and activities is much larger than anything else I have done.

This is why the BCUR conference support team is so important. We will have to work well to ensure the smooth running of events. We will also work in pairs when chairing sessions, sharing duties like timekeeping, introducing presenters and technical support. This is a task that I have never done before, but having gained confidence in presenting to an audience in recent years, I am looking forward to it.

BCUR 2014 in Nottingham promises to showcase a huge range of undergraduate research. My sessions alone have presentations ranging from the ethics of torture to wave power to making medieval deer vellum. It will be our job to allow this to shine and provide a good experience for the delegates when at The University of Nottingham. I look forward to playing a part in making this happen.
Nathan Rowe

More from the Student Conference Support team: Ilona Brodovska

 

British Conference of Undergraduate Research: BCUR
My name is Ilona Brodovska and I am originally from the Ukraine. I am a second year student, at the University of Nottingham studying International Relations. This year I have volunteered to participate in the British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR). My aim for the project is to understand and experience the planning of the BCUR event, it is also a good chance to enhance in a lot of new skills and opportunities which it has to offer.
Undergraduates of all levels are invited to submit papers, posters, workshops and performances to the conference, therefore one of the task will be to make sure people are allocated in the rights rooms at the right time. It is a highly prestige, interesting and fun event to be at. I am very dedicated to run and coordinate conference activities. I am ready to undertake a lot of duties, which will include for example: chairing sessions and creating a strong online presence for the event through the use of social media. Also, this conference will help me to receive intensive Nottingham Advantage Award credited training. I am seeking to develop leadership skills and looking for a first experience of being involved in an active role of the academic conference.
From my previous work experience and the extra curriculum activities, which I participated in, I possess team building skills, presentation skills as well as management skills. I am able to work under the pressure and meet strict deadlines on time. Relationship building was always my strongest side. This is the best way to exchange ideas, learn new things as well as ability to expand a network. I really hope I can implement and share the skills I have for the conference, therefore the event can be a great success and it will run smoothly.
In the further future, I am planning to do my master’s in business and management. I saw this conference as an opportunity to develop and open something new for myself, which will be useful in the future. First of all before the conference, we attended a lot of training sessions on how to use the lecture room facilities, how and where to allocate people as well as we received extra help regarding our CV. Talking to many other volunteers and talking through their CV’s, provided me with a clear guidelines what I should change and where I can improve. I also had to stand in the front of a crowd and give a presentation, this was something that helped me to increase my confidence and see how the participants will feel during the actual conference. Public speaking and crowd managing skills are something I am expecting to improve on. I am very exited to be chairing some of the sessions with other volunteers. It will help me with time management and hopefully will develop skills of working under the pressure. I think this is a great step and so far it met my expectations. The beginning stage helped me to get an overview that a big event has to be planned in advance and it has a lot to cover.
During the conference, I am aiming to understand the role of logistics. This is and has always been a key requirement for an organiser. I would like to understand room layouts, the proclivity of people when queuing and where the best poster stands and where they are likely to be located on a floor-plan. I will consider sight lines, maximum room capacities and a thousand other things that no longer conveniently might fall under the jurisdiction of ‘operations.
I hope to develop more social media skills, in regards of using them for the academic purposes. Blog writing, will help me to engage with the feedback writing and hopefully, it will increase my writing skills as will enhance my creativity. I think it is also important to understand the marketing strategy for this event. I am looking forward to promote this conference through the use of social media and a ‘word of mouth’.
I am willing to help and contribute to the university as much as I can. It will be an experience, which I can bring with me to the future. There is a possibility that in the future I will transfer these skills to the Ukraine and internationally, where I can suggest planning for an identical event. Most importantly it is an amazing chance to meet a lot of new people and make new friends from different backgrounds, countries and degrees. I expect this event to be productive and very fun at the same time. I will enjoy this valuable time as well I will try to encourage all other members to enjoy it in the same way. With such a focused and well-organised team, I am sure I will gain the understanding of all the elements, for example, on how to run a conference effectively and how to overcome any possible problems and obstacles. There is also a possibility that after I will get an overview of the conference, I might consider myself taking a part in this event and presenting my own research work next year. I strongly believe that people have to ‘stop thinking in terms of limitations and start thinking in terms of possibilities’. Therefore I believe that this conference will not just provide with needed skills, but also will encourage me moving further within the academic life.

 

How to make the most out of conferences as a scientist

In a previous blogpost, we have looked at how to present a talk for the first time from an arts-perspective. Different disciplines follow different conventions, so have a look at the link below to get a Biosciences’ perspective. Here is a quick quote to give you a flavour of this excellent piece:

Scientific conferences, symposia, meetings and forums are a great way to improve your research experience and enhance your profile. They act as a platform for communicating research usually in the form of papers and posters. If you get the opportunity to present a poster or, even better, a talk at a scientific meeting during the course of your PhD and postdoctoral research post make sure to take it up! Not only will it help to get your research more widely seen, it will get you seen too – especially if you give a talk.

 

Follow this link for the full story.

 

Gabriele Neher (@gabrieleneher)

Follow the story of the Conference: BCUR14 does storify

One of the many issues we looked at with the Student team supporting the logistics and running of the conference was the use of various social media platforms. One we all liked is Storify, so have a look at how far we have got with our Storify on Thursday 10 April, with 4 days to go before the conference kicks off with registration at 9 am on Monday 14th April:

BCUR14 Storify

This story was created and edited by @NthnRw (Nathan Rowe), one of the Student Conference Support team.

 

Gabriele Neher (@gabrieleneher)

BCUR14 making the news! Thursday 10 April 2014

In the run up to the conference, things are really getting exciting now. On Thursday 14th April 2014, the University of Nottingham published the following press release:

Nottingham showcase for fledgling researchers

Here is a little look; for the full story, click the link above:

 

Research undertaken by students as part of their undergraduate degree studies is to be showcased at an international conference to be held at The University of Nottingham later this month.

The event, which will feature posters and presentations from students from 20 countries from around the globe, will offer many participants their first taste of a genuine academic conference as well as an impressive addition to their professional CV.

The British Conference of Undergraduate Research (BCUR), which takes place on University Park campus on the 14th and 15th April this year, aims to highlight the top quality research which many students undertake during the final year of their first degree — work which in the past has been often largely overlooked.

 

@gabrieleneher

Reflections pre-Conference: a student volunteer’s view.

When I first heard of the opportunity to volunteer for the British Conference of Undergraduate Research I was immediately intrigued. I had not heard of the event before, but felt that it would be a brilliant platform from which I can develop my confidence and leadership qualities. The conference seems to be a brilliant opportunity for undergraduates to share their learning with peers and I would actively encourage others to take part.
There are several qualities that I already own and practice regularly that I believe would complement the requirements for volunteers. The first of which would be my experience as a Student Ambassador for the university. The roles are very similar; requiring excellent communication with young peers, adapting speech where necessary and maintaining a friendly and approachable attitude at all times. I expect that this skill will be in constant demand throughout the conference, as delegates will perhaps be uncertain in what to do and where to go, and it’s imperative that they feel able and comfortable to ask the volunteers for help. Furthermore, good leadership qualities are needed in both roles. After representing my School and the university on several occasions now, I feel confident in speaking to large audiences about a known subject. At the conference it will be important that volunteers can do exactly this, effectively chairing each session and being able to control timings of each speaker.
We discussed the importance of timing in the training session this week, and several volunteers spoke of their concern of how to close a speech in the best manner. This is an issue I also wanted clarification on, and the subsequent advice and tips on this topic has now made me feel far more comfortable. When chairing sessions I will endeavour to make the delegates feel comfortable and confident when giving their presentations, whilst keeping time using the ‘traffic light’ system of cards that shall be given to us. I think this is a great idea as it gives the students ample opportunity to end the presentations themselves, without us having to jump in.
As I have touched on briefly before, effective communication is a further skill that is fundamental to the efficient running of such a large-scale event. I believe I have a great practice of this skill, utilising it not only as a student ambassador but also as a student trainer with the Students’ Union. Such a role improved my confidence in public speaking and giving presentations, and I think this experience will help me empathise with the delegates. I am aware of the potential nerves one can feel before speaking to a large audience, so I believe I will be able to offer friendly advice whenever necessary.
I envisage that teamwork will also be a crucial skill throughout the whole conference event. In training sessions over the past two weeks we have been encouraged to make friends and share ideas, particularly with regards to the social media build-up. Although I am confident in working independently, I see teamwork as a great opportunity to work with people with differing strengths, and maximising the potential of each team member. I am looking at Human Resources as a possible career path, and talent-management is a big part of this sector. Pursuing this career has equipped me with knowledge that can be transferred to the conference; to have an awareness of volunteers’ ambitions and motivations for volunteering, and positioning them in a task that satisfies both their goals, but also that of the conference as a whole. Although tasks will be delegated by the conference organisers, I believe having this knowledge reinforces the skill-development opportunities for volunteers like me.
Skills were a primary focus of our third training session, when we were able to talk with a member of the careers advice team about our CVs. As a third year student my CV was very up-to-date compared to my younger peers. However I had attended several skill workshops and one-on-one sessions with the career service, and was therefore able to pass on my knowledge about how to format CVs, how to tailor content to specific employers and other general information. The feedback I received on my CV was very positive, so it was great to hear that it was to a good standard to send to employers.
The final session involved distributing tasks and going over the logistics of the conference. It was at this session where we got our first real insight into the ‘nitty-gritty’ aspects of organisation, something that will be crucial to the smooth-running of each set of talks.
I expect that although the days will be long and challenging, but it will be very rewarding seeing the conference come together and the delegates enjoying themselves. Although we have only been assigned a few jobs each, I envisage that using initiative and keeping an eye out for opportunities to help well be a key part of our day. Social media has played a key role in the run-up to the conference, building excitement and informing the delegates of the latest developments, and I am sure that the young demographic of those attending will appreciate this additional source of information.
I’m really excited about meeting such a diverse range of students at the conference, and I think that it’s brilliant that all the paper topics are mixed between sessions so that everyone can gain an insight into other areas of academia. I hope that the event encourages other undergraduates to present papers in future conferences, as I think events like these are a fundamental part of professional and personal development.
My final hope is for the weather, it would be brilliant for the delegates to see how beautiful our campus is in the sun!

Rebecca Dowler