Colourful neon lights seen through a glass window, spelling the words 'Talk to the experts'

Digital Ambassadors – 3. Gauging existing expertise

Post 3 of 7 Surveys Using online survey software, such as Google Forms, is a great way to gather a high volume of data quickly and efficiently. Using the basic tools provided, it is possible to get an overview of responses extremely quickly. Using such tools, it is very easy to branch questionnaires so that specific questions are only asked to specific groups of users (e.g. parents, teachers, students, etc.). If that option is not suitable, surveys can easily be duplicated, modified and administered to different audiences....

2015, June 11 · 2 min · Frederic Nevers
Partial photo of an Apple keyboard, with the left shift key replaced with a green key spelling the word 'Audit'

Digital Ambassadors – 2. Reviewing needs, strengths and areas for improvements

Post 2 of 7 Review of policy documents I have found that one of the most crucial parts of technology integration in schools is to ensure policies and procedures are in place, and enforced. Ideally those policies have been drawn up collegially and every stakeholder in the organisation has had a chance to give their views and feedback on the document(s). If a schooldoesn’t have any policies and procedures in place when it comes to using technology or systems (in the broad sense of the term), it may lead to inconsistencies and a poor user experience for teachers, students, parents and admin....

2015, June 11 · 5 min · Frederic Nevers
Piece of paper with the word 'Feedback' written with black marker pen, and pinned on a corkboard.

Organising a Tech Conference – 15. Debrief and feedback

Post 15 of 15 ECIS Tech Conference in numbers 3 days, including a pre-conference day 101 presentations, workshops and networking opportunities Up to 8 concurrent strands Over 220 delegates 15 student helpers Over 75 organisations represented 25 countries represented Top 5 countries accounted for 3/4 of delegates Furthest delegates flying all the way from Japan and West Coast of the USA #ECIStech2015 hashtag delivered to over 1 million timelines Feedback Student helpers highly praised Over 95% of delegates happy with the sessions offered Over 90% of delegates happy with networking opportunities offered 80% of delegates happy with the transportation options provided 90% of delegates happy with the lunch provided Nearly 100% of delegates happy with coffee and snacks provided Nearly 100% of delegates happy with the Wifi provision 90% of delegates happy with the choice of conference hotels 100% of delegates happy with communication from organisers 90% of delegates had their expectations met Improvements Even though the feedback was excellent, there are some things we wish we had done better, for example:...

2015, June 3 · 1 min · Frederic Nevers
Thousands of people in a traditional Bavarian outdoor beed tent.

Organising a Tech Conference – 14. Social events and networking opportunities

Post 14 of 15 Breakfast Every morning of the conference we ensured delegates had access to tea, coffee, juice and tasty snacks. This was a nice way to start the day and to get to meet new people. We purposefully scheduled conference buses to reach the venue early to allow time for breakfast (it was also a nice way to deal with potential delays due to traffic). Tea and Coffee break Coffee, tea, juice and light snacks were made available to delegates throughout the entire day, but we encouraged delegates to gather at break times, between sessions....

2015, June 3 · 3 min · Frederic Nevers
A Boeing 747 in Lufthansa livery, on a runway.

Organising a Tech Conference – 13. During the conference

Post 13 of 15 Lufthansa strike A significant proportion of our delegates reached the conference by plane (around two-thirds). Some delegates had to cancel at the very last minute, as Lufthansa was on strike over the weekend of our conference. This issue affected around 10 delegates. We offered a full refund. The strike meant some delegates (including presenters) were delayed. Luckily this didn’t affect our schedule. Two of our presenters had to reschedule flights with other companies to make it to the conference on time....

2015, June 3 · 3 min · Frederic Nevers