Program
Pre-Summit orientation
September 18, 2020
The Summit is a new experience for everyone involved. To help us make the most of it, we held orientation sessions ahead of the event: Get to know Zoom, for those looking to familiarize themselves with the tools we'll be using during the Summit, and First Conference Orientation, for those who have never attended a conference or a fully-online conference to prepare. You can find the recordings below:
The Summit Program
September 25-27, 2020
🚩Session video recordings and other references will become available in Resources.
In addition to each session focused on research content, we held various group activities including a Trivia session and a very Lister twist on Bingo (both with winners and prizes) to explore the vast breadth of content we engage with across Anne Lister diaries and more.
Every session was free to attend. If you'd like to help offset some of the costs of running the Summit, a donation will be most welcome.
Summit session formats
This was the first event of its kind which gave us the opportunity and the challenge to explore different approaches to discussing the breadth of topics we hope to tackle.
To that end, there were main formats we used throughout the program. Everyone who joins a session was a participant, and different roles existed depending on the session dynamic, as follows:
WORKSHOP
In a workshop session, one or more instructors provide hands-on information and guidance on a topic while participants learn by exploring the content shared and attempting to complete activities offered. Timing for questions and answers happens at the pace set by the instructor.
FACILITATED DISCUSSION
In a facilitated discussion session, a facilitator provides a frame for discussion for a given theme and is responsible for engaging all session participants in a group conversation. Session etiquette about how to signal desire to speak, etc, will be handled using Zoom's "raise hand" feature so conversation can flow and all may be heard from.
SHOW AND TELL
In a show & tell session, one or more presenters briefly expose a topic (with or without the aid of materials) to an audience of session participants. Often there will be time for participants to ask questions of presenters at the end of the exposition.
FACILITATED PANEL
In a facilitated panel session, a panel moderator provides a frame for discussion for a given theme and is responsible for engaging panelists in discussion about various topics within.
Session participants observe the panel exchanges; often there will be time for participants to ask questions of panelists at the end of the panel discussion.
Session etiquette about Q&A will be handled using Zoom's "Q&A" feature so participants can send in questions during the panel discussion and the facilitator can select the order in which they will be addressed.
The combination of topic and format is grounded on our desire to live the values we aspire to with this event. As with any experiment, we hope to learn from this effort and adjust as we find what works best to meet the goals of the summit.