The EOCCS Learning Community Symposium, held on September 14th and 15th, 2023, offered an interactive space for thought leaders, educators, and business professionals to explore the value of online engagement. The Symposium was organized by EFMD Global, hosted in-person at the UPF Barcelona School of Management, and powered virtually by Engageli. The hybrid format ensured both in-person and virtual attendees were part of discussions that challenged conventional wisdom and explored new strategies in online learning. In case you missed it, here are some highlights and key takeaways from the event.
How Engageli Powered Virtual Sessions
Engageli was honored to host the online portion of the EOCCS Learning Community Symposium this year. Using Engageli's innovative learning platform, virtual participants from around the globe participated in interactive, engaging sessions alongside in-person attendees.
Bringing Virtual Attendees Together Around Engageli Tables
Instead of the standard breakout rooms that are commonly found on most video conferencing platforms, virtual attendees of the Symposium used Engageli's patented tables feature. This allowed them to meet in a focused, small-group setting that didn't feel isolated from the main session. Attendees were able to easily move between tables to discuss specific session topics, such as synchronous and asynchronous learning, getting ideas and strategies from peers facing similar challenges. By raising their hand, they could easily move to the podium to share the insights their group discussed.
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Providing Real-Time Engagement Analytics During Sessions
A foundational piece of the Engageli experience is our commitment to data-driven insights. Throughout the conference, our platform collected metrics related to attendee engagement, interaction levels, and the effectiveness of individual sessions. This data is useful on many levels: it provides both presenters and organizers with actionable insights for improvement.
During sessions, presenters could easily address questions, comments, and insights from virtual attendees through the Q&A and chat features. This seamlessly brought the voices of the remote participants into the room. Engageli’s analytics recorded these interactions, providing facilitators with key insights on participant engagement.
Engageli's real-time analytics not only demonstrated the power of data-driven learning during the Symposium, but also its uses in educational environments. Metrics go beyond session attendance to include detailed insights on the number of hand raises, chat interactions, and talk time during small-group table discussions. Business schools and organizations can use this actionable data to inform better decision making, improving the quality of learning experiences.
Creating Valuable Hybrid Experiences
Hybrid models - including work meetings, learning, and events - are increasingly on the rise. However, creating a seamless hybrid experience is challenging and complex for everyone involved, no matter the type of session. Here are a few strategies to help navigate this complexity and enhance your next hybrid experience:
1. Prioritize Inclusivity: Design sessions and activities that are not just accessible, but truly valuable for both remote and in-person participants. Ensuring that both groups feel included and heard will foster a more cohesive experience.
2. Create Real-Time Feedback Loops: Create communication channels that collect feedback from all participants. Live insights can be the key to making real-time adjustments that ensure an engaging experience for everyone.
3. Have Patience with Technical Glitches: In hybrid environments, occasional technical difficulties are inevitable. Address them as they arise with understanding and patience, and have a dedicated technical support team on hand to help troubleshoot.
4. Choose the Right Technology: Choose technology that is built to support your specific goals, whether it’s fostering collaboration between remote and in-person participants or incorporating active learning in your session.
5. Incorporate Interactive Elements: From polls to small-group discussions, regularly including interactive elements into your session can make all the difference in maintaining participant engagement.
Key Insights from the Symposium
Engageli's Senior Director of EMEA, Talia Kolodny, attended in-person and participated in two insightful panels during the Symposium. Drawing from her experiences and the discussions she was a part of, here are her five key takeaways from the event:
• Engagement is Multifaceted: Engagement isn't just about participation. It comes in many shapes and colors: behavioral, cognitive, meta-cognitive, and affective. It should be defined and measured according to clear learning objectives and reflect interactions with content, instructors, and peers, as well as AI.
• Authentic Learning is Key: In order to transition from post-COVID crisis response learning into intentional learning, we need to consider human-centered design and real-world problem sets. Academic rigor should remain high while learners focus on application and clear career progression.
• The Power of Engaged Faculty: The role of educators is evolving. In this digital age, fostering engagement goes beyond the traditional classroom. Throughout the Symposium, presenters explored strategies and tools to support faculty in this journey, and Talia shared Engageli’s approach to collaborative, partnership-based implementations.
• Listen to Your Learners: A fascinating global student panel reflected the strong voices of today’s learners. They crave flexibility, modern tech integrations, and a clear ROI on their education.
• Tech in Service of Learning: Technology and AI are tools. They should be used in a way that supports and promotes learning, with humans leading in the driver's seat. Academic institutions should invest in data-driven learning design that supports students based on their true needs.
Spotlight on Attendee Feedback
The impact of any event is best understood by the experiences and feedback of its attendees. Here’s a glimpse into what some of them found most valuable about the EOCCS Learning Community Symposium.
