Opening up e/merge could enable a broader community to partially and simultaneously participate in real time
designing for diversity
in an opening world
the case of e/merge
conferences
are changing
Once face to face conferences consisted of lots of one way presentations with very little discussion
Online conferences used e-mail or online discussions to bring participants together across time and space
Some online conferences rely on live online meetings, use virtual reality environments or use social media
People from different levels engaging with each other 
eg a VC and a school teacher

Engagement with keynote speakers
eg Howard Rheingold, Gilly Salmon, Stephen Downes, Cabinet Minister from Mozambique, Rector of African Virtual University
We have found power relations “flattened” 
Power relations
Activity ratios of around 70:30
Some were online permanently, others parachuted in and out for concentrated times, and some multiplied themselves virtually. .. I'm sure their partners can't be too impressed with the amount of neglect for everything but e/merge they've shown these past weeks!   V, South Africa 

Can’t believe this, I'm glued over here for the last close to 90 minutes, and not about to leave.   Z, Kenya
Participation
i.e. 30% of participants generated 70% of activity.

Some intensive participation:
"
Legitimate peripheral engagement
Passive participation not considered negative “lurking”
I often thought it best to simply 'lurk and learn‘  S, Australia

I did not participate as much as I would have wanted but I walk away richer in e-knowledge.  Z, Zimbabwe

The highlight for me has been to dip my toe in and be encouraged and welcomed.  Y, UK

This was [ government department]’s first experience with something like this. We have learned a lot and have not contributed a lot and we feel a bit shy about that. Next time around we would also like to give something back.  Q, South Africa
"
Small % of highly active core participants, large group of peripheral participants

Role of e/merge to enable legitimate peripheral participation

Providing an environment that supports a wide range of different forms of participation?
Online Presence
Strong sense of online presence
multiple communication channels
presence indicators
Informal conference spaces such as Cafe
Rich media theory argues that online presence created by successful task achievement
This confererence has changed my perspective regarding the potential of ICT to foster high quality human engagement. As I say goodbye, I feel like one waving at a community that I talked, dined, and stayed under the same roof with. X, South Africa
"
Depends on how you look at it: 
facilitator view or participant view; 
novice participant or experienced participant

Closed community enables risk taking

Need for enough safety to take risks
Risk
risktaking / exposed?
cautious / safe?
social
peripheral
core
A range of technological possibilities
Boundaries pushing
Multiple starting points
Modelling new possibilities
Designed for resource constrained conditions
Low ICT and connectivity standards for participation
e/merge design
It’s unfortunate that some of us have poor internet connections, but all the same I have been closely following the activities and have learnt quite a lot through Virtual Learning. R, Zimbabwe
technological
learning
"
multiple formats
Web 2.0 both potentially    enabling    and    constraining
a web 2.0 world
easier to use technically
Opportunities for those in dev countries to be contribute to global communities
Web-based, needs technical resources esp bandwidth
Lack of exposure in dev country contexts
e/merge is designed to include some 2.0 tools
pushing the boundaries and modelling possibilities
New tools open by nature
Leveraging ubiquitous technologies (mobiles) 
It's all in the mix
Open environments
Web 1.0
Web 2.0
e/merge
conference
educational
technology
community
e/merge is a facilitated experience including the work of a team of trained conference hosts and spontaneous peer facilitation

In 2008 the team of 15 conference hosts participated in the pilot of a five week course developed by CET

Later we’ll talk about “Facilitating Online”
Online facilitation training
Professional development
Specific professional development activities: 
   Jungle Tour, Teachers Toolkit

Development by example  modelling
A peer-reviewed research paper track

Examples of sharing (uploading) of research papers during discussions

A selection of papers in a post-e/merge Special Issue of a journal
Support for emergent researchers
Sharing scholarship to date
Selection of content available on public web site

Forums only for registered participants

Internal and external blogs
Content
E/merge catapulted me into the future of the virtual conference and its limitless possibilities for the learner and the mentor.  Z, Zimbabwe

. .. also ideas about using Breeze (or similar systems) in formal education. In presentation mode in big classes; in interactive mode in small classes or with post-grads. Ideas, ideas, ideas.  Z,  Hong Kong 
"
Presenting and writing papers is a fairly new thing for me and one easily feel a bit intimidate/worried ... I think the e/merge conference really creates a very positive forum for exchanging points of view with more experienced people out there.  Z, South Africa
"
Q



Should all potential knowledge assets be shared?
What about interaction in informal spaces?
e/merge is a bounded community

A special event that is over within two weeks

Community membership by registration (often complimentary)

It exploits the affordances offered by online environments within those boundaries
The relationship between e/merge and the broader community
Participants attend the conference from anywhere (with connectivity)

They can attend while on the move
Across place
Despite a domestic problem before e/merge started I was still able to participate. I did so from several locations but none of them was at my University in Jos or Cape Town. Exactly what e/merge can do which regular conferences cannot. Y, Nigeria

I am logging on from Vancouver, Canada, at 4:30am. I am sitting in my living room, and can see the early morning light in a cloudless sky. X Canada

Great to be at e/merge again…I will be connecting from Cardiff, Munich and London. W, South Africa
"
Opening up e/merge could broaden participation in real time to many in other places interested in similar issues

Both positive and negative effects
Across time
People operate at different times of day.


At this time in Windhoek (3.30am), I am....X, Namibia
Conference sessions are longer (3 days)

Even the shy but very resourceful persons are contributing enormously and there is no time limit to the contributions

Participants can engage synchronously while in different time zones

The conversations extend beyond the bounded conference space

I was not able to participate in e/merge 2008 as fully as I wished, but it was exciting fun. It was also very informative. My consolation is that the site and its contents would still be accessible even after the conference is over, and, in any case, as far as this medium is concerned, we can always be in a sort of conference, even if unofficially.  X, Nigeria
"
"
Now some face to face conferences feel more like workshops or use Web 2.0 tools to enhance interaction and include participants at distance
A new environment favouring openness
What does this mean for the “traditional” online conference, especially in developing & diverse contexts?
Broadening of conferences community ito
Q
              
time      space    scope
openness
space, transparent, boundless, limitless, freedom, availability, opportunity
open
as good
closed
as bad
vs
Kinds of openness
A multi-dimensional set of continua rather than a single binary

Along criteria and categories

In relation to needs and aims
Degrees of openess
In what ways is it open?
In what ways is it appropriate?
Q
online workshops
participant and presenter blogs

live online meetings

discussion forums 
e/merge
37    3    17    30    31
Looking back
http://emerge2004.net     http://emerge2006.net     http://emerge2008.net
Purpose
Grow and consolidate the community of learning technology professionals and researchers in developing country contexts, specifically in Africa
Context
electricity access
personal computers (2005)
Shape
An online bi-annual conference over a  2 week period

Focus - the use of ICTs in education

Orginal scope southern Africa, spread to Anglophone Africa, includes all with an interest in developing country contexts

Shared context of developing countries, digital divides and diversity, unequal access of both technology & education 

Generally emergent ito of educational technology

Higher education and the schools sector
Structure
Bounded, bi-annual

Phased clusters over 3 day periods

Specific conversations

Pre-conference opening space

Use of multiple strategies to achieve aims

Assumption - participants have different expectations and arrive with different abilities
 
Different elements of the conference structure meet these needs and abilities in a variety of configurations
Activity
presentations

Immediacy
Immediate, on-the-go feedback, sharing and reflection
Online discussions
Participant blogs
Opening immediacy...
Immediacy could enable the sharing of conversations to a broader community in real time: Twitter, Facebook...
Simultaneity
It is possible to attend an online conference at the same time as being involved in other activities
Just registered yesterday for e/merge …from ED-MEDIA .. in stinking hot Vienna. Y, South Africa
Even participating while on holiday
I'm writing from Augrabies Falls, over a somewhat intermittent GPRS connection. We have a view over the gorge, and at the moment my daughter is sitting on the stoep, watching a tame laughing dove sitting not two metres away from her.  Z, South Africa
I am excited about what I have already been involved with during e/merge.  I had to take a break so I could get some other chores done and also so I could prepare for my presentation too, Z, USA 
Daily chores intrude
"
"
"
All along i have only known F2F conferencing, believe me e/merge has been great, you really can be every where, in all rooms. Z, Uganda

Imagine, I am able to experience all sessions something which is quite difficult in face to face conferences.
It is also possible to attend parallel sessions
"
What effect could increased openness have?
Growing a community
Every conference has newcomers
I am excited to be participating in my first e/merge conference. I just logged in now to find very many messages. I am in Kampala, Uganda where I will be participating from. Y, Uganda

This is, of course, my first year of participating in the emerge conference...or to put it blatantly, it it really my first experience of an online conference...so as you can imagine, everything is magic for me! V, South Africa
Increased openness could grow the community further
2006: 6 African countries                 2008:11 African countries
"
Participants with an interest in developing contexts

International keynotes who can add value to local debates

Creating a sense of a broader community 
If I have to choose a highlight, I would say .. I think the sense of complete commitment one gets from the team who organised the event makes one feel that we are all involved in something very big and worthwhile. Z, Australia
A broader community
"
Conclusion
Designing for diversity: 
social, technological and learning

Multiple & simultaneous imperatives

Developmental
(safe spaces, risk taking spaces)

Maximising openness opportunities 
(knowledge sharing, feedback, growth in community)

An appropriate mix for 
e/merge in future