Getting Ready for the Focus Session

The 2009 Online Fall Focus Session is a series of web-based presentations and participant discussions exploring new ways to facilitate collaborative engagement between students and across boundaries. The session will bring together a variety of professionals to explore how to design collaborative learning environments that promote student engagement, facilitate consensus-building, and encourage meaningful communication.

How Does It Work?

Presentations for the Online Fall Focus Session will be offered in real-time inside an Adobe Connect virtual learning space.

The schedule will include a series of general sessions, project parlors, and discussion breaks designed to help participants connect more deeply with the content and one another. Inside the virtual space, participants can submit questions and communicate with colleagues using the chat feature. Live polls, interactive whiteboards, and breakout rooms will offer attendees a chance to communicate with one another and participate in active knowledge building.

In addition, participants will have access to the Learning Commons, a suite of tools for sharing ideas and information during and after the session.

Please see the full agenda for program details.

What Will I Need?

Each session will be delivered online in Adobe Connect, enabling any user with an Internet browser and speakers to participate in sessions without downloading additional software. You will need an Internet connection speed of 56K or better and cookies enabled in your browser. If you are planning to log in as an individual, you will also need access to a phone to join a conference call line with your virtual discussion group. (Please see the technical information page to learn more.)

At least one week before the event begins, please run the Adobe Acrobat Connect Connection Test. The test takes approximately 30 seconds and will verify that your computer meets hardware and software requirements to use Adobe Connect, and will provide instructions for installing Adobe Flash, if needed. If you have problems completing the test, or installing required software please contact support@clarix.com or visit Adobe Support for more information.

How Can I Prepare?

You can begin reflecting on the program content by considering key questions you would like to see addressed and exploring resources located in the Presession Activities section.

Whether you plan to log in to the event as an individual or as part of a campus group, you can begin collaborating with fellow participants before the focus session begins. Join the focus session Ning network, a social network created specifically for attendees. Create your own profile, explore videos, photos, and resources uploaded by your peers, or add your own questions and content. Participants can create virtual groups or add their voice to ongoing discussion threads.

All registered attendees will receive a Ning invite by August 18. If you are hosting a campus group, when you receive the invite, extend it to your on-campus event participants and encourage them to join. To learn more about Ning or how it might apply on your campus, check out ELI's recent technology brief, 7 Things You Should Know About Ning.

How Can I Prepare as a Group Leader?

If you plan to host a group event on your campus, we suggest these additional steps:

• Send an announcement asking participants to hold the dates scheduled for the focus session.
• Register yourself as the campus group facilitator from your campus.
• Reserve a room large enough to accommodate participants that has the necessary technology. You will need an Internet connection for the audio and video components; we will provide you with the URL prior to the event. Make sure you can adjust the sound volume so everyone can hear. We also suggest having speakerphone capabilities to allow you to call in to the session conference call line.
• Encourage colleagues to review the Presession Activities prior to the event. Ask them to begin thinking about projects in their departments that could benefit from collaborative learning or ongoing initiatives to serve as examples of meaningful collaboration in the classroom.
• Extend an invitation to your campus participants to join the event Ning network.
• Prepare participant packets based on materials received as the campus group facilitator.
• Use the scheduled discussion times to initiate campus-focused dialogue, or schedule time at the end of the first day, at the start of the second day, or at the end of the second day to delve into specific discussion related to your campus. Suggested questions will be provided in the Learning Commons.

Where Can I Find Help?

If you are having problems connecting to the meeting room, you can call 303-449-4430 to speak with EDUCAUSE Member Services or send an e-mail to cpage@educause.edu.

Twitter users can send a Direct Message to the ELI Twitter account at www.twitter.com/eli2009.

If you encounter audio issues during the event, you can visit our Audio Troubleshooting Page to find solutions to common problems inside the interface.

If your problem is not listed or the recommended action does not remedy the situation, you can direct questions to "EDUCAUSE Help" in the chat window or call 303-449-4430 to speak with EDUCAUSE Member Services.

If you lose audio completely, you can listen via a special attendee conference call line at 877-944-2300, access code 99264#. The conference call line will not be available until the event has started.