Conference thoughts

Having just spent two days at Oakland University, Michigan at a teaching and learning conference (as I mentioned yesterday) I thought I might have a few thoughts on conferences generally. This one I have just had the privilege of attending was fully subsidised by the two universities involved so the individual participants did not have to find any funds. Asking people around me how they had enjoyed the two days, there were mixed views "I've enjoyed today", "I have been to some really good sessions but one or two were not really worthwhile", and so on indicates that there is a lot of hit and miss in conference attendance. This conference was small and compact, no more than 3 concurrent sessions at any one time, so not too hard to make decisions. And a reasonable guarantee of a worthwhile audience. But all the person hours that have gone into this conference preparation and the funding behind it - is this the best way to promote interest and the development of teaching and learning? I have come away from the conference with a range of good ideas about activities that can be carried out in the classroom; I have a real sense of the need to be creative, not just in the classroom and with assignments, but in tackling all the issues which beset HE. I also heard some really interesting information about how our brains work in a way that is relevant to student learning (thanks to Terry Doyle and looking forward to his new book). So as my Assistant VC says "So long as you come away with 3 good ideas from a conference it has been worthwhile" I think she also considers the time for reflection, recovery, time out are really important aspects of conference attendance. I have come away feeling energised by creativity and the creative ideas of others - even tho I never seem to manage them for myself. But it is a much freer way to look at life and work and I'm sure would help lots of students if we could allow that flexibility into their classes and their work. I am particularly indebted to Beth Talbert for the inspiration. I am conscious that my hosts are in the process of putting huge amounts of time, energy and efforts into preparing for the STLHE conference and despite my question above, I do believe that these efforts are worthwhile and that the conversations over lunch and tea, at the end of sessions, during sessions and the sessions themselves do make going to conferences a positive developmental experience that would be hard to replicate in any other way. So long may the conference industry boom!

Today's photos: one of Detroit (to the left) and Windsor (to the right) from the Ambassador Bridge as we crawled over it yesterday. The return trip this evening went like clockwork with no holdup whatsoever - just like conferences you are never quite sure how it will turn out. The other photo is of Alan (Dr Alan Wright Vice-Provost Teaching and Learning at the Unviersity of Windsor) in full flow welcoming the delegates this morning.