using social media to amplify academic events

Using Social Media to Amplify Academic Events

Lorna M. Campbelllorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk

What is event amplification?

“An amplified conference is a conference or similar event in which the talks and discussions at the conference are 'amplified' through use of networked technologies in order to extend the reach of the conference deliberations.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amplified_conference

Social media can be used to amplify• Audiences voices, discussion & debate

(Twitter, blogs).• Speakers and keynotes (audio & video

streams, Twitter, YouTube, Periscope, MediaHopper, liveblogs, sketchnotes).

• Slides (SlideShare, Prezi).• Conference outputs (Flickr, SlideShare,

YouTube, Storify, TAGS, tableau, reflective blogs, sketchnotes).

Why amplify an event?• To encourage audience engagement.• To encourage remote participation. • To enable wider participation and

public engagement. • To ensure your event is accessible. • To keep an archive of your event.• To add to your academic portfolio.• To encourage conversations to

continue after event.• To reflect on and analyse event

What kind of events benefit from amplification?

• Conferences.• Seminars.• Workshops. • Project launches.• Pretty much

anything!

Hashtags!“A hashtag is a type of label or metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashtag

Can be used across multiple channels (Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, blogs).

#EdinDS

#DigScholEd #DDI16

Choosing & using your hashtag• Keep it short, no spaces or

underscores, include date.• Check it’s not being used already.• Circulate well in advance.• Use hashtag to disseminate event,

e.g. CFPs, dates, registration info. • Use the hashtag to build up

community around event.• Don’t use multiple hashtags for

different conference strands. • Display hashtag on event website,

programmes, agenda, etc.

Using twitter to amplify events• Display hashtag prominently. • Remind participants to use it.• Invite questions for speakers

from remote participants on twitter.

• Consider having an official twitter live feed for keynotes, etc.

• Use speakers’ twitter handles, e.g. @lornamcampbell

• Twitter walls and fountains.Image credit: Luc Van Braekel, CC BY 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/5F6WfB

Beware the backchannel“Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside the primary group activity or live spoken remarks. The term "backchannel" generally refers to online conversation about the conference topic or speaker.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backchannel

Backchannel conversations may or may not use the hashtag.

Playful use of twitter for amplification• Add participants’ twitter

handles to name tags.• Use for games and social

activities. • All build community round

events.• Useful to engage remote

participants.• Natural Sciences

Collections Association #NatSCA2016 and #NatSciFashion

Livestreaming• Live film or audio broadcast of speakers.• Expected of major events. • Important for remote participation and public

engagement.• Think about cost and logistics. • Need to manage expectations.• May be institutional facilities available.• Periscope offers quick and dirty solution. • Requires media permissions. • Recorded streams can be shared on YouTube,

MediaHopper, etc.

Livestreaming

Image credit: Anna Page, CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/acpage/25944147414/in/album-72157665077094714/

Photography• Can use official photographer…• …or encourage all delegates to share

photographs. • Upload to Twitter, Flickr or Instagram.• Use the hashtag.• Not necessary to seek permission but..• …polite to ask• Allow participants to opt out of photographs.

Sketchnotes• Visual

representation of presentations.

• Another way to capture and disseminate information.

• Nice take away for speakers. Image credit: Bea de los Arcos,

https://twitter.com/celTatis/status/722797910304432128

Sketchnotes

Image credit: Beck Pitt, CC BY 2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/40959105@N00/sets/72157667593223021

Sharing Presentations• Ask presenters to upload to

SlideShare.• Can also use dedicated

conference account.• Ask permission to upload.• Tag presentations.• Can also use Prezi, Google

Slides, etc.• Particularly valuable for

keynotes.

Blogging• Live blogging – captures a

realtime transcript of talks and discussions.

• Reflective blogging – reflective blogs posted after presentations.

• Consider using volunteers to blog conference sessions.

• Set up dedicated conference blog.

• Use blog feeds to aggregate tagged post.

• Use the conference tag.

Archiving amplified events using Storify

• https://storify.com/ • Storify allows users to create stories or

timelines from social media. • Add content from Twitter, YouTube, Flickr,

Instagram, SoundCloud, etc. • Add links, comments annotations. • Share and embed stories. • Notify people named in the story.• Use the hashtag.

Storify Interface

#edDDI Storify

Social network analysis with Tableau

• https://public.tableau.com/• Visualise and share social network

data.

Image credit: Simon Thomson, https://twitter.com/digisim/status/730038722247458817, #nlc2016

Social network analysis with Tableau

Image credit: Simon Thomson, https://twitter.com/digisim/status/729743091658280960, #nlc2016

Archiving Twitter with TAGS & TAGSExplorer

• https://tags.hawksey.info/• Developed by Martin Hawksey. • Free and powerful.

TAGSExplorer #OER16

TAGSExplorer #OER16

Last but not least

• If you want your delegates to tweet, blog & share images make sure they have access to power and wifi.

• If you’re taking pictures, sit at the front.

• USE THE HASHTAG!

Activity

Create a Storify of the Day of Digital Ideas tweets.

https://storify.com/

Contact

Lorna M. CampbellOER Liaison – Open ScotlandUniversity of Edinburgh

lorna.m.campbell@icloud.com lorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk https://lornamcampbell.wordpress.com/ @lornamcambell

CC BY Lorna M. Campbell, unless otherwise indicated.