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Workshops Without Walls Integrating Technology, Organizations and People to Advance NASA ScienceEstelle Dodson and Marco BoldtMarch 12, 2011What are NASA Virtual Institutes?Institutes that study important NASA questions:NAI: What is the nature of life in the universe?NLSI: What is the science of the moon?NASA has formed these two institutions by virtually bringing together the best and brightest from around the world using technology.Research Team Distribution

Over 900 membersDistributed across more than 200universities, labs, research centers andorganizations throughout the country

Competitive grants, every 5 yearsTwo maps of the US with dots or names showing the location of the teams across the country.Its not just technology..TalkingOrganizingInteractingCommunicatingProblem solvingSharingFacilitatingCoordinatingCrossing DisciplinesListeningObservingConnectingTeachingRecommendingTrainingModeling BehaviorLeading Culture ChangeImplementationEvaluatingCollaborationTechnicalInfrastructure OrganizationalInfrastructure SocialInfrastructure a balance of centralization and autonomyTwo schematics with seven points forming a circle. In the first schematic, there is a center point that each outside point connects directly to, like spokes on a wheel. In the second schematic, there is not a center point, rather all the outside points connect to each other. In the beginningWhy would you want to use this half baked technology to replace something that is working perfectly well?

Uwe Rossbach, Michigan State University

11 years ofContinuous improvementListening to our usersReaching out to usersObserve, share and iterateSimplify, simplify, simplifyCulture change through behavior changeWorkshops Without WallsThe Organic Continuum from the Interstellar Medium to the Early SolarSystem180 registrants, 21 states, 16 countries, 33 science talksMolecular Paleontology and Resurrection: Rewinding the Tape of Life 552 registrants, 31 states, 30 countries, 29 science talks90 days from start to finishFirst was 2 days, second was 3 days and shorter9Flash Forward: All-Access ScienceSuddath Symposium: The Ribosome: Structure, Function and Evolution April 1-2 @ Georgia Tech300 unique log-ins

Paleobiology During the Genomics EraMay 12-13 @ J. Craig Venter Institute 159 unique log-ins

Image 1: screen shot showing the meeting agenda with an integrated Facebook chat streamImage 2: screen shot showing the Adobe Connect window from the meeting, Adobe Connect contains slides, video from presenter and a chat room10Rewinding the Tape of Life

31 States, 30 Countries

Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteUniversity of Hawaii

ARC showing 6 videocon sites

Carnegie Institution of WashingtonPhotos taken from 4 of the 8 participating videoconference rooms and videoconferencing auditorium. The photos show the scientists in the audience, the scientists speaking, the slides they are showing and the video from the other sites. 12

Carnegie Institution of Washington - AuditoriumCarnegie Institution of WashingtonInformal mealtime discussions at breakTechnical PhilosophyUse widely available COTS toolsActively participate from anywhere, any device.IOS, Android phones and tablets (or any device with an Adobe Flash player)Laptop and Desktop ComputersHD (and SD) Videoconferencing RoomsNear real-time posting of recordingsFocus should be on the meeting, not the technology!

Not less work, different work:

RolesScience OrganizersPresentersBloggersTechnical ProducerFacilitatorsAudience

Technical RequirementsSpeakers should be able to present from their home institution without travel.High Quality audio, and video (HD where possible)Very little or no processing of slides required.

Core Technologies We IntegrateAdobe Connect Online Meeting SoftwareHD h.323 Videoconferencing (Endpoints and MCU)Teleconferencing (POTS)Livestream (for overflow)

HD Videoconferencing

Image 1 (clockwise from top left): a screen shot showing 13 videoconferencing sites. Image 2: A cart based videoconferencing system. Image 3: a screen shot of the desktop based Mirial software that support videoconferencing standards. Image 4: a picture of a Polycom videoconferencing unit. Image 6: a picture of a Codian Multipoint Control Unit Server19User-Managed VideoconferencesNAIs Multi-point Control Unit (MCU) makes is possible to have up to 30 video connections at once in various configurations

For example 3 meetings linking 10 sites 6 meetings linking 5 sites, etc

Videoconferences can be managed through a web browser without assistance from NASA staff.

20Picture showing icons of each research team in a circle around the mulitpoint videocontrol unit that connects them all. Adobe ConnectNo download for most users- uses browsers flash plugin. App version available for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android. Customizable pods

Image 1: a screen shot showing Adobe Connect. Image 2: a screen shot showing Adobe Connects video capabilities with 16 desktop videocameras displayed.

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Tips for a successful meetingReserve conference rooms early (if used)Test technologies with all presenters sitesScreen sharingAudio and microphonesCamera placement and zoomWhat to expectCollect presentations in advance and distribute to all presenting sitesTips for a successful meeting (cont)Have a backup plan!Talk through backup/recovery plan with presenters and IT POCs during test run so they know what to expect during a glitch.Have backchannel communicationsTo communicate technical issues without interrupting conference.Monitor and adjust audioActively engage remote participants!

Challenges and lessons learnedTime zonesSchedulingAudioIsolated technical issues vs. globalValue in keeping everything in one-window2nd WWW Post-Workshop SurveyWhat did you like most about the workshop?people from diverse scientific backgrounds have gathered and shared their knowledge to tackle the same issueThe diversity of talks broad range of views... the variety of viewpoints and directionsEasy, fast, efficient exchange of knowledgeNo travel

What did you like least about the workshop?Hard to replace in-person discussionsThe lack of after-session mingling and discussionsProblems with the audioDifficult to give talks without in-person situational awarenessneeded more Q/A timeDid you find opportunities for collaboration?Yes: 33.8% (23)Maybe: 22% (15)No: 32.4% (22)N/A: 11.8%(8)Was this workshop useful to you? Very useful: 67.0% (71)Somewhat useful: 29.2% (31)Less useful: 3.8%(4)Would you attend another Workshop Without Walls?Yes: 97.5% (116)No: 2.5%(3)as a senior scientist, I normally can't spend the time at meetings or talks on topics in which I am interested. Once I get the hang of sitting in from my office on those talks, it will be incredible. As this becomes more and more common, I think the boost to science, and most other human endeavors, will be incalculable. I found things out in a few talks of which I was completely unaware.

I give it an AAA+++ rating. Thank you for making this possible.

Feedback from SurveysEducation Outreach with Live-ScienceI had to teach during most of the conferenceI did wow my 7th graders with a couple of minutes of a live science conference for the fun of it

This is great! I'm not in the educational world, but as a passionate amateur, I'm really grateful that you've given me the opportunity to listen in on this. Even if I only understand a tenth of it, that's a bunch of learning I would never have had the opportunity to do! Thanks!

NAI Central letter Leading the Charge to Virtual Meetings was published in the 11 February 2011 issue of Science

NAI letter was written in response to December 2010 letter Travel Trade-Offs for Scientists suggesting that scientists demonstrate new ways of doing business that dont contribute so substantially to climate change

NAI letter key pointsNAI successfully demonstrated a new paradigm with two NAI Workshops Without Walls in March and November 2010

Surveys indicated that 98% of participants would attend another such workshop

Virtual meetings are just the beginning: emerging technologies are enabling virtual workspaces of the futureA picture of the letter published in Science29Workshop Without Walls: Broadening Access to Science Around the WorldLook up citation PLoS BiologyAuthors: Betul Arslan, Eric Boyd, Wendy Dolci, Marco Boldt, Estelle Dodson, Carl PilcherProvides an overview of the methodology for hosting virtual science workshops, the challenges, benefits and lessons learned.

A photograph taken at the Workshop Without Walls showing a researcher in a conference room, a HD videoconferencing screen showing 10 other participating sites, and another screen showing shared slides in Adobe Connect. Another image on this slide is the Public Library of Science (PLoS) banner displayed vertically. 30SummaryCollaborative technologies are changing the way we workSuccess depends onEase of useIntegration of multiple technologiesUnderstanding your communityRapid response and iterative improvementPlanning, planning, planning

Questions, comments?

Marco Boldt, marco.boldt@nasa.govEstelle Dodson, estelle.dodson@nasa.gov