The document provides information and instructions for conference organizers on how to use Cloudworks, an online collaboration tool, to set up a "Cloudscape" to support their event. It covers registering an organizer profile, setting up the Cloudscape homepage and adding "Clouds" (discussion forums), promoting the Cloudscape through emails, Twitter and making it a featured listing, and moderating contributions. Examples of how to structure Clouds are given for different size and type events.

1. Using Cloudworks at conferences and events
Information for Conference Organisers
Setting up a conference Cloudscape
Contents table
Why use Cloudworks rather than a different tool to support your event?...............1
Step 1 Register and set up profile............................................................................2
Step 2 Set up a Cloudscape......................................................................................3
Step 3 Adding Clouds..............................................................................................3
Step 4 Promoting and moderating your Cloudscape................................................5
Becoming a featured Cloudscape.........................................................................................5
Emails and publicity materials..............................................................................................5
Using Twitter to promote the event more widely................................................................5
Why use Cloudworks rather than a different tool to support your event?
Cloudworks is an excellent way of engaging event participants in key themes prior to
the start of the programme, providing a space for discussion, resources, links and
references during a conference and persists as a space for ongoing reflection and
engagement after the conference has finished.
The following are good examples of conference or event Cloudscapes:
• DesignBash 2009
• CALRG 2009 Conference
• The Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning
Conference
The functionality of Cloudworks compares very well with other tools that are
commonly used at conferences (see below) but the site has the added benefit of
having an existing and thriving community of people passionate about education.
We believe that Cloudworks does three things better than other sites:
• Facilitates open, cross-group discussion, collaboration and knowledge
creation.
• Aggregates discussion, slideshows, videos, related links, papers and academic
references all in one place.
• Creates an archive of the event that people can use to reflect, and continue
to develop emerging themes and ideas.
Key terms: Cloudscape: a home page for the event or conference

2. Using Cloudworks at conferences and events
Information for Conference Organisers
(see http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/1963/all/5#clouds-in-cloudscape for
an example)
 Favourite the Cloudscape
 Follow the Cloudscape
 Add dates (and the Cloudscape will appear in events listing)
 Mark as attending (for Cloudscapes with dates) – for entirely online
conferences this function can be used for registration.
 RSS feed
 View Cloudstream
 Add tags
 Add Clouds cont...
 Sort Clouds into sections (where there are a lot of Clouds in a Cloudscape
they can be sorted into categories under tabs. For a conference this might be
by day, theme, type of Cloud etc)
 Upload a picture
 Add a Twitter feed
Key terms: Cloud: for discussion, sharing and debate around a keynote, workshop,
paper or theme.
(see http://cloudworks.ac.uk/index.php/cloud/view/2754 for an example)
 Favourite the Cloud (for bookmarking and recommending to others)
 Follow a Cloud (and receive email updates any time something is added)
 Have a discussion
 Embed a video, image, slideshow (from any of 5min Amazon Product Images
Flickr Google Video Hulu Imdb Metacafe Qik Revision3 Slideshare Twitpic
Viddler Vimeo Wikipedia WordPress YouTube )
 Add a link
 Recommend a link (i.e. vote for a link that someone else has added)
 Add an academic reference
 Add tags
Step 1 Register and set up profile
Consider setting up a conference or event organiser profile instead of using your
personal profile. This will help you differentiate between your role in organising the
event or conference and your role as participant. If you do decide to do this please
note that you will have to use a different email address to the one used for your
personal profile.
When you set up your new profile you will be asked for the name of the institution
or organisation, a Twitter name, an email address and your ‘interests’ (in the case of
the conference this will be focus and themes). Try to fill as much of this in as possible
as it will help people find you and hear about the event.

3. Using Cloudworks at conferences and events
Information for Conference Organisers
Use a picture that is recognisable to conference or event goers - perhaps a logo or a
picture of the building where the event will be held.
Step 2 Set up a Cloudscape
Setting up your Cloudscape well in advance of the event ensures that the URL can be
used on publicity materials. An event Cloudscape is just like any other but used in a
different way. From the home page click on the Events tab at the top of the page and
you will see a list of upcoming events, and on the right a beige support box. In this
box you will see a link which says create a cloudscape. Click on this.
Title: Enter the title of the Conference and in the summary box add the venue and
dates.
Description: The description section of your Cloudscape will probably include the
following:
• A short description of the conference - title, focus, venue etc
• A hyperlink to the conference website
• Hyperlinks to other relevant webpages (i.e. multimap)
• An outline of the conference timetable
• Contact information
• A link to a TwapperKeeper archive (where Twitter is being used)
Using html: If you are confident in using html (or know someone who is) you can edit
the text by clicking on the html button at the top of the Description text box. This
way you can add anchors so that visitors can navigate more easily around a longer
description, and use different heading colours and fonts etc to structure the page.
Adding tags: Tags will help people find your Cloudscape, so choose 3 or 4 which you
think represent the event well (these may match your profile ‘interest’ tags)
If you add a #tag in the Twitter tag box, any Twitter activity which includes your tag
will be streamed down the right hand side of your Cloudscape.
Dates: Add the start and end date of your event, and the location. Your event will
now automatically appear in the Event listings.
Click on ‘Create Cloudscape’
Step 3 Adding Clouds
Before you start adding Clouds to your Cloudscape take time to consider how you
would like to structure them - this will depend on your event and there is no right or
wrong way of doing it. Please note that Clouds will appear in alphabetical/ numerical
order so take case to title them so that they appear in the order you want them to!

4. Using Cloudworks at conferences and events
Information for Conference Organisers
We recommend that, where possible, conference organisers set up ‘placeholder’
Clouds for each item and then encourage presenters to take responsibility for
organising, maintaining and promoting their Cloud. This ensures that presenters
only add what they are happy sharing, and we have noticed that where more
ownership is given to contributors, Clouds are better used and richer in content and
discussion. To do this you will need to ask presenters to register on Cloudworks and
then give them administration rights to the Cloud (click on ‘Permissions’ on the right
of your Cloudscape and then use the ‘search users’ box; once your presenter’s
profile is found, click on ‘add as admin’. See the link to a word document with
support information for presenters – please download and amend as appropriate.
You will also need to decide whether you want to allow others to add additional
Clouds to your Cloudscape. If you decide against this click on ‘Permissions’ on the
right of your Cloudscape and then on ‘make Cloudscape closed’.
Examples:
1 day workshop: consider setting up Clouds around topics such as:
• Introduction (including aims, outcomes and plan)
• Activities
• Groups
• Themes or discussions (one for each)
• Evaluation
Example
1 day conference: consider setting up Clouds around topics such as:
• Agenda or programme
• Keynotes (one for each)
• Presentations (one for each)
• Workshops
• Posters
• Blogs and reflections
Example
Multi-day or large conferences: set up Clouds as for smaller conferences, but use
the ‘Sections’ tab function to further categorise these for easier navigation. For
example you may create tabs for day 1, day 2 etc or individual tabs for Keynotes,
presentations, workshops, papers, posters etc.
To use the ‘sections’ function, set up all the Clouds you want to then click on
‘Manage sections’ on the right of your Cloudscape page. Click on ‘add a section’ to
add new sections and then click on ‘Add Clouds to a section’. This is very easy to do

5. Using Cloudworks at conferences and events
Information for Conference Organisers
and prevents the problem of an endless and overwhelming list of Clouds on your
Cloudscape!
Example (see the tabs at the top of this hyperlink view)
Step 4 Promoting and moderating your Cloudscape
If your Cloudscape is to be successful then you will need to allow time for someone
to promote it (i.e. using email, Twitter etc) and then encourage people to contribute
(by asking and answering questions, thanking contributors and adding links,
references and comments yourself). Once the Cloudscape has taken off you will
need to do less of this but it is very important at the beginning.
Becoming a featured Cloudscape
If you would like your Cloudscape to become featured on the front page, please
make your request by email to cloudworks@open.ac.uk and please make your image
as close to 256 × 192 pixels as possible.
Emails and publicity materials
Ideally include the URL for your Cloudscape in all publicity material. This gives people
a chance to find out about the space and explore. If this is not possible then it will be
very important to inform people at the event. Delegates will need to know how to
use it and a link to a delegate information document can be found on the right of
this page. Please download and amend it as required. It is especially important to
ensure as far as possible that delegates are aware that the site is open to all before
they begin to contribute.
Using Twitter to promote the event more widely
Approximately 15% of traffic on Cloudworks comes through referrals from Twitter,
for events and conferences the percentage is likely to be significantly more. Once
you have set up your Cloudscape, tweet the URL out to your followers from time to
time before, during and after your event. Ask others to retweet it.