Nic Laycock's presentation at OnlineEduca Berlin 2013 on the power of the backchannel to expand learning beyond events.

1. THE POWER OF BACKCHANNELLING
Expanding Learning Beyond the
Event
Nic Laycock and Ollie Gardener

2. To join the back-channel, use
#oeb13 #bchannel
to follow, interact and tell
others about this presentation
Our twitter handles:
@alc47
@olliegardener

3. Backchannels
• A way of extending learning beyond a
live event.
• Using technology, especially social
media
Kate Graham – Ascot
Communications.com
@kategraham
Dave Kelly –
Programme Director,
eLearning Guild (USA)
@lnddave

4. A SPACE AND A PLATFORM CREATED FOR
Before - ENGAGEMENT
• Backchannel enables attendees to connect and get
to know one another.
• Enables sharing that starts conversations which
continue during the event.
During - INVOLVEMENT
• Attendees (and those following outside) share key
learning points
• Expand on learning by adding their own reflections
and related resources
After – SHARING AND SUPPORT
• People share reflections, learning and application of new
knowledge.
• On-going communities created to support learning

5. BACK – CHANNELLING
Extends the reach of a learning
event
• Within an organisation
• Publicly – maybe globally
Enables peer-peer learning
• Sharing of understanding
• Discussion
• Sharing resources
Speeds up learning rollout
• Simultaneous reach many people
Reduces learning costs
Improves learning quality
• Learner–centred – helps the learning culture
• Favoured learning methodology
• Allows wider expertise to be applied

6. THE CONFERENCE MODEL
#tag
Visual display
• 2nd projector in the conference
• Tweet boards in outside areas
Designated “Official back-channellers”
• Specific roles
• Identified to the back-channel
Curation of back-channel
• Storify what happened – presentation and the chat
• Publishing as a resource for others

7. POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
Trending on Twitter.
Create even greater
exposure and involvement
Development of new communities of practice
or learning communities
Development of a collaborative cyberspace for work
• Maybe using collaboration software such as
Wikis, blogs etc emerging from the back-channel
• Sharing of resources
• Sharing of learning
• Capturing insight

8. EXTENDING THE CONCEPT
Back-Channelling can be used to extend a learning
event – physical or virtual
Easiest example is a webinar
• Use proprietary software containing a chat
facility
• Extend further with an additional channel for
those not in the webinar
Create a blog, discussion group or
community for anyone engaged to post
comments
Curate and publish the event

9. TRICKS OF THE TRADE FOR THE
BACK-CHANNELLER
Use an app that automatically
loads the #tag – tweetchat.com
Prepare to set the context
• Publish the #tag and the tags of the official tweeters
• Obtain and publish – agenda, pictures, speaker bios
• Provide the background information for the session
Obtain links, stats, videos, etc the speaker intends to use
Get organised with shortcuts, abbreviations etc
that back-channel participants will recognise
Preload them for tweeting at the appropriate moment

10. TRICKS OF THE TRADE FOR
THE EVENT ORGANISER
Official back-channellers
Create a #tag list to
Make the back-channel a visual
part of the event
Match official back-channeller’s interests to
sessions – produce specific plan and publish in
advance
Embed a topical tweet-up into the event
programme
Let speakers, chairs etc know that backchannellers will be the mouthpiece of those not
present

11. TIPS OF THE TRADE - DURING THE
SESSION
Announce #tag and speaker`s
twitter handle
- both to the room and in the
backchannel
Back-channellers to:
• Introduce themselves
• Encourage back-channel to ask questions, comment
and interact
• Tweet and re-tweet
• Use prepared pictures, pre-loaded speaker bios, etc
• Encourage people to continue discussion in the
back-channel after the session is over

12. TIPS OF THE TRADE
– AFTER THE SESSION
Tweet out some summary points –
and a link to a curated resource
If the interest is there, build an online
community to stimulate further learning
Re-visit the session in the days and weeks
afterwards to stimulate further discussion
Encourage others not part of the original event or backchannel to join the discussion groups and communities
Get the speaker to join the back-channel after the
event

13. OUR HANDLES ARE:
Nic Laycock
• Twitter - @alc47
• Skype – nicc.laycock
Ollie Gardener
• Twitter - @olliegardener
• Skype – Olaug Gardener
Please continue the conversation –
the #tag for this session is #bchannel