As an alternative to programming concurrent sessions/presentations of completed research an Unconference offers a rotation of semi-structured breakout sessions for attendees to come together and actively participate in a discussion on topics important to you!
Topics will be presented either before the conference or at the start of the meeting and attendees will complete a voting/ranking which will determine the program for the sessions!
This Unconference process aims to promote engaging discussions, sharing of expertise and (hopefully) brings out solutions and synergies for the challenges you face as modern anatomy educators and scholars.
Four key aspects inherent to the Unconference:
1) Participant-Driven as the agenda is built by attendees votes and interests,
2) Collaborative & Interactive with break out sessions purposefully organized as round-table, problem-solving conversations with Subject Matter Experts acting as facilitators and/or guides,
3) Flexible & Spontaneous refers to the "Law of Two Feet which dictates that if the discussion doesn't resonate, then move freely too another one!
and most important
4) Inclusive as we value the contributions of all attendees and welcome diverse opinions, perspectives and experiences.
We have two placeholders for the Unconference breakout sessions in the weekend. The intention is to have 2-3 rotations on the first day and 1-2 rotations on the second day (as needed, based on the final attendee total and voting). Each breakout session will be 30-40 minutes in length, with a subject matter expert present to guide and provide input but the session is in the participants hand to share thoughts, ask questions and take the conversation in whatever direction the inspiration takes you!
We don't want to spoil any surprises in proposed topics, but we can say with certainty that the focus will remain largely on pedagogical practice and scholarly pursuits. However, think about the following 'big buckets' that you might want to share your thoughts or that you want to learn from others:
DEI in anatomy
Digital learning technologies
2D to 3D learning strategies
Making your own learning resources/collaboration
Wet lab vs Dry lab instruction
Student engagement
Assessment options for anatomy
Engaging in SOTL research
Mastering your topics