With a fully online meeting this year, the format will be different than in years past. Included below is additional information as to how various aspects of the meeting will be structured. If you have any questions don't hesitate to contact Dr. Kevin Flaherty (kmf4 at williams dot edu).
Synchrounous vs Asynchronous: The Talk and Poster sessions include both synchronous and asynchronous components. The purpose of this dual format is to accomodate the various circumstances and challenges that we face during this pandemic. Some attendees may be able to watch all of the talks, while some may only be able to drop in on a Slack discussion once or twice a week. This format is designed to allow the greatest number of participants, regardless of circumstances that are beyond our control.
During the meeting there will be two presentation sessions, both of which will take place over Zoom. Individual presenters will have 8 minutes for their talk, plus four minutes for questions. Group presenters will have 12 minutes for their talk, plus four minutes for questions. One faculty moderator will be keeping track of the time, while a second faculty moderator will handle the questions.
During the talk, procedural questions may be entered into the chat window and will be read by the moderator. After the talk, questions may be entered into the chat window, where they will be read by the moderator, or you can use the Raise Hand feature, found under the Participants tab next to your name, to ask a live question. Each talk will also have its own Slack channel to provide for discussion before or after the meeting.
Prior to the meeting there will be a practice talk session, in which presenters can log into Zoom and test their setup. This can include testing your internet connection, the ability to present over Zoom, any animations in your slides, etc. Keep an eye on your email for more details.
Presenting over Zoom:
Poster presentations will include both a live and an asynchronous component. Prior to the meeting, titles and abstracts for each poster will be posted to the KNAC meeting poster page. Where possible (check with your advisor!) the poster itself will also be posted online so that others can read it over before the meeting. Separate Slack channels will be set up for each poster, allowing for people to ask questions throughout the week preceding the meeting. Poster presenters are encouraged to regularly monitor their Slack channel prior to the conference to address any questions.
During the meeting there are two poster sessions, and in these sessions poster presenters will enter the Google Meet rooms set up for each poster. Students and faculty will then be able to enter these rooms to ask questions of the presenter. Presenters can display a copy of their poster, or one to two slides containing key results (i.e. figures) while in the virtual room.
The poster itself should be a PDF file that, in a normal year, would be printed off and displayed during an in-person poster session. This year we are merely skipping the printing and in-person session. Your poster should, if it were to be printed, fit within a 44" by 44" area.
Technical difficulties are a part of life, and may occur during the meeting. Most often the solution is to simply log out and log in again. In case of extended issues, the procedure is:
If you are presenting and lose the connection: We will wait 5 minutes for you to reconnect. If you are unable to reconnect in this time, we will move on to the next speaker. Once you reconnect we will give you time to finish up your presentation.
If the host (i.e., me) has an issue: If I am unable to restart the meeting after ~10 minutes, I will send out an email to the faculty, who will forward it to the students. You are welcome to email me (Dr. Kevin Flaherty, kmf4 at williams dot edu) if you run into any issues when trying to connect to the meeting.
Here is a collection of KNAC and Williams themed virtual backgrounds that you are welcome to use during the meeting.
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Zoom bingo! Below are bingo sheets that you can use during the meeting, while you are watching the talks. There are absolutely no prizes for winning bingo, but such is life.
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