On November 7 th, 2003, we held the NTC International Media Literacy Forum via videoconference at The Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The forum spanned nine time zones, from Seattle, Washington to London, England. Over 300 people participated in this event that included five interactive sites, four one-way sites, and individuals on computers around the world, from as far away as Paris, Pakistan, and Japan. The event was the beginning of a yearlong observance of the 50th Anniversary of the National Telemedia Council and Telemedium, the Journal of Media Literacy. We based the forum format on media literacy issues and ideas published outlined in our new anthology Visions/Revisions: Moving Forward with Media Education. Feedback on the event validated that it was an overwhelming success, both effective and inspiring. It will serve as a blueprint for our organization. We now plan to create videoconferencing forums as component parts of all of our written publications to extend the impact of our work through conversation, interaction, and meaningful learning.
Introduction
As a celebration of the National Telemedia Council’s (NTC) 50 th Anniversary, our organization could have spent the day looking back, but our spirit is to look forward. We wanted to create a living version of our journal, bringing to life the ideas of the many minds who have contributed to progress in media literacy. We wanted to convene the pioneers, the practitioners, the researchers, as well as the leaders of tomorrow to lay a foundation for the future of media literacy. On November 7 th, 2003, we held the NTC International Media Literacy Forum which spanned nine time zones, from Seattle, Washington to London, England.Over 300 people participated in this video conference at five interactive sites, four one-way sites, and on individual computers around the world, from as far away as Paris, Pakistan, and Japan. The forum was the culmination of a yearlong institute including: the ground-breaking issue on Media Literacy and the Arts, forging an important new connection, and NTC's first ever book, Visions/Revisions: Moving Forward with Media Education. This anthology which encompasses the most current thinking by some of the top media literacy authors in the world also formed the structure for the live event.
The exciting presence of The Pyle Center in Madison, Wisconsin was a key inspiration for our organization to use a spectrum of technologies for this event. It made possible and expanded the reach and participation for this burgeoning, global field of media literacy. We never would have been able to bring together the global experts, nor the participants at each site and around the world without the technology available and the reasonable cost of implementing it. And key to the whole enterprise was the guidance in designing, scheduling, and technical support of the Instructional Communications Systems (ICS) staff and personnel.
Description of Process
As a result of a presentation about the potential of new technologies as a global platform at The Pyle Center, we were inspired to explore the idea for our 50 th Anniversary. With nearly two years of preparation, there was time to combine and build the event on our yearlong Institute. The process of designing this virtual experience was new to all of us and required a different approach. The dynamics of collaboration within our planning committee helped us to focus on the critical elements that would make this a successful event.
A key element was balancing the technical capabilities, the limitations of time, and the plethora of experts we had at our disposal. Shaping the event required structuring and restructuring, as time and space allowed. Once we focused the content around the four topics of our anthology, we were able to choose authors to be presenters, but were limited by locations and time zones. We wanted locations that were already centers of media literacy learning and would draw participants. We also tried to cover as broad a geographical representation as possible, spanning the West Coast, the Midwest, the East Coast, Canada, and England. Australia and New Zealand are major centers for media literacy, but because of the time difference, could not be included live. However, because of their intense interest, they sent slides, which were incorporated into one of the sessions.
Once locations were decided upon, we identified three contacts at each location and defined their roles and responsibilities: the guest presenters who would speak to the topic, the site coordinators who would facilitate the local event, and the technical staff who were responsible for the video connections. At times, people played dual roles, but what was most important was clear communication among all involved. In addition to the five interactive sites, we provided the opportunity to up to five more sites to observe, but interact via email. The event was also streamed live on the web to allow individuals to join us from their desktop. One of our committee members at The Pyle Center monitored the email activity, responding and sharing as appropriate. The streaming was also archived for access at a later date as well as burned to a DVD for posterity. Keeping all of the contacts involved and informed was an ongoing challenge.
The program was divided into four one-hour sessions interspersed with breaks and lunch. The four topics were:
Welcoming the New Media and Digital Culture
Testing the Limits of Democracy
Media Education Theory and Practice
Media Education around the World
These topics were outlined in our anthology, which was published several months in advance. In addition, each registered participant received a packet of materials to provide background information and resources to enrich the discussions.
An important role in the program was the day’s moderator who welcomed everyone, maintained protocol, introduced participants from the various locations, and facilitated the question and answer sessions. In addition, each session had a specific moderator who introduced the topic and the panelists. The site coordinators facilitated audience questions when their site was called upon. The tight and complex scheduling of the day’s format required coordination and practice. Two weeks prior to the event we had a technical rehearsal to test the connections with each site and complete a run through of the format for the actual event. The day before the event, we set up a mock dress rehearsal connecting several rooms within The Pyle Center so the moderator could practice. The flow of the event was enhanced by the use of original music and slides for introductions and transitions. Care was also taken with the look of the set at each location. Clear identification of each site was important for recognizing where we were and who was speaking.
Results
We estimate that over 300 people attended our International Forum, although the attendance cannot be accurately documented due to the nature of the technology. The capacity of the room at each site set a limit for these locations. We asked people to register online for participation at the five interactive sites, but because of the differences in organization at each site, we also allowed the site coordinators to handle their own registration procedures. This was also true at the one-way sites. Individuals joining us at their own computers were invited to let us know they were watching; however, there was no way to monitor this portion of the audience. We considered this loose attendance as an advantage as it allowed for a great deal of freedom and freed us to focus on the programming rather than worry about attendance.
Underlying the whole project was the ability to carry out this ambitious international, first-of-its-kind event at a remarkably low cost of $5,294 total. Of that amount, $3,635 was absorbed by several of the institutions hosting the sites around the world. These in-kind donations and contributions made the difference in our organization’s ability to realize this dream. Compare this to the cost of just a national conference, which can have a budget of over $300,000, forcing the attendees to have to pay hefty registration fees and travel expenses. We were able to offer participants face-to-face access to the world’s most prestigious experts in the field at an incredibly low price.
Complementing the main videoconference event, each site also had the opportunity to schedule individualized pre- and post-activities, depending on the time of day available. For example, Seattle scheduled a luncheon and an afternoon debriefing for its participants. In Madison, NTC was also celebrating its 50 th anniversary, so after the forum, we held a reception with invited dignitaries in The Pyle Center’s beautiful Alumni Lounge.
To evaluate the effectiveness of the forum, we sent out an email questionnaire to all who participated, from the leaders to the listeners. We knew we were doing something experimental and hoped to forge new ground in using new technology, both as a means of using the media to teach and teaching to use the media. We had participants who were totally receptive and well versed in using this technology, while for others it was new and they were not yet comfortable with it. This was a part of our expectations. Our goal was to get this process started and to begin building effective practices for the future. From the comments we received and our own evaluations, we believe that this event was an overwhelming success. What began as a somewhat formal exchange melded into a lively interactive discussion by the afternoon. One of our participants expressed this sentiment so well: "We began in separate rooms miles apart and by the end of the day the walls disappeared and I felt as if we were in one room."
Lessons Learned
First and foremost, it can be done! When you have a vision and a purpose for a meaningful way to communicate in the 21 st Century, the distance education approach can be effective and inspiring. We struggled through the planning process because we did not understand this clearly at the beginning. However, the staff and personnel at The Pyle Center gave us the needed guidance, and our committee was willing to meet the challenges of good instructional design.
We knew that our subject was very broad, taking on the major issues facing the field of media literacy. This would have been taxing enough for a conventional conference over several days. Challenging five sites to cover so much in a limited timeframe required us to plan carefully and create a scripted structure. We had to require that world renowned experts condense a lifetime of work into a five minute presentation. Even more restricted was the time for responses and questions to allow as many people as possible a chance to speak. The structure, while necessary, was frustrating to some. Given the same circumstances, however, we would do it again. In future forums of the National Telemedia Council, we will be able to afford more narrow subject focus and appropriately a more flexible format.
This first most ambitious international forum has served as a blueprint for our organization and it is our intention to build in videoconferencing forums with all of our written publications as a way to extend the impact of our work through conversation, interaction, and meaningful learning.
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Last updated May, 2006