 |
Workshop
Format
In
keeping with the spirit and format of a workshop, USE will have
a highly discursive nature, with different theme-based discussion
tracks. All invited participants will be able to present their work.
There will be plenty of time for discussion of presentations and
subsequent discussions in small focus groups.
For
the exact distribution of presentations and working groups over
the two days please see the workshop programme.
Topics
for Working Groups
Participants
are encouraged to make in advance suggestions for working groups.
Please send such suggestions to use2003@joint.org,
so everyone can comment if (s)he wants.
Structured
Presentation and Discussion
In order to enable maximum interaction and constructive feedback
the presentation and discussion of papers will be structured as
follows:
- Presentation
(10 minues)
- The author
gives a short presentation, focusing on the "best"
part of the paper, or the most challenging one. We limit the
presentation to a strictly timed 10 minutes, so please don't
give lengthy introductions or summaries. If you concentrate
on the essential messages, you will be amazed how much information
you can fit into 10 minutes.
In the
presentation, the author should name the issues he/she wants
to be discussed in the following. They can range from the
paper's organization and presentational qualities to the actual
ideas behind the paper, depending on the maturity of the paper
or how the authors intend to proceed with it after the workshop.
- Discussion
while author is "fly on the wall" (15 minutes)
- After
the presentation, the author becomes a "fly on the wall".
This means that he/she steps outside of the group, listens to
the ongoing conversations and takes notes. The author is not
being talked to by the rest of the group (they say "the
author states...", not "you state..."), nor does
he/she respond to questions or explain unclear issues. (After
all, the paper and its ideas should stand on their own.)
The discussion
between the rest of the group is structured as follows.
- Summary.
One or two participants summarize the paper and point out
the main messages from their perspective.
- Positive
feedback. All participants exchange their views on the
positive aspects of the paper and/or its ideas, with respect
to topic, presentation, practical relevance, impact on research,
etc.
- Suggestions
for improvement.
The participants make suggestions on how to improve the
paper or how to proceed with the work in general. It is
possible to make critical statements, but always with the
goal of improvement in mind. Again, all aspects can be taken
into account.
- "Sandwich".
The last round of discussion consists again of positive
remarks. It should encourage the author to build further
on the good parts of his/her work.
- Discussion
with author (5 minutes)
- The author(s)
returns to the group. Now, he/she has the opportunity to ask
questions for clarification and to initiate further discussions
that he/she wants to participate in.
- Goodbye
- All participants
applaud the author(s) for his/her accomplishment. Afterwards,
someone tells a joke or a totally unrelated anecdote.
Even though
some of this steps may seem strange at first, experience shows that
in concert, all these steps contribute to a very constructive atmosphere.
The authors gain valuable feedback for their work and are encouraged
to further elaborate on its positive side.
For
the two "short presentations" at the end of the
first day (see workshop programme) the procedure is essentially
the same but the total time is just 15 instead of 30 minutes (each
block is just half as long).
Read
papers in advance!
In order to
give yourself and your fellow participants a chance to make the
most of these two days, it is extremely important to read most
papers in advance carefully. Please make notes about what things
you like about each paper, and what can be improved in your opinion.
The discussions will heavily benefit from doing so.
|
