Professional society conferences provide an important mechanism for radiologists to experience the latest advances in the field by attending an array of scientific and educational talks over the course of the meeting. However, radiologists may value the “hallway” conversations, as well as other networking and collaboration opportunities in between formal scheduled events, more than the events themselves . Such dialogs that arise informally among attendees encourage an open exchange of ideas, focused on those ideas that individuals find of greatest personal relevance and without being bound by the relatively fixed content of prearranged sessions . As potential educational platforms that encourage learner participation and flexibility of content (such as wikis, blogs, and crowdsourced discourse) become increasingly prevalent, conference attendees may likewise experience an increasing desire, if not expectation, to be able to tailor meeting content to reflect that which is considered to be most pertinent to one’s own educational interests . Indeed, a recent study reported a marked increase in the use of the microblogging network Twitter at the Radiological Society of North America annual meeting between two consecutive years .
The “unconference” (unconventional conference) crystallizes participant-driven exchange as a verifiable component of organized meetings, with potentially far greater impact than when such exchanges simply take place on a limited, ad hoc, basis . No strict definition or criterion exists for what comprises an unconference, which is inherently flexible in format. Nonetheless, a number of themes help distinguish an unconference from a traditional conference event. In comparison with standard sessions, unconferences typically have no prearranged formal speakers (i.e., no keynote or plenary addresses) nor panelists, PowerPoint presentations, or even a detailed agenda . Rather, the unconference provides an open and largely unstructured forum for spontaneous participant-led dialog . Critically, any attendee is able to introduce a discussion on a topic of one’s choice. Accordingly, the participants are the ones who create the agenda, deciding upon themes through their own input and active participation . In this sense, the group that is present truly drives the session through its own free-flowing conversation. Although there is an absence of formal speakers or presentations, a facilitator generally serves to help guide the session from a logistical standpoint. The facilitator encourages active participation from a wide range of participants, ensuring that the session is not dominated by a limited number of loud voices.
The power of the unconference derives from its giving session participants a designated opportunity to speak and, hence, a greater voice at the meeting . An environment is established in which participants can comfortably engage and exchange ideas with colleagues of different backgrounds, interests, and career stages. By removing barriers, this approach provides participants with access to a greater range of potential collaborators with whom to network and brainstorm . Senior and junior faculty, as well as trainees, who may have otherwise interacted largely with their own peers, are placed in a setting in which interactions between groups may become more natural and relationships that extend beyond the meeting may be forged. Similarly, individuals with differing backgrounds and areas of expertise may become more likely to exchange ideas . By fostering such synergies, the unconference may inspire innovations and new lines of thinking among attendees .
This participant-driven approach to conference sessions is reflected in the Open Space Technology framework developed in the 1980s . However, the unconference label itself was first used to describe a technical conference in the 1998 . Subsequently, unconferences greatly increased in popularity in the 2000s, initially gaining footing within programming, engineering, and technology forums . More recently, unconferences have been applied in other fields, including business and law . Relevant to this current article, the Radiology Research Alliance (RRA) affinity group of the Association of University Radiologists (AUR) incorporated a 1-hour unconference within its programming at the AUR annual meetings in 2014 and 2015, each facilitated by a coauthor of this article. These two unconferences loosely were devoted to issues in radiological research, but otherwise had no set agenda or topics. Attendees ranged from medical students to departmental chairs. Discussed topics included avenues for increasing the patient-centeredness of radiological research, new models for cross-institutional collaboration and mentoring, approaches for encouraging the clinical translation and widespread application of published research found within radiology journals, and the most likely major trends in radiological research in the coming decade.
The range of topics discussed, as well as degree of exchange among participants, was encouraging. Nonetheless, as a result of these early experiences, lessons were learned regarding improving the unconference for future radiological meetings:
(1) Although the session is unstructured, venue-related logistics remain an important consideration . The environment should engender a casual tone that fosters group interactions. For instance, large conference rooms in which traditional talks by designated speakers are delivered from a podium should be avoided. In addition, the layout should discourage attendees from sitting in a scattered fashion, which may isolate some individuals from the rest of the group. Rather, a more informal setting, for example one in which participants sit around a table or within closely arranged seats, is more effective. In addition, proper audiovisual support should be confirmed in advance. Based on the authors’ experience, having at least two mobile microphones (one for the facilitator and one for participants) is beneficial. A whiteboard or flip chart for recording of ideas and topics suggested by participants may also help in keeping track of a potentially rapidly shifting discourse. Finally, serving food and beverages can help maintain the informal conversational atmosphere of the session.
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