1. Knowledge Creation at the Learning Conference

Ib Ravn, Ph.D.ravn@lld.dk Learning Lab Denmarkwww.lld.dk

ECKM 2004, Paris September 30 – October 1, 2004

2. Research Project at Learning Lab DK: ”The learning meeting"

• Better conferences: Research and development

• Partners: Danske Bank, Rezidor SAS + 2 hotels

• Danish Ministry of Economics financing

• 18 months, 4 meeting types, total of 32 events

• Experiment with new and participative formats

• 3 goals: Publishable knowledge, competence development, business opportunities

3. The Typical Professional Conference

• One-way communication: 6-10 PP pres./day

• Attendees are passive

• Only questions allowed

• If groups: discussions unfocused, unimportant

• Networking only in breaks

• Learning philosophy: Learning is verbal transfer of knowledge. Full/empty container.

4. Conferences in the Knowledge Society

• Smart attendees with projects of their own

• They want to talk and meet other attendees

• Learning philosophy: People strive to realize their potentials and projects, to flourish.

• Acquiring knowledge helps people flourish.

• At the good conference, people meet, inspire and learn from each other. They co-flourish.

5. Principles for Co-Flourishing at the Learning Conference

1. Conference must further attendees’ purposes

2. Expert input must be concise and provocative

Organizers must provide:

3. Processes that make attendees interpret the input in light of their own concerns

4. Processes for attendees to tell their stories and network with each other

6. Some Techniques for Knowledge Creation at Conferences

• Paper reflection: Put down your thoughts

• The humming dyad: Talk to your neighbor

• Facilitated group work

• Plucking: Selective feedback from group work

• You have won two consultants, free of charge

• The knowledge exchange

• Lunch with masking tape

7. Assignment for a Humming Dyad

• What have you been inspired to do differently in a future conference?

1. Reflect in silence for X minutes

2. Find someone you don’t know and share your answers.

• Plenary plucking