Encountering New Information and Perspectives: Constructing Knowledge in Conference Contexts

Enhancing postgraduate learning and development: a participatory action learning and action research approach through conferences

“…We recognise conferences to be a valuable and mostly under-appreciated space for this growth and development, personally and professionally, through PALAR. Yet we have found, and literature confirms (Haley, Wiesner and Robinson 2009;Nel and de Beer 2004), that most conferences do not present an optimal learning and development environment for postgraduates as emerging researchers. Postgraduate students tend to be overawed by 'expert' researchers (who often simply present their students' work), making these students too nervous to engage in deep learning as they wait anxiously for their turn to present, 'to get it over and done with'.…”

Learning and interaction at a conference

“…The “natural” place to look for empirical data on learning at conferences would be evaluation reports (e.g., Hameister, ). Indeed, the last few years have seen the development of a new conference evaluation model, tentatively termed “new learning” by its authors, Chapman and colleagues (, ; Haley et al, ; Hatcher et al, ; Storberg‐Walker et al, ). Following this model, conference evaluations should be directed toward the learner, toward the future, toward the “why and how”, and in addition should be focused on collaboration – all in contrast to classical evaluation models.…”

Learning to be reflective leaders: A case study from the NCCHC Hispanic leadership fellows program

“…Qualitative analysis of these data forms indicated that during the training seminars the Fellows constructed new knowledge about leadership, the community college presidency, the community of practice (Hispanic presidents) into which they were being invited, and themselves as leaders. They also exhibited the intention to apply their learning in current and future jobs and were better able to picture themselves in the presidency (Haley, Wiessner, and Robinson, 2009;Wiessner and Sullivan, 2007).…”