ECE 2011

I will write a more substantial reflection on ECE2011 but I just wanted to capture something of this wonderful event in a few words and pictures before my day out at Chatsworth with @courosa and @heloukee.

I was far too busy to take more than few photos with my iphone but these two images capture for me two of the important aspects of ECE 2011 –

first the team work (others were in the audience clapping),

and second the support for authors’ development of their work  in our publication workshop.

What these pictures don’t capture was the richness of the experience for delegates but the following responses to a Tweet asking for one word to sum up ECE2011 do that pretty well:

Jane_Mooney                 Engaging

DavidCRoberts:             whenisthenextconference

cristinacost            superb!

IleneDawn            convivial

lightb4sound            Inspiring

rbw66            engrossing

ConnectIrmeli            awareness

catherinecronin            connect

francesbell            Exhilirating

bunhill            diverseloquent

CosmoCat            Inspiring

ChrisNewm            energizing

DavidCRoberts             http://twitpic.com/5mzt5m

SueFolley            thought-provoking

chrissinerantzi            fruitful

lindacq            Reflection

AleksejHeinze            WOW!!!

_Tasha__            reflections

courosa            Ricardo

gemturfer            amazing

fredgarnett            networked

mariakutar            exhilarating

courosa             Brilliant

torresk            Inspiring

BenGuilbaud             Inspirational

First Day of ECE2011

I am sitting here reflecting on the first day of ECE2011 at University of Salford and feeling slightly dazed to be honest.   Much of the day was taken up with registration, keynotes and panels: and these were very valuable.  Martin Hall situated us in the current UK HE context (more of his ideas here), Glynis Cousins gave us a masterly account of a research project, simultaneously exposing us to a delightfully different approach to research.

The panel session was broad-ranging and participative, tying the ideas of creativity into the current HE context.

However, for me, the highlight of the day was the session I chaired for the last 90 minutes of the day (Paper Session 1 here).  I have worked on the research papers strand of the conference since at least May 2010 (according to dates on my filestore).  Initially I had modest expectations of the quantity and quality of papers we could expect (since this is the first ECE conference where we have called for full papers) but these have been exceeded massively.  Today, the first eight of the 31 full research papers accepted were presented, four in the session I chaired.  The room was full, the presentations were excellent and the discussion was wide-ranging and challenging.

It was a very sweet moment to realise that the quality of the content we had already observed was exceeded by the reality of its performance at the conference.  As my co-editor of the full papers, Moira McLoughlin observed in our editorial “the meaning of conference is ‘meeting for consultation or discussion’ or ‘an exchange of views’ “.  Well, let me tell you, the first paper session had real exchange of views, as I am sure the other five paper sessions do too.

I heard that the Pecha Kucha session went very well so I can retire to bed happy that our authors and delegates have another two days inspiring, being inspired and learning – I know that I will.

Bring on Day 2!