Background
This post is a personal reflection on my experience as a member of a panel fielding questions from the participants on the topic of “Assessing Assessments” at the recent Reform Symposium virtual conference, #rscon3. Readers wanting to view the recording can find it by following this link .
On Being a Panelist
I had presented another session at #rscon3 earlier that day, and felt that my presentation had been workmanlike: some of the participants had gained something from it. But being a member of a panel meant that I had to move up a gear: I did not have the luxury of having a pre-prepared presentation to work from.
The panel members covered a broad range of subject areas, from languages to technology, with a similarly broad range of students from youth-at-risk to university entrants. What soon became apparent from the panelists’ responses was the unanimity of view on the points that they addressed in common. Each panelist also offered views on other points, thereby broadening the discussion.
Three of the panel members I have not met face-to-face, and I had only the occasional exchanges with them via Web 2.0. What soon became apparent to me as a panelist was the sense of teamwork that developed very rapidly between the panel members. I found this both comforting and wonderful. It was also a completely new experience for me, both in terms being a panel member, and in terms of the remarkable bonds that can develop through the medium of Web 2.0.
I listened to the recording of that session as I was planning this post. I found that my answers were delivered in a rather fragmented fashion as I was busily organising my thoughts around the questions of the moment. It was only when I was addressing points that I had previously thought through that my speaking became unbroken. How this came across to the participants I must leave to your imaginations.
Finally
The participants were very busy in the text chat, and appeared to engage well with the session as a whole. From a personal viewpoint, I found the session to be an exhilarating experience. “Thanks for the ride!”
Nice reflection, Phil!
Without hearing the recording to see how I sounded, I can only say how I felt. I have never participated in any kind of panel, so this was a new experience for me. I was a little nervous to start with as I am certainly not an expert in assessment and, like with most things related to education, I just draw on my 30 years of experience and the gut feelings that come as a result. Volunteering to talk first was a mistake as I suddenly felt under pressure. It seemed to me that I kind of babbled my way through that one! I was also thrown by having to answer a ‘group’ of questions at once and a bit confused by the overlap (partially due to exhaustion and jet lag!). Once I relaxed into it a bit and got to know the other panelists, I felt a bit more comfortable. Not sure about exhilarating, Phil, but it was an interesting experience. I’d probably do better next time, knowing what to expect, but I enjoyed it overall. And I have a new friend.
Ed,
Thanks for the comment.
Oh yes, the pressure! We have a difference of perception: I felt that your initial response was so slick I was wondering how I could match up to it.
Reading more of your comment helped me to realise that as panelists we are in a position of enormous power, and it behoves us to use that power wisely (as *you* did). That includes the power to duck questions which we do not feel competent to address. (I most certainly ducked one: “How can we manage assessments?”. I had not the faintest idea what the questioner meant!)
Anybody that does something for a first time is almost condemned (!) to do it better the second time.
And “Hello, friend!”. 🙂