This episode unpacks the concept of unconferences, dynamic participant-driven gatherings, and their history rooted in the 1990s. Andrew shares his experiences with unconferences, highlighting their impact on AI and education, including real-world examples of collaboration and innovation. Listeners are invited to imagine new possibilities for fostering human agency in an AI-driven world.
AI-Andrew
Okay, so Iām just gonna come right out and say itāPatrik, how did we not cross paths earlier? I mean, was it fate, coincidence, or just the fact that I got knocked out by the flu right before one of the Berghs AI unconferences?
Patrik Berghs
Well, Andrew, Iād like to think it was meant to be. And, you know, thereās something poetic about you missing a conference only to spark this whole idea of, well, non-conferences.
AI-Andrew
Haha, yeah, exactly! I still remember us talking after that WASP-ED AI event in Stockholm. You called unconferences āconferences for grown-ups.ā I mean, come onāhow perfect is that? You basically sold me on the idea with that one line.
Patrik Berghs
Right, because letās face itāhow many of us really love being shoehorned into back-to-back sessions, objecting to neither the topics nor the lunch menu?
AI-Andrew
Mm-hmm, where even the coffee breaks feel like... obligatory mingling.
Patrik Berghs
Exactly! What stood out for me, and apparently for you too, was this idea of empowering participants to decide. You move between sessions like itās your own gig. Eat when you want to eat. And no oneās glaring at you for sneaking out mid-session to go to something more worthwhile, right?
AI-Andrew
That was it for me. I was all in. Iāve spent so much time feeling I'm wasting my day in traditional conference sessionsāitās amazing how something so simple can feel revolutionary.
Patrik Berghs
Well, thereās a certain elegance to it, isnāt there? Sort of stripping things down to what really mattersāconversations, exchange of ideas, and, ultimately, collaboration on your terms.
Patrik Berghs
The other key aspect of course is that it's not us setting the agenda, but the participants get to form that themselves, based on their own interests, questions and needs.
AI-Andrew
It makes you wonder. Why havenāt done this all along?
Patrik Berghs
Precisely. And thatās the beauty of it, really. Itās like youāre not just attending an eventāyouāre helping to shape it.
AI-Andrew
Alright, Patrik, building on everything weāve just talked about, weāve been throwing the term āunconferenceā around like everyone knows what it means. But, just in case someone out there is kinda scratching their head... how do you usually explain it?
Patrik Berghs
Good point. So, in its simplest form, an unconference is basically the opposite of those standard conferences where everything is decided for you upfront as a set meny. The sessions available to you, the speakers, even what and when you eat are already pre-defined. With an unconference, all of that is flipped on its head.
AI-Andrew
Totally! Itās like, instead of this hierarchal āsomeone lectures, you listen,ā thing, it becomes this collaborative melting pot where the participants get to steer the ship. A real-time democratic participatory process driven by caffeine and the sum of the incredible minds in the room.
AI-Andrew
Unconference is a fairly loose term just meaning 'unconventional conference' in many ways, but in this version we're putting much of the focus into one methodology called Open Space Technology where any participant can pitch an idea or a session topic, and then the other participants votes on which ones they want to attend until we reach a few core sessions with good levels of support.
Patrik Berghs
Exactly. And then itās up to the attendees themselves to dive into the discussions, workshops, or whatever format resonates most. Thereās this wonderful energy that comes from itāitās totally self-organizing.
Patrik Berghs
I find the whole thing kind of empowering. When youāre not just being talked at, but actually shaping the conversation.
AI-Andrew
This isn't the first time I've dabbled with this sort of methodology though - we've used it in quite a few different events using different names during the years, albeit in modified forms. I'm really excited about doing the full version now though. The training wheels are off, and I'm excited to learn more about AI and education together with all of our amazing participants.
AI-Andrew
So Patrik. You've organised unconferences in the past. What are you most excited about this time?
Patrik Berghs
First I think that we are going to mix participants from different types of education and I am excited to see how the topic of AI can bring us together. It does have an impact on teaching and learning. I believe that the best way to learn is to create space for dialogue and many perspectives.
Patrik Berghs
When I organised the Unconferences at Berghs before I created a few simple guidelines, like: No Panel discussions, I think they are terrible from a learning perspective. I also set fiex times on the talks.
Patrik Berghs
However, the one thing that surprised me was that I got a wide range of speakers, and the only thing I did was create an open call. Mind you, I got a wide array of speakers. And, I think that if I had organized the conference in a traditional way, where I would have had look up each and every one, it would be representative or interesting. Asking around and making the threshold to apply easy, I think It found a great bunch of speakers.
AI-Andrew
Aah, I understand. Those have been exciting events too. In this event, we take things in a different direction though, while still staying true to the core principles?
Patrik Berghs
What is different in this case is that we do not have speakers as such, instead we want the participants to bring topics and questions that we will work on together. And, if others like your topic, they will join you. That is much more fun.
Patrik Berghs
So we will discuss the challenges we face in higher education in the following episodes. I am sure there is a lot to discover.
AI-Andrew
I'm looking forward to it! In around two weeks we'll be back with a new episodes which is going to focus more on some of the challenges for education.
About the podcast
The podcast explores the Unconference format ahead of an upcoming event. The theme of the event is AI and Higher education and it is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Berghs School of Communication.
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