Tracking The Back Channel

TRACKING THE BACK CHANNEL Michael Coghlan TRIC Conference August 6 th , 2009

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjoern/70875998

What’s this?

“ WE SHAPE OUR TOOLS AND THEREAFTER OUR TOOLS SHAPE US.” (MCLUHAN)

FROM SMOKE SIGNALS TO THE INTERNET http://www.flickr.com/photos/sundve/3766277273 “ Man - the compulsive communicator.” (David Attenborough)

WHAT IS THE BACKCHANNEL?
“ Backchannel is the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside live spoken remarks. The term was coined in the field of Linguistics to describe listeners' behaviours during verbal communication, Victor Yngve 1970.” (Wikipedia)

BACKCHANNEL TOOLS
Direct or instant messaging in web conferencing tools (eg Centra, Elluminate)
Blogs (standard), and custom made tools like Cover It Live
Live polling tools like Poll Everywhere
Twitter ( Yammer could also be used this way)

Impact for Audience Advantages Disadvantages

Impact for Audience Advantages Disadvantages
Audience is more engaged
You don’t have to wait till the end of a presentation to ask questions or comment
Can communicate with other people in the room about issues raised in the presentation
Allows remote participants to take part
Provides you with an archive of the presentation (note taking)
May miss some points while writing commentary, responding to other backchannellers
Is mentally very taxing
May start to stray off-topic (what’s for lunch? How are the kids? Etc)
Opportunity to make negative remarks behind the speaker’s back

Impact for Speaker/Presenter Advantages Disadvantages

Impact for Speaker/Presenter Advantages Disadvantages
Can get real time feedback from audience
Can ensure that you are meeting audience needs/answering urgent questions
Promotes greater level of engagement
Can get input on specific questions from your network (both those physically present and remote)
a listener may elaborate on something you’re saying (eg add more information about a theory, post a URL, suggested a related blog, etc)
May get positive feedback from audience as it happens
Models a new way of teaching/presenting that is less teacher-centric and more network-centric
You reach a wider audience
Many of your audience may not be looking at you
May appear as if many are not paying attention
Your audience has access to a ‘critical channel’
Your thoughts may be communicated to an audience for whom they were not intended
Can be overwhelming to keep track of (may require working in tandem with a moderator)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bjoern/70875998

WHY DO SOME SEE IT AS A CURSE?
COMPARE:
taking notes
Watching TV while chatting with others
Critiquing own music while listening to it
Talking at an outdoors event
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31031835@N08/3438438351

WHY DO SOME SEE IT AS A CURSE?
THE DIFFERENCE:
Those in the backchannel have access to commentary that the speaker/presenter may not have access to.
Is therefore seen as ‘disruptive’ and threatening.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31031835@N08/3438438351

Twitter
Twemes http://twemes.com/
Addictomatic http://addictomatic.com/
AGGREGATORS

Your thoughts?

RESOURCES
How to Present While People are Twittering
How to tweet during a presentation (Olivia Mitchell)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldenswamp/2505581808

Michael Coghlan [email_address] http://protopage.com/michaelc

Tracking The Back Channel

by michaelc on Aug 04, 2009

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Tracking The Back Channel — Presentation Transcript