I’ve been thinking about what may help the smooth running of un-conferences in the future -

An independent host. Whilst I take my hat off to @islayian and @andywallis for the hosting of the #edu2020 un-conference, I think an independent host makes a huge difference. They wouldn’t have to worry about loud voices, as they could state some simple ‘wait your turn’ or ‘7 minute’/'2 minute’ rules.

A neutral venue. To ensure that no one person or group has ‘control’ or ownership of the un-conference, a neutral venue is vital. I’d be hugely wary of corporate educational sponsorship on this one too. Much better to have somewhere that people can relax and shre their thoughts with the other attendees – physical or virtual. The distillery for the #edu2020 was ideal in this regard.

Choice of topics. If I attend the un-conference physically or virtually, I may not want to take part in all the discussions. Better to have a variety to choose from, and ensure that there is good feedback for all to hear.

Just a few things that I think would help. What about anyone else? What do you think would help an un-conference?

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On Friday I joined about 50 people in ‘warehouse 4′ of Bowmore distillery for the #edu2020 un-conference. If you want to find out more about the un-conference, then it’s well worth having a look at the wiki that hosted the discussion leading up to the event, or check out the discussion on twitter.

It was a great event, and the discussion both riled me and provoked my thinking. We discussed three things in particular – what skills would be necessary, and what would learning spaces and assessment look like in the year 2020. I’ve always been one to shy away from giving my opinion on assessment, as I don’t feel I can ever articulate it well. I’ll try by sharing a story:

My ‘friend’ has recently moved to a new village. In his house, he needs some plumbing work done, and discovers in discussion with his new neighbours that there are two plumbers in the locale. It turns out one is qualified to the hilt – their advert seems to display the crest of every plumbing organisation known to man, yet the other plumber seems to advertise by only saying ‘friendly and reliable’. Which to choose? Still unsure from their marketing, my friend asks around. It seems both get a lot of work, but more people are happy with the work of the ‘friendly and reliable’ plumber.

How many of our decisions are reached based on attributes other than qualifications? How many employers report that the first thing they do is ‘re-train’  their new staff? It seems that in the world of work, the most valuable qualities that people have are not the result of assessment. In which case, are we assessing entirely the wrong thing?

I no longer work in the field of my undergraduate degree. Numerous people have said to me that my degree serves as a ticket to other jobs – it merely states that I have the ability to study and apply myself. I often wonder of a more appropriate qualification for our young people (or any learner, frankly) would be along the lines of a ‘leavers certificate’ – aquiring the core learning skills, and then able to move onto a variety of occupations in the 21st century.

I’m not the best person to speak about assessment. What I can say with some degree of certainty however, is that life in the 21st century has an increasing element of it that’s online. We ignore that at our peril.

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