2021 CONFERENCE - VIRTUAL FORMAT
On this page you find specifications on the Virtual Panel format, the Roundtable format, and general information about the Virtual conference format.
Specifications for Virtual Panels
Join a panel | Zoom meeting registration | Conference fee
The day of the panel, a conference team member will be available to meet with chairs and panelists on Zoom, 10 minutes prior to the start of the panel. To join a panel, follow the link you received upon registration. Links to registration are posted on the conference day pages reachable from here. Please remember that Zoom registration is necessary in order to join. Also, everyone should be a member in good standing and pay the conference fee in order to be included in the Conference and access Conference content online.
Panelists will be able to share their screen and a conference team member will help to check that the screen sharing option works properly for chairs and for the panelists.
We suggest that panelists keep the material shared via video available for the discussion. Panelists do not present during the Zoom meeting, but their material could be useful for the discussion.
The premise is that the audience watches panelists' presentations prior to the Zoom meeting, and people are there for a live discussion.
The conference team member will leave as soon as everyone is set to go, but will remain available in case technical assistance is needed.
Receive assistance
Please write us an email at conference.aais [at] gmail.com if you need assistance during the live panel. We will respond promptly.
More info
At the start of the panel, chair will introduce the topic discussed as well as the panelists to the audience; then chair will allow the panelists to briefly recap their argument, and offer a brief response to their presentations before opening the floor for discussion and questions.
Meetings are set by default as "mute" and "no video" for all participants. Please make sure to turn on your video and to unmute to intervene.
The conference team member will ensure this procedure is followed.
Chair will decide how or when to allow the audience to intervene. By default, everyone can ask questions via chat, raise their hands via the "raise hand" button or unmute themselves to intervene directly. Chair will inform the audience which of these options is preferred or whether to use them all.
The allocated time for the Zoom panel is 45 minutes. Panels are scheduled to be 1 hour long in order to allow conference participants to have a quick break in between meetings.
Please be mindful of the timing. This format was designed to minimize the time spent on Zoom during the conference, in order to incentivize participation in more panels as well as in the several events that are scheduled throughout.
The meeting will end automatically after 1 hour.
Specifications for Roundtables
Join the roundtable | Zoom meeting registration | Conference fee
The day of the roundtable, a conference team member will be available to meet with organizers and other participants on Zoom, 10 minutes prior to the start of the roundtable. To join the roundtable, follow the link you received upon registration. Links to registration are posted on the conference day pages reachable from here. Please remember that Zoom registration is necessary in order to join. Also, everyone should be a member in good standing and pay the conference fee in order to be included in the Conference and access Conference content online.
Organizers and other conveners will be able to share their screen and a conference team member will help to check that the screen sharing option works properly. Roundtables are scheduled as a Zoom meeting, by default, everyone will be able to share their screen. The conference team member will offer technical support if necessary.
Receive assistance
Please write an email to conference.aais [at] gmail.com if you need assistance during the live roundtable. We will respond promptly.
More info
Participants are expected to have content to present. The premise is that the audience will assist in a live presentation (no pre-recorded presentations) and that a live discussion will be hosted.
At the start of the roundtable, the moderator should introduce the topic discussed as well as the participants to the audience, then allow the participants to present their content, following which the moderator will open the floor to discussion.
Meetings are set by default as "mute" and "no video" for all attendees. By default, everyone can ask questions via chat, raise their hands via the "raise hand" button or unmute themselves to intervene directly. Moderator will inform the audience which of these options is preferred or whether to use them all.
The allocated time for the Zoom roundtable is 1 hour and 15 minutes, 60 minutes for a live discussion, 15 minutes for transitions in between sessions. Please be mindful of the timing as conference attendees will have a quick break in between meetings.
This format was designed to minimize the time spent on Zoom during the conference, in order to incentivize participation in more panels and roundtables as well as in the several events that are scheduled throughout.
The meeting will end automatically after 1 hour and 15 minutes.
It was possible to watch pre-recorded presentations on the AAIS website.
General information about the Virtual conference format
AAIS annual conference has decided to go virtual and to invite its participants to engage with the conference format differently. All conference meetings will be held on Zoom either as a webinar or as a regular meeting.
- Webinar will be used for plenary sessions, and special presentations (keynotes);
- Regular meeting will be used for panels, caucuses, roundtables, virtual coffees, workshops, and other events.
AAIS will schedule and initiate all the meetings. Links to meetings were available on the AAIS website for members, as well as information on how to join a meeting and how to register for a meeting.
Webinar
All webinars will be led by the appointed speakers with an opportunity for Q&A.
Regular meeting
Panels will be a combination of synchronous and asynchronous meetings. Presentations will be pre-recorded and made available by AAIS for members to watch prior the panel scheduled time. Video files or links to online videos (if applicable) must be sent by presenters to panel organizers. Panel organizers must send links to pre-recorded presentations to AAIS as early as possible and no later than May 9th. Presentations/videos should not exceed 15 mins.
If needed, follow these instructions on how to record a video.
Panelists, chairs, and interested members will then meet on Zoom, in a regular meeting format, in order to have a live discussion and Q&A. We invite chairs to give a small introduction to sum up the presentations at the beginning of each live meeting.
These meetings will be scheduled by AAIS as traditional panels and will appear on the conference program.
Registered participants will have access to all recorded presentations, for a limited period of time, regardless of whether or not they will attend the live discussion. Videos will be uploaded on AAIS YouTube channel using the "private" mode and will be available to conference registrants only through the conference website. Videos were removed within two weeks following the conclusion of the conference. (If you would like your video to be available in "public" mode, please so specify in your email to AAIS at the time you submit your video).
Caucuses, roundtables, virtual coffees, workshops, and other events will happen live with the modalities of regular Zoom meetings.
Workshops
AAIS will circulate a survey to ask members’ opinion and suggestions on several virtual workshops to take place during the conference. Themes of workshops are indicated here for reference but might vary:
- Dissertation
- Mentoring
- Outreach and civic engagement
- Inclusivity and Diversity in Italian studies research and profession (Town Hall)
- Digital Humanities
- Academic/non-Academic career
AAIS might record some of these meetings and make them available online. Registration for meetings will be mandatory. Notification of meetings were sent regularly.