Think of it as a classroom discussion - the only difference here is that instead of voicing out their opinion, students are made to write it. This post was originally published on LinkedIn. If you chose good panelists, they are going to be good at talking, so they will easily take 5 minutes to introduce themselves and, voila, 1/2 of your time is gone with no interesting discussion. A good panel discussion is a well choreographed performance with room for fortuitous improvisation. * That the services you provide are meant to assist the buyer by providing a guideline. It’s a good idea to draft the discussion post on a text editor tool before you choose to send it. If possible, make sure the panelists are prepared to stay around to meet and greet audience members. Next time you are at a talk and the speaker goes over 1 hour, watch what happens to the attention of the audience. That’s not how I see it It’s not as simple as that! You don’t want those to be the ones other students remember from the discussion. The realization that you could have avoided the problem earlier hits you like a punch to the gut. Too many panelists will negatively affect timing and the liveliness of the discussion (see below on timing). Asking questions shows you’re genuinely invested in the discussion and are interested to take it forward. Many of my suggestions are meant to keep the event on time. The moderator asks questions, calling on 1-2 panelist for each question in a way that elicits those interesting stories and opinions. You might think writing pages for a discussion post will get you noticed but that is not true. After making a copy of the spreadsheet, you will want to go to the “Discussion Board” menu at the top and choose “Start Discussion Board.” This will require that you authorize the script. Know when to move on to the next topic. I’m all in favor of what you’ve been saying. Make sure you use quotations while stating evidence or cite the original sources accurately. Follow Addgene on LinkedIn for repository news and updates. Discussion Tab . The different types of evidence you can incorporate are statistical, anecdotal, documentary, or even results after carrying out your own research or survey. Firstly, making statements like “I completely agree with you!” or “Good post” is an absolute no-no. The moderator (possibly with an organizer) should set up a 30 minute call with each panelist to get to know their style and to get their answers to the questions. From critical analysis and writing quality to class participation and etiquette - the online discussion scoring rubric covers all these aspects. The moderator should identify the funny, provocative or interesting stories that will make for a fun discussion. Remember - it’s a discussion. Regardless of the length of your post, what matters most is its quality and the insight you provide. Conferences. I have to admit to inviting interesting friends and colleagues to events for this purpose. There must be some spontaneity so a moderator should be prepared with different questions than those on the prep calls, but often the prep calls provide good ideas for interesting questions. Many students make the mistake of immediately writing the actual post on the portal and hitting ‘send’. Science Careers, Let’s accept this: Writing a paper is daunting, and sometimes the most difficult and thought-provoking part is writing the ‘discussion’ section. That being said, your questions need to encourage people to think and add value. The more research you do, the meatier your post and subsequent responses will be. Original: SourceYes, that’s exactly what you should not do. Pay close attention to your tone of voice and language. I see what you mean, but I think that’s not the whole story. Quite/Exactly/Precisely/Right/Certainly/Definitely. People are much better at remembering these things on a relaxed phone call than when first confronted on a stage in front of a crowd. I entirely/completely agree with you on that. We understand. How-to: 5 Steps to a Great Panel Discussion, Click here to subscribe to the Addgene Blog, Guidelines for Great Panels by Scott Kirsner, CRISPR Expression Systems and Delivery Methods. Make sure you read the discussion post prompts and guidelines carefully before you start your research. Addgene is a nonprofit plasmid repository. I can’t go all the way with you on that point. I always try to meet audience members before a panel discussion and often incorporate them into the program. A huge aspect of being part of online classes is responding to your classmates’ discussion posts. Speaking of evidence, given the medium, feel free to attach a video, audio clip, or link that supports your argument. It’s a good idea to pinpoint which aspect of your classmate’s post are you responding too - it just makes it clearer for everyone involved. You’re expected to fuel the discussion, find new angles and take it forward in a productive way. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Choose a moderator with a backbone.