UltraFest IX

Ultrasound Imaging for Speech and Language

Virtual Conference

October 21-24, 2020

Instructions for oral, poster, and Master Class presentations are given below. Because UltraFest IX is a virtual conference, and because of the possibility of technical problems, the instructions below include information about contingency plans. Based on feedback from other virtual conferences this year, we don’t anticipate any major difficulties, but we want to be well prepared just in case!

The live interaction among scholars (faculty and students) is a critical component of traditional conferences. UltraFest IX will attempt to retain the atmosphere of a traditional conference by making use of live presentations, keeping sessions relatively short, and integrating opportunities for social interaction between sessions. At this time, we are feeling pretty optimistic about it, but the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it! In the end, this is almost as much a social experiment as it is a conference. You will receive a survey after the end of the conference, which you can use to give your feedback about what went well and what could have gone better.

The Most Important Stuff

The two most important things for ensuring a successful and pleasant experience at the virtual UltraFest IX conference are:

1. Use an up-to-date version of the Chrome internet browser for everything. In all the testing we have done, including practice run-throughs with presenters, almost all of the problems that have been experienced were directly related to using a browser other than Chrome.

2. Use a wired Ethernet connection to the internet if at all possible. Wired connectivity is inherently more stable than wireless, and will reduce the kind of cutting in and out that we have probably all experienced in Zoom meetings this year. If you can’t use a wired connection, set up your computer in an area near your router where the wireless signal is as strong as possible.

Instructions for oral presentations

Oral presentations will be made live using Zoom. They will not be recorded. Presenters will have two options for sharing their presentation slides:

· Option #1 (preferred): Presenters will “share screen” and control the display of their own slides.

· Option #2 (if necessary): The host will “share screen” while the presenter speaks. The presenter will need to indicate to the host when the slide should be advanced, e.g. by saying “next slide.”

Even if a presenter chooses Option #1, a copy of the slides should be submitted by October 20 (email the slides to ufestix@indiana.edu) in case technical difficulties require Option #2 to be adopted. Slides should be submitted in PDF or PowerPoint format.

Each oral presentation will last 30 minutes. The 30 minutes includes the presentation as well as any Q&A and discussion with the attendees. Presenters should join the Zoom meeting at least 5 minutes prior to the start of their presentation time.

During the presentation, attendees will automatically be muted, but will be encouraged to leave their cameras turned on (unless technical difficulties suggest turning off the cameras). During the Q&A and discussion time, the host will act as a moderator, and will unmute and re-mute attendees as needed.

Presenters will join the session in which they are presenting using the Whova event app. The Zoom meeting is already set up and integrated into the Whova event app. When presenters join the session in which they are speaking, they will be presented with the following choice in Whova:

Presenters are encouraged to join the session using the Zoom option. Choosing the Zoom option will launch the Zoom app on the presenter’s computer. The host will give them “co-host” access to be able to share their screen and be unmuted for their presentation. When the presentation is over (including the Q&A and discussion), the presenters will not need to do anything – the host will revoke their “co-host” status. Presenters may wish to exit the Zoom app and re-enter the session for the next presentation using the Whova embedded Zoom.

IMPORTANT: Presenters should avoid joining the session in both the Zoom app and the Whova embedded Zoom, unless they are careful not to join with computer audio in the Whova embedded Zoom.

Instructions for poster presentations

Poster presentations will be made live using Gather. They will not be recorded. Presenters will have two options for sharing their posters:

· Option #1: Posters will be tacked up on interactive poster boards in Gather. Participants will see a small version of the poster at the bottom of their screen when they approach, and they can view a larger version of the poster by pressing the “x” key to interact with it. Presenters merely need to be standing next to their posters and can guide visitors through their poster verbally. Having – and referring to – clearly numbered sections, figures, tables, etc. will help participants follow along.

· Option #2: Presenters can “share screen” with participants gathered around them, and thus control the display of their own poster. To share screen, click on the image of a computer monitor in the icon menu at the bottom of the Gather screen. The “share screen” option allows visitors to view a medium-sized version of the poster, which is still rather small.

Even if a presenter chooses Option #2, a copy of the poster should be submitted by October 20 (email to ufestix@indiana.edu) so that it can be “tacked up” and available to conference attendees even outside of the designated presentation time. Posters should be submitted in PNG format. If you create your poster in PowerPoint, you can “Save As…” directly into PNG format.

Unlike at traditional conferences, posters in virtual conferences work best when they are oriented vertically rather than horizontally. Vertically-oriented posters are easier to scroll through, because they require only up-down scrolling. Horizontally-oriented posters typically require both vertical and horizontal scrolling. A sample PowerPoint template for a vertically-oriented poster (36” wide, 56” tall) is provided here.

Each poster session will last 2 hours. Poster presenters will be expected to be at their posters for either the first hour or the second hour. The assignment of posters to one hour or another is indicated in the schedule on the main website. In Gather, presenters will be able to see “where” the other attendees are. If an attendee visits a poster while the presenter is away, the visitor can still interact with the poster, and/or can send the presenter a message asking for the presenter’s attention. Presenters will also have the option to view other posters (with or without those posters’ presenters) outside of the allotted session. Gather will thus provide poster presenters (and attendees) with considerable flexibility in the use of the poster session time.

During the poster presentation, attendees will not automatically be muted, and will be encouraged to leave their cameras turned on (unless technical difficulties suggest turning off the cameras). The attendees will be able to mute and unmute themselves. It is suggested that attendees mute themselves at all times unless they are speaking (e.g. asking a question). The poster presenter will act as the moderator for their own presentation.

Instructions for Master Classes

While oral presentations and poster presentations constitute the heart and soul of a research conference, UltraFest IX’s Master Classes offer a forum for more interactive and hands-on training in specific research practices. Because of this different focus, presenters will have up to one hour for their Master Classes.

Master Classes will be made live using Zoom. They will not be recorded. Presenters will “share screen” and control the display of their own slides. A copy of the slides or other display materials may, at the presenter’s discretion, be submitted by October 20 (email to ufestix@indiana.edu) in case technical difficulties require the host to “share screen” on behalf of the presenter.

During the Master Classes, attendees will not automatically be muted, and will be encouraged to leave their cameras turned on (unless technical difficulties suggest turning off the cameras). The attendees will be able to mute and unmute themselves. It is suggested that attendees mute themselves at all times unless they are speaking (e.g. asking a question). The Master Class presenter will act as the moderator for their own Master Class.