Overview  |  FAQ  |  Design Your Session  |  Explore the Foundry  |  Contact Us

 

 

ex·po·si·tion

/ˌekspəˈziSH(ə)n/

  • a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory
  • the part of a movement in which the principal themes are first presented
  • the action of making public
  • a large public exhibition of resources, services and ideas

found·ry

/ˈfoundrē/

  • a workshop or factory for casting metal

 

Overview 

The Exposition Foundry is a new initiative for partners not affiliated with an educational institution to speak to their work in new and exciting ways and aim to further bridge relationships across our entire community. Sessions in the Exposition Foundry (or “The Foundry”) are created by companies and vendors to bring together community members of ALL roles around topics related to innovation and change work in the field of online, blended and digital learning.

Exposition Foundry sessions are meant to contribute to the promotion of a paradigm shift from the traditional exhibit hall experience and the current educator/partner relationship through:

  • Authentic relationship building
  • Sharing of knowledge and ideas
  • Creation of intentional spaces for testing and play, and
  • Co-working and collaboration

The Exposition Foundry is a space where we invite you to speak into the future of online and digital learning through provocations you direct towards conference attendees. This might mean dialogue around the products and tools used across the work you do in supporting online and digital learning, but it can also mean planting seeds for new ideas, new collaborations, new points of engagement, and new opportunities for us to connect and build as a community. Importantly, the Exposition Foundry is also a place for conference attendees and community members to direct provocations toward you, resulting in a collection of different voices and perspectives from areas across the OLC community around the amazing work that you do and all that you contribute to education.

Read the FAQ below to learn more about how The Foundry is designed and how you can participate. Please note that the Exposition Foundry is an experience for contracted sponsors only. If you have not yet opened a dialogue with us regarding sponsorship opportunities but would like to, please contact Brenda Weiss Pesta (brenda.pesta@onlinelearning-c.org or 617-716-1417), OLC’s Director of Sponsorship and Membership.

 

FAQ

How does The Foundry work for sponsors?

Exposition Foundry sessions are interactive sessions, where facilitators and participants can share provocations via recorded video sessions hosted on VoiceThread. Like the OLC Discovery Sessions, these fully-online, asynchronous sessions are accessible during and beyond the conference, and attendees and community members will have the continued opportunity to comment, provide feedback, and further the conversation well past a typical 45 minute session.

The Exposition Foundry reimagines and transforms the transition Exhibition Hall experience into a collaborative community building and co-working space. These sessions are distinctly marked as Exposition Foundry sessions in conference materials including the program and website.

The expectation is that these are not strictly one-way dialogues or presentations. Facilitators will be expected to consider and implement strategies to actively engage the audience in sharing their own experiences, asking questions, brainstorming, and collaboratively building community around online, digital, and blended learning.

In terms of the actual session design, it is up to sponsors facilitating sessions in The Foundry to coordinate their use of VoiceThread based on the both the goals and expectations of The Foundry, but also their unique goals and ideal outcomes for sponsorship with the OLC. Our commitment to sponsors in The Foundry is one of mutual benefit centered around our shared and respective needs. The OLC Staff has dedicated time to work with you on creating an amazing session for conference participants and have put together some suggestions for how you might do this below under the section “Designing your Exposition Foundry session.”

From a technical standpoint, once you have indicated interest in an Exposition Foundry session and submitted your idea to the submission form (no longer available for OLC Accelerate 2020) members of the OLC Staff will communicate with you regarding next steps, including specific details and instructions for actually creating your VoiceThread-based Exhibition Foundry session. Your session will be linked via the conference program and website, and you can also promote it yourself on social media or in your various web spaces via direct link.

I’d love to design a session in the Exposition Foundry – what do I need to do next?

Unfortunately, the deadline for participation in The Foundry for OLC Accelerate has already passed. That said, if you are interested in participating for our upcoming OLC Innovate conference (whether that be in the virtual Foundry or our new onsite Foundry), please reach out to Brenda Weiss-Pesta (brenda.pesta@onlinelearning-c.org or 617-716-1417) for more information on how to secure one of these exciting new sessions.

Can I use the space to do a sales pitch of my product?

Sessions that center on sales and promotions, alone, are not appropriate for this session format. Rather, the Exposition Foundry is a space where we invite you to speak into the future of online and digital learning through provocations you direct towards conference attendees. This might mean:

  • Demos, dialogue and activities centered on the products and tools used across the work you do in supporting online and digital learning
  • Discussions and focus groups aimed at highlighting new research, collaborations and initiatives
  • Games, storytelling activities, facilitated design sprints, and other creative concepts that you design (or that you create with the OLC’s help!)

Have an idea for a session that is not on the list and want some feedback or help designing it for the Foundry? Let Maddie Shellgren, our Director of Online Engagement, know and we will schedule some time to help build it with you! You can reach out to her via email at thefoundry@onlinelearning-c.org.

I really want to do a sales pitch – where should I do that at the conference?

Our industry showcases are a fantastic place to share information on your product or services as a traditional sales pitch. Reach out to Brenda Weiss-Pesta (brenda.pesta@onlinelearning-c.org or 617-716-1417) for more information on how to secure an industry showcase session.

I have questions – who should I reach out to next?

We are here to help – reach out to thefoundry@onlinelearning-c.org for expert help if you have questions around any of the following: 

  • Requests to Participate
  • Session Design
  • General Sponsorship Questions

 

Designing Your Exposition Foundry Session

Ready to get started? Join us on the Foundry Floor to review a short orientation and for design ideas.

Start Designing     

 

 

Contact Us

Contact us at thefoundry@onlinelearning-c.org.

We’re delighted to be able to extend the OLC’s suite of offerings to include this new opportunity to deeply engage across the OLC community via The Exposition Foundry.  If you have any questions or would like to share comments or ideas on how we might make this event as impactful as possible, please reach out. We welcome your suggestions, and cannot wait to see you at OLC Accelerate 2020!