Table 1
The facilitated discussion session schedule with session topics and number of presenters in each session.
| DAY | SESSION TOPIC | NUMBER OF PRESENTERS |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | Higher Education | 5 |
| Community-Building I | 4 | |
| Monitoring | 6 | |
| K–12 Education (educator focused) | 4 | |
| Wednesday | Policy & Institutional Integration | 4 |
| Community-Building II | 5 | |
| Data | 4 | |
| Biodiversity | 5 | |
| Participant Engagement | 5 | |
| Thursday | K–12 Education | 5 |
| Sustainability | 3 | |
| Health | 3 | |
| Partnerships | 4 | |
| Technology | 4 |
Figure 1
Presenters answer questions in the panel part of a discussion session.
Table 2
In-person conference attendees’ views on the poster discussion sessions from the post-conference survey.
| PROMPT | AGREE | NEUTRAL | DISAGREE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Based on the abstract submission process, I knew what to expect from the poster/discussion opportunity | 38.8% (19 responses) | 24.5% (12 responses) | 36.7% (18 responses) |
| Based on the abstract submission process, I was excited about the poster/discussion opportunity | 37.5% (18 responses) | 56.3% (27 responses) | 6.3% (3 responses) |
| Discussion sessions enhanced engagement in poster content | 61.2% (30 responses) | 28.6% (14 responses) | 10.2% (5 responses) |
| Posters enhanced engagement in discussion sessions | 52% (26 responses) | 42% (21 responses) | 6% (3 responses) |
| Based on my experience, I would submit to be a poster presenter in this format in the future | 50% (24 responses) | 27.1% (13 responses) | 22.9% (11 responses) |
Table 3
Four challenges and their accompanying proposed solutions for future conferences.
| CHALLENGE | PROPOSED SOLUTION |
|---|---|
| Confusion and inconsistencies with facilitation | Explore other models such as:
|
| Inadequate facilitator training | Develop a cohesive guidance document and offer virtual training for facilitators |
| Timing of discussion sessions | Schedule discussion sessions earlier in the day or interspersed with other session types |
| Collecting session notes | Develop a Google or Microsoft form for facilitators to report on each session |