Thank you for accepting our invitation to chair a paper session or moderate a roundtable session at the UWI Schools of Education Biennial Conference 2017. The document that follows outlines the protocols that the conference organisers would like you to observe; it also offers suggestions for how you can ensure that the presenters and the audience leave the session feeling satisfied.

The organisers of the Conference appreciate your volunteering your services . If you have any questions or comments, or need to have your session changed, please contact mairette.newman@uwimona.edu.jm

Guidelines for Session Chairs

Each room is equipped with a screen, laptop, data projector and microphone and should have wireless internet access. You will also find two cue cards which you can use for the 5- and 0- minute warnings. Conference assistants and a technician will circulate through the rooms and are ready to provide assistance if needed. If you are having challenges, please contact the Information Desk. As the chair, your major responsibility is to ensure that the session runs well.

Before the session

• Please check the Conference Schedule and be clear about the exact day, time, and room of the session that you are chairing.
• Get to the room 10 minutes before the scheduled start to ensure that arrangements are in place.
• Ask presenters to load their presentations beforehand to reduce waiting time between presentations.
• Introduce yourself to the presenters, ensure you get the correct pronunciation of their names and explain how you will indicate 5 and 0 minutes remaining.

During the session

• Briefly introduce yourself and welcome the participants to the session.
• Ask for cell phones and other electronic devices to be put on silent.
• Introduce each presenter by name, affiliation, and title of the paper at the start of each individual presentation.
• Explain the ground rules. Remind the presenters and the audience about the timing arrangements - 20 minutes per paper and 10 minutes for questions and answers at the end. In order for the sessions to run smoothly, it is essential to adhere to these time limits. Please note that some of the 90-minute paper sessions may have only three papers so the chair is free to extend the question and answer period at the end.
• Monitor the presentation time. Use the cue cards or any other prearranged signal you have discussed with presenters when they have 5 or 0 minutes remaining.
• Take questions after ALL presentations have been made. Encourage questions and answers, discussion and interaction among the participants. Ask each person to state his/her name and affiliation when posing a question or comment. As Chair, you are free to pose a question but to the audience
• Sometimes the 10-minute Q/A session is too short; you may therefore have to suggest to participants that they continue their discussion during private conversations or during the breaks.

Closing the session

• To conclude the session, summarise the key ideas from the session and thank the speakers and the audience for participating on behalf of UWI School of Education Mona.
• Please ensure the cue cards are left in the room for other chairpersons to use

Guidelines for Roundtable Moderators

The roundtable discussions are more informal, intimate and flexible than paper presentations and interaction between participants and presenters and among the participants themselves is encouraged. Roundtable presentations will be held in large rooms with participants seated in a circle around tables that can accommodate 8-10 persons. Each presenter is allotted 20 minutes for presentation and discussion and each table can facilitate up to four related presentations. As moderator, you will serve as a host; your responsibility will be to oversee the smooth running of the discussion. Please note that no audiovisual equipment will be available for Roundtable presentations.

Before the session

• Please check the Conference Schedule and be clear about the exact day, time, room and table number of the session that you are moderating.
• Get to the room 10 minutes before the scheduled start to ensure that arrangements are in place.
• Introduce yourself to the presenters, ensure you get the correct pronunciation of their names and explain how you will indicate 5 and 0 minutes remaining.

During the session

• Briefly introduce yourself and welcome the participants to the session.
• Ask for cell phones and other electronic devices to be put on silent.

• Introduce each speaker by name, affiliation, and title of the presentation at the commencement of the session.
• Explain the ground rules. Remind the presenters and the audience about the timing arrangements - 15 minutes per presentation and 5 minutes for questions and answers at the end of each presentation. In order for the sessions to run smoothly, it is essential to adhere to these time limits.
• Take questions after EACH presentation has been made. Encourage questions and answers, discussion and interaction among the participants. Ask each person to state his/her name and affiliation when posing a question or comment.
• Sometimes the 5-minute Q/A session after each paper is too short; you may therefore have to suggest to participants that they continue their discussion during private conversations or during the breaks.

Closing the session

• To conclude the session, summarise the key ideas from the session and thank the speakers and the audience for participating on behalf of UWI School of Education Mona.