Networking #eMOOCs2015 a graph analysis & personal account

Conferences are really good meeting places, and they always mold my knowledge thanks to all the old/new people I meet and talk to. I often wonder whether they have more impact on my knowledge then the papers I read, simply because of the connection, the mutual dialogue that takes place. I am already looking forward to joining eMOOCs2016 in the beautiful Graz, Austria that will be lead by the wonderful Martin Ebner and Michael Kopp, and their colleagues. Mark your calendar, by the end of June 2015 the call for papers will already be out, so keep your keyboard/pen/mind alert.

Marc Smith made the wonderful NodeXL graph visualizing the interactions, and networks that were happening at eMOOCs2015. Which reflects the importance of getting the word out while you are in a conference, enabling connections and exchanges to happen in- and outside of the venue.

At the Mons venue, the IRL encounters were also illuminating and stimulating. I got a chance to shake hands with people I have been learning from for a long while: Whitney Kilgore, Dave Cormier, Pierre Dillenbourg, Siân Bayne, Ahmed Fahmy, Simon Carolan, and Christine Vaufrey. Of course there were also those who keep on inspiring me and I have met or meet: Mike Sharples, Sally Reynolds, Timothy Read, Janesh Sanzgiri,Yishay Mor, Steven Warburton, Martin Ebner, Nigel Smith, Carlos Delgado Kloos,
But also inspirational new people: Gavin Clinch,  Darco Jansen, Divina Frau-Meigs, Sabine Schuman, Tiberio Feliz Murias, Ella Harmonic, JingJing Lin, Beatrice Capristan, Su White, Françoise Docq, Bruno Poellhuber, and many others... as my mind is still a bit sleepy after an intense three days.

... and while I was listening to them I realized why it is so important for me to see some people in real life. I felt how driven they were, why they care for others (ethical, philosophical awareness), which made me realize that passion (in action, in philosophy) is the way forward for any life I love.