*FAQ for in-person conferences will be updated prior to the Spring of 2023.
Virtual Conference: Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect from the virtual conference format?
Mira Costa's first annual Academic Conference will aim to include the same types of events as typical in-person academic conferences. The conference will begin with a welcome address and a keynote speaker, followed by colloquium and symposium-style sessions, invited sessions, affiliated group sessions, and poster sessions, to name a few. These events will be held via Zoom, and sessions will be limited to a few hours to avoid Zoom fatigue. The opening and closing addresses for the conference will be recorded, and Presentation panels will be given the option to record their sessions for posting at the conclusion of the Conference, available to registrants. See more about recordings below.
How will conference sessions work?
Presenters and Participants will join their designated Zoom sessions at their scheduled time, as opened by their respective Session Chairs. Session Chairs will host the live sessions, introduce speakers, moderate time, and facilitate discussion. Chat functions will be enabled, though Session Chairs may disable at their discretion. Speakers will present their papers, engage in questioning and oral feedback, and provide responses. Participants are welcome to engage the speakers and provide commentary or ask questions per the direction of the Session Chairs as time permits in each individual session.
The poster session--hosted by AP Seminar--will allow for organic access to the session and to individual breakout rooms. Presenters will upload their poster in PDF format, which will be available in the information posted for the session in the Conference Program, accessible for the duration of the event; the poster sessions will not be recorded. The Program will link participants to a single Poster Session Zoom, and individual presenters will each have their own break out room and participants may come and go as they please. While presenters will certainly have flexibility in the way they would in a live poster session with participants walking through the room, a particular way the presentation might be organized is that presenters share their screen with their poster on display for participants, or presenters may choose to format their posters as presentations for the sake of the live event. Generally at in-person conferences, presents would begin by going over their poster at the beginning, following by Q&A after the initial presentation; virtual poster sessions may follow this same pattern, with questions being asked via the chat function. It is likely that poster presenters will go through their presentation multiple times in the allotted time for such an activity.
The poster session--hosted by AP Seminar--will allow for organic access to the session and to individual breakout rooms. Presenters will upload their poster in PDF format, which will be available in the information posted for the session in the Conference Program, accessible for the duration of the event; the poster sessions will not be recorded. The Program will link participants to a single Poster Session Zoom, and individual presenters will each have their own break out room and participants may come and go as they please. While presenters will certainly have flexibility in the way they would in a live poster session with participants walking through the room, a particular way the presentation might be organized is that presenters share their screen with their poster on display for participants, or presenters may choose to format their posters as presentations for the sake of the live event. Generally at in-person conferences, presents would begin by going over their poster at the beginning, following by Q&A after the initial presentation; virtual poster sessions may follow this same pattern, with questions being asked via the chat function. It is likely that poster presenters will go through their presentation multiple times in the allotted time for such an activity.
How will I access conference addresses and individual sessions?
To access the live meetings, please see the Conference program, located on the Academic Conference page linked above. You may register for the event there as well. Prior to the event, registered participants will receive access information for the virtual conference 'hub' which will include the full program as well as links to the welcome address and keynote presentation webinar, as well as the individual presentation and poster sessions during their scheduled times.
What will participation be like for both presenters and audience members? What can I do to make the virtual format a positive experience?
To present or actively participate in sessions requires a smart device (phone, tablet, computer) with audio and video capability (microphone and camera) connected to the internet. To view recorded session only requires a smart device, also connected to the internet. We hope this will be a positive activity and learning experience for all involved, which requires a bit of flexibility and patience as we work with the current constraints--please know that we are working hard and in good faith to put together an event that honors the spirit of academic inquiry here at Costa, while also taking into consideration people's health, safety, and comfort in a way that is still collaborative and inclusive.
I have a disability and require accommodations to participate in the conference. What should I do?
In accordance with school and district policy, we are committed to providing accommodations to active participants with disabilities in order to ensure full participation in the conference--participants (audience and presenters) may request accommodations when registering for the event. Please see the Conference Policies page for our commitment.
What should I do if something goes wrong during my session?
In the immediate sense, Session Chairs will be furnished with host capabilities, and can provide some technical support in each individual sessions. There will also be Conference admin who will be able to assist with any larger issues. Live support will be available, accessible via the virtual Conference hub. Further concerns can be addressed to Stacy Cabrera, [email protected] or Lindsey Valbuena, [email protected].
Will the conference sessions be recorded?
The welcome address and keynote presentation, as well as the closing session, will both be recorded and posted for registrants at the conclusion of each event. Presentation sessions may be recorded and posted, upon approval and consent from the presenters specifically. AP Capstone presenters will be recorded for the sake of grade auditing purposes for the class, as students' presentations are a requirement for their task grade for the course, through College Board, but will only be posted with the same approval and consent as all other sessions. This information will be elicited from presenters prior to the creation of the program, and will be noted on the Virtual Conference hub at the time of the live sessions. Recordings of sessions will then be made available to registrants of the event after the conclusion of the event, to allow for registrants who may have missed sessions, or had technical difficulties or other unforeseen circumstances which prevented them from live attendance--this is part of our dedication to equity. We also recognize the importance of recognizing privacy concerns, which is why consent will be required from presenters, as well as registrant-only access to the conference hub via the provided password at the beginning of the event.
How do I view session recordings?
The welcome address and keynote presentation, and closing session, will be available at the close of each event (posted within a few hours or the next day).
Individual session recordings will be available a few days after the close of the event--notification will go out to all registrants when all sessions have been posted. To access, registrants will return to the Conference hub, and will find that links to the live sessions will be replaced by links to the recordings.
Individual session recordings will be available a few days after the close of the event--notification will go out to all registrants when all sessions have been posted. To access, registrants will return to the Conference hub, and will find that links to the live sessions will be replaced by links to the recordings.
Can I individually record any of the sessions or activities?
Presenters will be asked for their consent prior to any recordings, which will be noted explicitly in the program on the Conference Hub. Sessions which are recorded will be available only to registrants via this medium. As a registrant, you are agreeing to not individually record, screen-capture, or use any other means for recording or capturing any of the proceedings. Only those which have consented to recording will be available at the conclusion of the event.
I don't want to be recorded during my session. What should I do?
Presenters who do not wish to be recorded will not be recorded--recordings will only take place with active consent. However, presenters may opt-out after the fact as well, so long as notification is given prior to the conclusion of the event--and, if presenters wish to have the recordings removed after they become available to registrants at the close of the event, they may contact Stacy Cabrera, [email protected] or Lindsey Valbuena, [email protected].
If you are a participant in a session which is being recorded (you will see information explicitly regarding this in the program on on the Conference Hub), you may choose to exclude yourself from the video and audio of the live session, which will keep your voice and image from being recorded. You may still participate in discussion through the chat function, unless you expressly do not want your name either in the chat or in the list of participants at the top of the Zoom interface. To further opt-out, participants may asked to be removed from recordings, which will require some editing, and may cause certain sessions to be delayed in posting to the Program on the Conference Hub at the conclusion of the event.
We respect participants' wishes in this regard, but we hope you also consider the equity implications of opting out of these recordings, for the logistical reasons enumerated above--note that these will be available to registrants of the event, and making sessions available in a timely manner to participants who may not have been able to attend live is important to us.
If you are a participant in a session which is being recorded (you will see information explicitly regarding this in the program on on the Conference Hub), you may choose to exclude yourself from the video and audio of the live session, which will keep your voice and image from being recorded. You may still participate in discussion through the chat function, unless you expressly do not want your name either in the chat or in the list of participants at the top of the Zoom interface. To further opt-out, participants may asked to be removed from recordings, which will require some editing, and may cause certain sessions to be delayed in posting to the Program on the Conference Hub at the conclusion of the event.
We respect participants' wishes in this regard, but we hope you also consider the equity implications of opting out of these recordings, for the logistical reasons enumerated above--note that these will be available to registrants of the event, and making sessions available in a timely manner to participants who may not have been able to attend live is important to us.
For more information about the event, to register, or submit for presentation, see the Academic Conference page.