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Digital learning. This is becoming more and more important. However, this cannot be imposed on anyone. You have to show all decision-makers and stakeholders how they can benefit from such offers. That’s why the education bureau of the Günzburg district organizes an educational conference every two years. Here all relevant persons are brought to a table to design the future of learning.
In 2019 the theme of the conference was “Digital Education”, this was for Maria Dirr the perfect opportunity to use an event app for the first time. In the interview, Maria reveals how she filled the app with content and then shared it among the participants. It also deals with typical hurdles and problems with the introduction of an event app. Definitely worth reading. ?
LineUpr: Hello Maria. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the education bureau of the district of Günzburg.
Maria: My name is Maria Dirr, and I work as an education manager and run the education bureau of the administrative district of Günzburg. The education bureau was founded in March 2016, and since then it represents the department of education in the region of Günzburg.
LineUpr: You used an event app of LineUpr for the Education Conference of the district of Günzburg. Please tell us more about this event.
Maria: The Education Conference in the district of Günzburg was held for the second time in 2019. Here, all interested educational participants from the area of Günzburg, from early childhood education to senior citizens’ education, meet. The goal is to connect educational participants and at the same time to provide a demand-oriented supply of information. In 2019, the Education Conference was dedicated to the topic of “digital education”. The event app was perfect for this.
LineUpr: What makes the event special? Which target group did you want to address and what added value do you offer the participants?
Maria: The event is exceptional for us in the district. Literally, all educational participants, from educators to teachers, to representatives of the adult education centers and representatives of the seniors’ associations come together. They have the possibility to network and at the same time to be informed on all relevant topics. The idea of “lifelong learning” is also the focus here. The added value for the participants is to meet colleagues and future co-operation partners and to network with them. At the same time, the Education Conference always offers an informational aspect that partly has an advanced training character to it.
LineUpr: How did you start creating the event app?
Maria: First, I added the program to the app.
The added value for the participants was in the simplicity of the app. They were able to view all the information at any time.
LineUpr: Did you present your speakers with individual profiles in the event app?
Maria: Yes, we presented the different speakers and also the other contributors with profiles. Here participants were informed about the activity and the speaker’s profession. For us, as an education bureau and also as an organizer, the contact details were especially important.
LineUpr: When and how did you inform your participants about the event app?
Maria: We invited the participants to the Education Conference in writing, and all other information, including the agenda, was exclusively available in the app. The written invitation included the link to the app, with a brief description. It was sent four weeks before the Education Conference.
At the same time, we sent a follow-up invitation mail. Here the participants could directly click on the link.
The added value for the participants was the simplicity of the app. They were able to view all the information that was widely available at any time, even during the event.
At the same time, the survey was a great module. Here the participants could give us immediate feedback.
Many of the visitors were impressed by the app. The app was described as clear and appealing as well as informative.
LineUpr: Did you point out the use of the event app during the event?
Maria: We pointed out the app during the event as part of the introduction which we did ourselves.
And we actively included the app in the design of the Education Conference. The information was only available in the app, so the participants had to work with the app.
LineUpr: How did your visitors react to the app?
Maria: Many of the visitors were impressed with the app. The app was described as clear and appealing as well as informative.
However, it must be said that many participants could not work in the way they wanted to with this unusual event tool.
LineUpr: What hurdles and difficulties did you experience in introducing an event app to your event?
Maria: For many participants, it was already difficult to open the app, and despite the description, not everyone knew that the information was only available in the app. Concerns were not expressed.
LineUpr: The event is now over. Would you use the app the same way at the next time to communicate with your participants, or is there something you would change?
Maria: I would definitely reuse the app. The app was easy and quick to fill and operate, the presentation is nice and clear, and we could share all the information immediately to the participants.
Maybe next time I would like to add an even more detailed description to the invitation and have a nice flyer with the QR code for the invitation.
I think after the first attempt, the hurdles are reduced.
LineUpr: Thank you, Maria, for the great interview. The topic “Digital Learning” is the perfect trailer to introduce an event app. Our experience shows that apps are being used more and more often in education. So you are on the right track.
Of course, there are many more beautiful stories about Maria and the education bureau online.
We are already looking forward to your next conference with LineUpr.
