[Do #Science #Panels work?]

One of my least favorite formats of communicating research w/in #Academia & yet it's everywhere & continues to be the default to pack as many big names as possible onto a stage.

Have you seen it go well? And seriously, why do we keep doing it?

One of the biggest culprits of when #Science #SciComm #Academic panels not working tends to be poor moderation.

My intro to dialogue facilitation/panel moderation came from a journalism prof who emphasized the importance of doing your homework on the panelists & the audience.

As a #science #academic panel moderator, you:

- keep the flow of conversation going
- balance voices & time, being mindful of power imbalances
- be a proxy for your audience

It really doesn't go well when moderators just take over the conversation instead of FACILITATING it.