TRANSFORM 2023
Instructor information
Thank you for offering to provide a tutorial at TRANSFORM 2023 — we really appreciate you. We're here to help you make your tutorial a success.
Please read this entire document. There are Actions for you at the end.
Your tutorial
Tutorials may be up to 90 minutes long. Your tutorial will be allocated a date and time (in UTC) in the schedule. The provisional slots are Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 September, every 2 hours from 0700 UTC until 1900 UTC.
Please note that tutorials this year are only 90 minutes long.
As soon as you’re ready, please submit your title and a brief description of your tutorial in the form at the end of this document.
Content
You should aim to make your tutorial as approachable as possible. If it's aimed at intermediate or advanced programmers only, please state this in the description. If you think it's beginner-friendly, please also mention this.
The line between 'beginner' and 'intermediate' is: a person can write a function, load a CSV, and make a plot. If you're assuming those things, it's 'intermediate'.
If you need people to install any software that is not in Anaconda, please do this at the start of your tutorial as part of the demo. Please also put the instructions — especially for any downloads, which can take time — in the Description.
You can see the 2021 and 2022 tutorials on Software Underground’s YouTube channel. For example, check out the awesome PyGIMLi tutorial.
Python environment
We're sharing the following videos with participants: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgLft9vxdduAW-jmhYqXvtfGYJS6v2FjM
Please work on the assumption that the participants will have an environment like this when you start the tutorial.
If possible, it might also be worth having a back-up strategy using Curvenote or similar, just in case a person cannot install what they need to follow along.
Technology
We will livestream the tutorials on YouTube Live.
You will not be using YouTube, however. We will invite you to a virtual meeting which we will stream. You will be able to share your screen and remain in full control of what is displayed from your computer. In the meeting, there will only be you — with any assistants you want to invite to help you manage things — and one host from the organizing team.
We will set up a practice session with you the week or so before TRANSFORM, so you can see the set-up for yourself.
In addition to the virtual meeting, we will invite people to interact with each other and with you (and us) via a channel in the Software Underground Slack that is devoted to your session. You might find it hard to follow along with this, however, so having a Teaching Assistant monitor it for you is probably a good idea.
There will be no live chat in YouTube.
Software requirements
You can join the virtual meeting from your browser.
Hardware requirements
If possible, you should connect to the Internet using an Ethernet cable. If you must use Wi-Fi, follow these tips to get the best performance and get as close as possible to your router or access point.
Use a mic of reasonable quality, and test its audio ahead of time. HEadphones are a good idea, to reduce the possibility of feedback. In general, hard-wired audio devices are more reliable than Bluetooth.
You will probably find it convenient to have 2 displays if possible.
If you need any technology, please let us know in the form linked later in this document.
Actions
Ahead of TRANSFORM
Make sure you know when your tutorial is and get it in your calendar.
Please fill out the form below as soon as you have a title and description and not later than 4 September.
Get your software and hardware sorted out, per the tips listed above.
We will send you a virtual meeting URL. Do not share the meeting URL with anyone. If you want to invite people to participate, give them the YouTube link.
If you want to make short links for resources — especially useful for URLs people have to type, please send
/shorten <url>to Slackbot.
At your tutorial
Please arrive in the virtual meeting at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start of your event. Your host will be there to help you get set up and to take care of the livestreaming.
Please plan to finish your tutorial within 90 minutes. No-one will want to run over time.
Remember that people can pause and rewind the livestream, so there is no need to break during your session.
When speaking, try to look at the camera occasionally. It's not easy, but it does help engage the participants.
During your tutorial, you probably need to slow down a bit compared to your usual speed.
We're still figuring out some of the details of how everything will work. Your understanding and adaptability are appreciated!
Lightning talks
If you or anyone in your company or research group would like to do a lightning talk, please watch for the notices we will post in Slack the week before the event.
Contacts
Ask for help in the #transform-2023 channel and someone will jump in.