Online professional development conferences: An effective, economical and eco-friendly option

Abstract

In order to stay current within their field, many professionals regularly attend conferences and training events in distant locales. Travel to these conferences costs professionals, and their sponsor organizations, both time and money. In the past the benefits afforded by these conferences, and the lack of comparable alternatives, have provided justification for these expenditures. However, recent studies have shown that the cost of travel extends beyond the pocketbook. Transportation is a major contributor of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, a key suspect in the argument for the negative impact of global climate change. This paper examines the potential effects of travel to these conferences on the environment and promotes online conferences as a comparable alternative to face-to-face events. A successful online conference is used to demonstrate the magnitude of the environmental and economical benefits of online conferences. The authors posit that online conferencing technologies have evolved such that they now offer another option for professional development that is effective, economical and environmentally friendly. Résumé : Afin de rester à jour dans leur domaine, de nombreux professionnels participent régulièrement à des colloques et à des activités de formation dans des endroits éloignés. Se déplacer pour assister à de tels congrès ou colloques demande des investissements à la fois en temps et en argent de la part des professionnels et de leurs établissements parrains. Si, par le passé, les bénéfices que procuraient ces colloques et l’absence de solutions de rechange comparables justifiaient de telles dépenses, des études récentes ont toutefois montré que les frais de déplacement s’étendent au-delà des coûts financiers. Les transports constituent une source majeure des émissions de dioxyde de carbone (CO2), un composé soupçonné d’être l’un des facteurs clés de l’impact négatif de l’humain sur le changement climatique mondial. Le présent article examine les effets potentiels des déplacements à de tels colloques sur l’environnement et fait la promotion des activités de formation en ligne comme solution de rechange comparable à des événements auxquels on doit assister en personne. Une activité de formation en ligne réussie est exploitée afin de démontrer l’ampleur des avantages environnementaux et économiques que présentent les formations en ligne. Les auteurs postulent que les technologies de conférence en ligne ont évolué de telle sorte que ces dernières représentent dorénavant une nouvelle manière de suivre des activités de perfectionnement professionnel, en plus d’être une option efficace, économique et écologique.

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