Developing a new webinar concept for the Norwegian Defence University College

As a higher education institution, the Norwegian Defence University College (NDUC) is legally obligated to disseminate knowledge, and one of the tasks of the Academic Staff is to support this endeavor. At NDUC, open seminars and conferences play a vital role in sharing knowledge with stakeholders in the defence sector, academia, and society at large.

The Norwegian Defence University College comprises eight departments spread across seven locations, with three in Oslo and the remainder in Trondheim, Bergen, Lillehammer, and Sessvollmoen. The support functions are primarily centralised in Oslo, particularly in relation to research and development (R&D) support.

For physical seminars, the size of the department and its proximity to Oslo are crucial factors in determining the accessibility of support resources. Smaller departments located far from Oslo do not have the same proximity to R&D event support as larger departments. Therefore, it is essential for NDUC to establish a platform for research dissemination that is easily accessible to all, regardless of geographical location. Webinars possess these characteristics.

There are various ways to organize a webinar. Hence, we will explore the following question:

Which type of webinar is best suited for equitable dissemination of R&D at NDUC?

To answer this question, we will examine existing research on the use of webinars for research dissemination. Additionally, through interviews and surveys, we will gather insights into practical experiences both internally and externally.

We will investigate how other educational institutions utilise webinars in their R&D communication. What challenges have they encountered, and how have they chosen to address them? Our objective is to design and test at least two distinct webinar concepts. Subsequently, we will evaluate the effectiveness of each concept and determine the reasons behind their respective success. We plan to involve employees from all departments in the development and testing process.