A Useful Tool For Mapping Concepts And Discussions
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I recently discovered a terrific tool for mapping concepts and group discussions: Compendium. Compendium was designed with an eye toward the IBIS (Issue-Based Information System) approach to structuring and recording group conversations. These are typically conversations done with the goal building a better understanding of a complex problem and exploring ideas for tackling what emerges. (For a good introduction to this take on facilitation, I’d recommend Jeff Conklin’s Dr. John Windmueller I’m an Assistant Professor at the University of Baltimore’s Center for Negotiations and Conflict Management. My Ph.D. is in Conflict Analysis & Resolution (George Mason University’s Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution) and my MA and BA degrees are in International Affairs (Florida State University). Prior to joining UB’s faculty, for seven years I taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in conflict resolution and interdisciplinary social sciences at George Mason (ICAR and New Century College). My current research interests include multicultural dialogue, evaluation research, and emerging practices of narrative and frame-based conflict interventions. I’m an active member of the Association for Conflict Resolution, the International Studies Association, and the American Evaluation Association. On the practitioner side of things, I began my practice work in conflict resolution fourteen years ago as both a court and community mediator. I’ve served as director of a mediation center and have designed and led mediation training courses and workshops. My recent and current practice work has involved conflict resolution, facilitation, and consulting work in the contexts of large-scale community conflicts, organizational conflicts, and international development. The views expressed by authors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Resourceful Internet Solutions, Inc., Mediate.com or of reviewing
editors.
Compendium’s keyboard shortcuts made it easy to record the information during the meeting (and project it via LCD), and its export features (ranging from a single jpg image to exporting a full set of hyperlinked web pages) made it easy to share the final record of the conversation. Best of all, Compendium is free and runs on most major platforms (PC, Mac, & Linux). You can learn more about and download the software at CompendiumInstitute.
Biography
