Information About the Sessions
Sessions
Sessions are educational and are based on the Congress topics. They will be led by two chairs/moderators, one International and one Local. The duration is one hour and a half, including introduction and discussion.
There are three talks of 20′, followed by discussion.
Symposia
Symposia are didactic, lecture based sessions, presenting general-interest topics that are relevant to a specific Interest Section. These sessions are one hour 15 minutes long and are facilitated by the two chairs/moderators. There are three 20-minute talks, each of which have their own title. There is a 15-minute question and answer segment at the end of the session, taking questions from the audience.
Pro/Con Debates
Pro/Con Debates are one-hour sessions in which two debaters provide opposing views and explanations on a controversial topic. The moderator gives a five-minute introduction to the topic and explains why it is controversial. Each debater will then have 20 minutes to present his or her view. At that point, the moderator will announce that each debater has five minutes for rebuttal. The remaining 15 minutes of the session will be reserved for questions from the audience.
Courses
Courses are designed to introduce or refresh fundamental knowledge about a topic in asthma and related diseases, allergy and immunology. Courses allow the audience to be better prepared to participate in symposia, workshops and seminars, which cover more detailed content. Course formats vary and are sometime more interactive with small group discussion or hands-on instruction. Question and answer segments are built into the course structure depending on the learning. Objective courses are free-hour morning sessions.
Workshops
Workshops are interactive learning experiences which explore one or more specific aspects of a topic within Asthma & related diseases. Workshops are one-hour and 15 minutes long and should fit into one of the interactive formats.
Seminars
Seminars are highly interactive one-hour sessions in which two presenters lead a small group of participants in discussion about a defined topic. A flipchart and markers are provided for seminars instead of audio visual equipment. At the start of the session, topics from the participants should be written on the flipchart paper and used as session agenda. Faculty discussion should be limited to 10-15 minutes to allow ample time for group discussion. Seminars are limited to 30 participants.
Panel Discussions
A moderator makes relevant questions to a group of up to three expert panelists on a series of pre-defined topics. Panelists respond to the question and to each other. Once the panelists have addressed each question, the moderator will ask members of the audience to provide commentary as well.