The Roles in the Kickoff Meeting

Shared handout for all participants

Authors
Affiliations

Gesellschaft für Informatik

deRSE

Gesellschaft für Informatik

deRSE

Florian Goth

Jan Phillip Thiele

Jan Linxweiler

Anna-Lena Lamprecht

Maja Toebs

Everyone gets this. Here are all the people sitting around the table in the kickoff meeting for the »LernSpur« platform – with what is publicly known about them. You’re all on a first-name basis (you know each other from earlier meetings). In addition, everyone receives a personal, confidential card with their own goals and interests. You do not show this card to the others – what the others really want is something you find out in conversation.

Robin · RSE / software coordination

Robin — RSE / Software Coordination

“I’m supposed to coordinate this – but I can’t give orders to anyone here.”

  • hired at the chair 3 months ago, holds a master’s in Research Software Engineering
  • is meant to turn the scattered files of the »LernSpur« study into a sustainable, FAIR-compliant platform
  • has no authority to give orders to the others
  • leads the kickoff meeting
  • core interest: a viable, maintainable platform

Petra · PI / chair

Petra (Prof. Dr. Barn) — PI / Chair Holder

“I’m thrilled about this – just tell me how I can help you make it happen!”

  • heads the chair and the »LernSpur« project
  • enthusiastic about the idea; wants to publish and share research results
  • brought Robin on board and has the RSE’s back
  • cares deeply about the conference in 8 weeks
  • core interest: a visible success carried by everyone together

Mara · education research

Mara (Dr. Melis) — Education Researcher / Postdoc

“You can just tell, surely – just show me the classes that stand out.”

  • postdoc in empirical education research, knows the data best in terms of content
  • wants to advance her own research and pull analyses out of the data
  • little software-engineering knowledge, tends to phrase her wishes loosely
  • depends on the platform
  • core interest: quickly analysable data

Tobi · student assistant

Tobi (Tobias) — Student Assistant

“Sure, I’ll do that … what exactly did you mean again?”

  • 4th semester, employed 10 h/week, learned to program mostly from YouTube
  • is meant to support Robin and learn along the way
  • motivated but inexperienced; availability fluctuates
  • core interest: contributing something and learning

Sabine · partner school (optional)

Sabine (Ms. Korter) — Teacher & Contact at a Partner School

“What’s actually in it for me that we’re taking part in this?”

  • teacher at one of the 14 partner schools, contact person for the study
  • her classes supply data (app usage, questionnaires, videos)
  • keeps an eye on the benefit for her pupils and on data protection
  • barely familiar with everyday research and software work
  • core interest: benefit for the school, data protection

Two goals at once. Everyone at the table shares one big goal: that »LernSpur« succeeds and the meeting ends with a viable plan. Alongside that, everyone has a personal goal – it’s on the confidential card and is sometimes at odds with the others’. It’s exactly this tension that makes the game.

How it runs: Robin opens the meeting. The aim of the round is a shared, realistic plan for the first few weeks. Everyone brings their own interests into it – but the time until the conference is tight, and not everything will fit. Negotiate until you have a package everyone can get behind.