ИСТИНА

The purposes of this article is to show the differences between traditional and conversational conferences and to suggest that synergic effects might be produced when both models are adequately related in simultaneous events so cybernetic loops might be produced. The effectiveness of both approaches could increase if they are adequately related or oriented to the generation of processes that might integrate both models in the context of the same event, or chain of events. The content of this article is based on a combination of experience, reflection, and action, using the methodologies of Action-Research/reflection, Action-Learning, and Action-Design. After ten years trying to relate these two approaches we learned that they are opposite, but not contradictory with each other. They are, or can be designed as polar opposites which would complement (and even require) each other in a synergic whole, with potential emergent properties as effective learning, interdisciplinary communication, and creativity via analogical thinking; which, when followed by logical thinking, is a source of knowledge creation and innovations generation. This is beneficial to both disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research. In this article, knowledge is conceived as “justified belief” generated by a collective construction requiring effective communication for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge creation. In the later case, communication via informal conversation might be a necessary condition because disciplinary communication are usually more formal due to the respective disciplinary rigor, concepts, symbols, etc. Intra-disciplinary communication is usually based in what is common to the respective disciplinary researchers or professionals, which might not be common with other disciplines. Consequently, we will show that a combination of formal and informal communications channels are required for intra-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary communication, respectively.