2. INTRODUCTION
Experience and research show that people generally
learn more and remember better when they think about new
material, figure out solutions, and apply new knowledge to
their own lives and needs. Such a workshop is sometimes
called "process-oriented" because the participants
productively work through a process rather than simply
receiving the product. Every workshop must have a
goal. Many workshops are a waste of time because there's no
clear goal kept at the centre of the discussion. Without this
clear goal, there's really no point in getting people together.
Workshops are a common educational format for transmitting
information and promoting skill acquisition.
The focus of a good workshop is building basic
understandings, teaching key concepts, and allowing practice
of some useful skills. Think of yourself as a workbook, not a
textbook. The real genius of most workshops is the ability to
take a complex topic and make it understandable and useful
rather than to give in-depth “coverage” or to display one’s
commanding mastery of a topic. When designing a workshop,
it is often helpful to use different types of activities that will
meet the needs of participants with different learning styles
and, when presented together, will provide a complete
learning experience.
3. CONTENT
An interactive workshop engages the participants actively
in learning new information or techniques. The workshop
facilitator makes it possible for audience members to
participate actively:
Participants might help set the agenda
Participants have chances to apply new information to
their teaching
Participants can analyze problems or difficulties in order
to figure out solutions
Participants often share their experiences and ideas.
Activities in a Workshop
Reflecting on Experience activities
Reflecting on Experience activities are
used to capture the motivation, imagination and energy of
a workshop audience. Reflecting activities encourage
workshop participants to look back on their own personal
or professional behaviour in a way that prepares them for
new learning and change.
Assimilating and Conceptualizing activities
Assimilating and Conceptualizing
activities are used to provide workshop participants with
new information. These activities can provide outside
information in the form of theories, data and facts, or can
inform the group about itself or individuals about
themselves. These activities also encourage workshop
participants to apply concepts to their own lives.
4. Experimenting and Practicing activities
Experimenting and Practicing activities
encourage participants to use knowledge in a practical
way. These activities provide an opportunity for
participants to practice and involve themselves in new
behaviours and skills. The workshop can provide
participants a safe environment in which to try out new
things before putting them into practice in the "real world."
Planning for Application activities
Planning for Application activities
provide a stimulus for implementing and utilizing new
learning outside the workshop context. Planning activities
prepare participants for and increase the likelihood of
transfer of learning. These activities are often used at the
conclusion of a workshop or when the focus of the
workshop is about to shift from one topic to another.
Steps of conducting workshop
1. Define the workshop objective.
Whether you are teaching a skill, delivering information
or increasing awareness, outline the goals of your workshop.
This analysis may result in a list of specific skills you will be
teaching, concrete topics you will cover, or simply a feeling
you will inspire in your participants.
2. Plan carefully.
Determine the details of the workshop. If you will be
delivering information, decide exactly what you will discuss. In
5. the case of skill-building, determine the types of activities you
will include in your workshop.
Coordinate and organize. You might decide to invite
other experts to give demonstrations or short talks.
Contact them well in advance. If you will need
particular supplies or materials, gather them ahead of time. If
your workshop requires that your participants arrive having
read or experienced something, notify them in advance.
3. Arrive early.
Set up all equipment before participants arrive. If
you are using video, graphics or other media, test them out
before the day of your workshop.
Arrange the chairs in advance. Depending on the
objective of your workshop, you might arrange the chairs in
a circle, in rows or across long tables.
Distribute materials. If you have notebooks or other
workshop materials to hand out, place them on the tables or
chairs in advance to save time during the workshop.
Greet participants as they arrive. Arriving early allows
you to set up, relax and get to know participants before the
start of the workshop. This helps in building relationships
with the participants.
4. Welcome everyone and begin introductions.
Introduce yourself, explain the workshop objective and
ask participants to introduce themselves. Limit the
introductions to a few sentences by asking everyone to
answer two or three specific questions, such as providing their
names and what they hope to gain from the workshop
5. Create opportunities for interaction.
Deliver information in short spurts and allow
participants to ask questions. Divide participants into groups
6. to complete a task and ask them to report back to the entire
group.
6. Allow regular breaks.
Scheduling breaks helps people assimilate the
information and reflect. Let participants know how often they
will get breaks and the lengths of the breaks. This allows
workshop attendees to plan accordingly for restroom usage,
phone calls and other personal needs.
7. Ask participants to fill out an evaluation form at the end of the session.
Include questions that help you gauge whether or not
the workshop met your intended objectives. Ask for
suggestions for how the workshop may be improved in the
future
8. Follow up with the participants after the workshop.
Ask workshop attendees if you may contact them in the
future for their input. Some people need time to reflect back
on their workshop experiences. Following up with workshop
participants several days or weeks later might reveal new
insights
Situations in Which a Workshop Would be the
Best Choice
A workshop, as explained above, is valuable in certain
circumstances. There are a number of situations in which a workshop
would be the best choice:
The Beginning of Something New. If your organization is
adopting a new method, or your community initiative is taking a new
track, there are often new pieces of information or ways of functioning
that people must learn. A workshop, or series of workshops, is a way
to introduce these in a short time and get people ready for the
change.
7. The Initial Training of Staff or Volunteers. Workshops are
often a good way to train new staff members or volunteers in the
philosophy, methods, and functioning of your organization, or in
techniques they'll need to do their jobs.
The In-Service or Ongoing Training of Staff or
Volunteers. Workshops in different issues, techniques, etc. are a
good way to keep staff and volunteers fresh and thinking about what
they're doing.
Staff development. Workshops are often used as a way of honing
professional skills and learning about new developments in the field.
The Demonstration of a New Concept. If someone in an
organization has been exposed to a particularly exciting new idea or
technique, he may want to conduct a workshop on it for his
colleagues, or the organization may want to bring in someone to do
so.
The Explanation of Something to the Public. An organization
may conduct a public workshop on its issue, in order to make sure
that people are informed about its cause or about what it is doing. An
adult literacy program may hold a workshop on illiteracy in its local
area, for instance, or a shelter might hold one on the causes and
consequences of homelessness.
The Availability of a Knowledgeable Presenter. If you have
particular expertise in a subject, you may be asked to present a
workshop to staff or members of another organization, to the public,
at a conference, etc. Well-known people in a given field are often
invited (and paid) to travel long distances to present workshops.
8. TIPS FOR CONDUCTING EFFECTIVE
WORKSHOPS
Pre-workshop planning
1. Define your objectives for the teaching session
2. Find out who your audience will be
3. Determine your teaching method and design the
appropriate workshop activities.
The workshop itself
4. Introduce the group members to you and to each other
5. Outline your objectives for the teaching session
6. Create a relaxed atmosphere for learning
7. Encourage active participation and allow for problem solving and/or skill
acquisition
8. Provide relevant and practical information
9. Remember principles of adult learning
10. Vary your activities and your style
Outline your objectives for the teaching session.
Tell the group what you hope to accomplish in the available time.
Specify what you will and will not do. Try to match your objectives to the
participants' needs. Outline the schedule of vents so that the group members
will know what to expect. Feedback on the proposed agenda is helpful in
ensuring consensus between your suggested plan and the group's needs.
Create a relaxed atmosphere for learning.
The introduction of group members to you and to each other
helps develop an atmosphere of mutual cooperation and collaboration.
Outlining your workshop objectives and
how you plan to achieve them will also help realize this goal. Effective
questioning and active participation by group members further facilitates an
atmosphere conducive to
teaching and learning.
Encourage active participation and allow for problem solving
and/or skill acquisition.
Provide relevant and practical information
Remember principles of adult learning
Vary your activities and your style.
Summarize your session and request feedback from the group.
Enjoy yourself - and have fun!
9. CONCLUSION
There are a number of different ways to teach
people things, and because people learn things in different ways, a
workshop has some advantages (and some disadvantages, too, most
notably the lack of time it provides) over these other methods that
make it a good choice in certain circumstances.
A workshop provides a way to create an intensive
educational experience in a short amount of time, when the time for a
more comprehensive effort may not be available. Participants may be
working, they may be too far apart to gather together regularly, or
may simply be unwilling to commit large amounts of time. A workshop
can introduce a new concept, spurring participants to investigate it
further on their own, or can demonstrate and encourage the practice
of actual methods.
It's a great way to teach hands-on skills because it
offers participants a chance to try out new methods and fail in a safe
situation. Failure is often the best teacher, and failure in this instance
doesn't carry a cost. At the same time, feedback, from both the
presenter and peers in the group, helps a participant understand what
she can do to avoid failure in a real situation.
A workshop is a way for someone to pass on to
colleagues ideas and methods that he has developed or finds
important. Teaching a graduate course may not be possible, but he
may be able to reach large numbers of people by conducting
workshops in various situations.
Especially for people who work together, a workshop can
help to create a sense of community or common purpose among its
participants.
In order to conduct an effective and successful
workshop, you need to address its planning, preparation, and
implementation. As you plan, consider the workshop's audience, its
size, its length, its purpose, and your presentation options.
Preparation includes logistics (managing the physical items involved,
10. materials, equipment, etc.), and preparing psychologically as well.
Finally, the implementation of the workshop includes attending to all
three of its phases: introduction, substance, and closure. And don't
forget to follow up, both by fulfilling any promises and using feedback
to redesign or change parts of the workshop so that your next one will
be even better.
