Information Literacy

Workshops

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What is a workshop?

According to SIGCSE 2013 "Workshops provide an in-depth review of (or introduction to) a topic of interest to the community, typically provide participants with materials and/or ideas that are immediately useful in the classroom, and ideally devote significant time to hands-on activities by the attendees." http://www.sigcse.org/sigcse2013/authors/authworkshops.php
So in my understanding workshops provide platforms in which ideas or concepts can be relayed to relevant communities which can provide the communities with relevant tools or ideas that can be useful to them.

Importance of workshops?

Workshops help organisations to get up to date information. They create learning communities and allow for networking within an organisation or discipline. Experts on hand will answer questions employees might have. Workshops also allows for vital information to reach a group of people simultaneously.

Why I would give a workshop ?

I would give a workshop to teach educators how to use the Frame in their teaching practices.

When would I conduct a workshop?

I would conduct a workshop when it would be most convenient for my target audience to attend taking into account work timetables as well as social agendas. If target audience are mothers for example I would schedule it at a time their children would be at school. If workshop is about work and work related I would schedule it in work hours. The audience will determine the suitability of a timeframe. For students and learners I would conduct a workshop when it is vacation time or on weekends so that it does not clash with their class timetables.

How do you conduct a workshop?

Steps for conducting a workshop according to the Faculty Development Office, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University available: http://www.mcgill.ca/medicinefacdev/files/medicinefacdev/DesigningWorkshopsWorkbook.pdf

1- Defining a Topic & Identifying the Target Audience
2- Conducting a Needs Assessment
3- Defining Workshop Goals and Objectives
4- Deciding on Time Frame and Number of Participants
5- Defining and Designing Workshop Content
6- Matching Teaching Methods to Content and Objectives
7- Choosing Teaching and Learning Resources
8- Designing a Workshop Program/Agenda
9- Designing the Workshop Evaluation
10- Fine-Tuning the Workshop Plan
11- Recruiting and Preparing Workshop Faculty
12- Determining Locale and Workshop Budget
13- Deciding on Marketing Strategies
14- Finalizing Administrative Details
15- Conducting the Workshop

On a more practical level:

Prepare Your Talk: rehearse your topic, prepare hand outs and schedule your time including Q&A time
Prepare Yourself: Be comfortable, bring a water bottle
Control the room: make eye contact, relax, encourage discussion
Make yourself available after the workshop for a few minutes to engage with audience

With workshops for students and learners the atmosphere have to be relaxed and upbeat so as not to bore them. Young people are more technologically inclined so I will have to make sure that computer access is available for practical searches. With information literacy showing them how to do searches is more effective than just telling them how to. Frequent breaks will have to be scheduled for. Time will have to be flexible so that they do not feel that they are rushed when struggling to comprehend concepts. I will have to give the workshop in the language they understand and respond to.