I've found, particularly with workshops, that there's a need to be very well read round the subject as you never know what questions will come up, and some will likely be outside the immediate bounds of what you're covering in the workshop. Being well read around the topic has given me additional confidence for these kinds of situations.
Helen
-----Original Message-----
From: CIG E-Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Katie Flanagan
Sent: 09 September 2015 14:07
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CIG-E-FORUM] Hints and tips for preparing a workshop
I think what I found hardest when preparing a workshop activity was not having a clue how many people would be coming to it! It's worth asking the organisers in advance if they know, but unless delegates have to book onto particular workshops, at many conferences it'll just be whoever turns up. That affects what you might want to hand out, or be able to achieve practically (the too many people in a small room thing). A workshop I attended at one conference just asked us to discuss things with the person sitting nearest us, and we had to write things down as part of a process, so no handouts etc were needed. That seemed to make it easier.
Katie
Katie Flanagan BA (Hons), MA, MCLIP
Special Collections Librarian
T +44(0)1895 266139 | E [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: CIG E-Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Welsh, Anne
Sent: 09 September 2015 12:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CIG-E-FORUM] Hints and tips for preparing a workshop
Išd love to hear more from those new to conferences what makes a good workshop. I think that different people often want different things, but I could be wrong about that!
For facilitating, my top tip is to always keep it interactive. If you have to convey a lot of information, can you break it up so therešs never any more than a few minutes of you talking before therešs an activity?
Donšt be scared to talk to set up activities, but do divide it into chunks. For example, at a workshop Išm doing with a colleague on Monday, we need to tell people about WEMI and about how to recognise an RDA record, and whereas in a paper wešd have that flowing together, for the workshop, wešve got WEMI explanation, WEMI activity, RDA recognition, RDA activity.
In good workshops, youšre really a facilitator with a big bag of activities, which makes it easier / less daunting for some people and harder / more daunting for others depending on your teaching style. :)
On 09/09/2015 11:33, "CIG E-Forum on behalf of Claire Sewell"
<[log in to unmask] on behalf of [log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Calls for workshops are frequently included in CfP. Whereas a
>traditional presentation involves the presenter talking to an audience
>a workshop is much more interactive and involves different preparation.
>
>As workshops involve audience participation you may need to prepare
>additional materials such as handouts or cards. When doing this you
>need to keep the needs of the audience and the practicalities of the
>space in mind. I've been to conference workshops where presenters
>clearly haven't considered the room they will be in as they ask us to
>divide into groups in a very confined space. From this and other
>observations, making sure you know your space as well as you can in
>advance would be my top tip for preparing a workshop.
>
>Does anyone else have any other tips or observations that they want to
>share? Have you seen something done really well or even really badly
>that you would like to avoid?
>
>Claire
>--
>Claire Sewell, MSc, MCLIP
>Reader Services Desk
>Cambridge University Library
>West Road
>Cambridge
>CB3 9DR
>
>Find me online: http://about.me/clairesewell
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