Most of us have the experience of registering for a workshop only to discover that it is a lecture or (worse) an advertisement for the presenter. A genuine workshop aims to empower the participants such that they leave with new ideas and skills.
What follows are some suggested principles we have prepared for workshop facilitators that move beyond a “talkfest” to genuine learning.
Principle 1: Come early and “own” the learning space.
You need to give plenty of time to ensuring the room is arranged to facilitate quality discussion and learning. Make sure that all the technology is working. Greet people as they enter to let them know they are valued and welcome.
Principle 2: A workshop is not a lecture.
The word “workshop” implies that work will be done by the participants. This means the center of attention should be on the students doing work, not on the expert talking about their expertise. Many experts are bad at teaching workshops because they are used to lecturing. A lecture has the spotlight on the speaker, but a workshop has the spotlight on the students. Instead of crafting a message for people to listen to, a good workshop is designed to maximize participant engagement and give the participants the opportunity for guided instruction in doing things. Many workshops are born from lectures, which explains why those workshops are so ineffective and boring.
Principle 3: Small group work is ideal.
Good workshops involve discussion, and discussion is most fruitful in groups of 3-4 members. In smaller groups, every person has the opportunity to express an opinion, and it is far more difficult to remain silent and uninvolved. In groups of five or more, certain individuals will tend to monopolize the discussion, and it is possible for one or more members to remain uninvolved observers. Remember that the two keys to effective learning are involvement and application. Participants are more likely to become involved in a smaller group than in a larger group.
Principle 4: Think in units of three:
- Explain: Walk the participants through a relatively small piece of information or skill, perhaps (as relevant) providing a model or example that participants can build from.
- Exercise: Have everyone try to do that thing (while you wander around and help people one on one).
- Debrief: Discuss the results of the experience: where people got stuck, and what things people learned, or realized they want to learn.
Principle 5: Less is More.
Don’t try to “cover the content”. Address one or two key issues and give time for participants to wrestle with a smaller amount of content but at a deeper level. The result is likely to be more profound and deep in learning.
Principle 6: Keep in mind that discussion takes time.
If you break the class into smaller groups, set a time limit and remind them about halfway through, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to participate. This gives the group permission to ask anyone who is monopolizing the conversation to finish so that others may have a turn. As teacher/facilitator you should move around the groups, ensuring that they have understood the questions and are progressing through them at an appropriate pace. Your presence will communicate interest and concern, and greatly motivate the students to stay on task and engage with the material.
Principle 7: Carefully design discussion questions in advance.
The best questions need crafting and design. Ensure that every question is divergent and open. Seek to connect not only with the mind but with attitudes and actions.
Principle 8: Stay out of the center.
Participants are coming to learn, and they generally learn from others as much as they do from you. As a general rule you should not talk for more than 5-10 minutes before having the participants reflect and engage. In total the participants should be doing at least half the talking – and more. Facilitation is the name of the game.
Principle 9: Closure is important.
A time of reporting is valuable, but it needs five to ten minutes following the small-group work, and the class structure needs to be planned accordingly. It is generally best not to take extensive responses from each group, as this can become boring and counterproductive. A very effective procedure is to ask each group to contribute its single most important insight. Each insight should be a new contribution to the class reflections rather than the same repetitive information. Only when every group has had an opportunity to share one or two ideas do you solicit additional responses. Sharp and short reporting can give an almost electric dynamism to the feedback process.
Principle 10: Plan to be available after the workshop.
Oftentimes the most significant learning is one-on-one between you and a participant.
Perry Shaw EdD is honorary research associate at Morling College, Australia, and author of Transforming Theological Education.
Orbelina Eguizabal E. PhD is Professor of Christian Higher Education, PhD and EdD Programs in Educational Studies, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University.