Best Practices for Leading Engaging Workshops

Know Your Audience: Adult Learners

• OLLI participants are enthusiastic learners who often come from diverse backgrounds. They have a wealth of knowledge, beliefs and life experiences to share. It is a good idea to tap into this background knowledge whenever possible.
• Learners have varying learning styles and needs. Consider using auditory, visual and participatory presentation methods.
• Be sensitive to visual and hearing needs. Face your audience and make eye contact as much as possible.
• If you plan to show a video clip or movie, consider enabling closed captioning, if available.
• Remind class participants to speak loudly enough to be heard by all.
• Repeat or summarize questions before answering them.
• Involve learners through brainstorming, giving examples and encouraging participation.
  
  

Communication

• In advance of the first workshop meeting, it is advisable to introduce yourself and welcome your members via email. Be creative, upbeat, and perhaps even humorous. This will be an opportunity to provide necessary information and also to set the tone and generate interest and excitement.

• At the first meeting introduce yourself and share what led you to offer the workshop.

• If the class is small, you may consider having workshop members introduce themselves.

• Members recognize a well-organized workshop when they understand the purpose of the presentation and what will generally be covered.Communicate your own excitement and interest in the workshop subject.

• Once the workshop session has started, acknowledge latecomers, but it is not advisable to stop and “fill them in.”

• Get feedback from participants about how the workshop is going. Asking for suggestions about workshop procedures or content may be helpful early in the term. It is also worthwhile for members to know that their opinions contribute to the workshop. You can make changes if you feel it will benefit the workshop.

• Use familiar terms; be ready to explain any acronyms and/or jargon associated with your topic.

• Begin and end on time.
  
  

Discussion Techniques

• Each workshop meeting needs a goal if it is to be clearly organized. At the beginning of each session discuss the plan for the class and when questions and discussion will be appropriate.

• Encourage members to share their knowledge and experiences. It is helpful in the early sessions to ask members to state their names before speaking.

• Always be aware of and respect differing beliefs, values, and opinions.

• Make eye contact with your audience and consider moving around the room.

• Try to recognize all who wish to speak, rather than letting a few participants dominate. If some are dominating a discussion, it may be helpful to ask to “hear from those who have not had a chance to speak.”

• Enthusiasm might take over and it can be helpful to remind participants to raise their hands for a turn to speak.

• You might find it helpful to set a time limit for comments/questions.

• Discourage side conversations by saying, “Please, only one conversation at a time.”

• When useful, a workshop can be divided into small discussion groups for a short period of time. Leave time for groups to report back.

• Keep the discussion focused. Be alert to moving the workshop along when the topic is exhausted or not working well. “Let’s move on to the next idea…slide…etc.”

• Encourage participation of those who may want to research a topic and report back during a future session
  
  

Use a range of questioning techniques

Workshop Options

• Lecture/Discussion: The workshop leader has material to present formally. Even in a lecture format, there should be time for questions and comments from participants.
• Augmented Workshop: The basic lecture is enhanced and supplemented with electronic presentations (Powerpoint, educational videos, Youtube, etc.) music, guest speakers** or demonstrations.
• DVD or Movie-Based: Workshop information is presented electronically. The workshop leader selects the materials, contributes information, asks questions, and facilitates any discussion.
• Peer-Group Workshop: The workshop leader serves as an organizer of the sessions while participants take responsibility for presenting a section of the workshop. Content can be based on something read by all participants or by a series of ideas related to the workshop topic.
• Multiple Leaders: Responsibility for workshop content and organization, as well as implementation of presentations, is shared.
• Discussion: The formal presentation is limited. The workshop leader facilitates as participants engage in discussion around a specific topic or a book.
• Hands-On: These workshops provide for hands-on experiences and interactions and can include games, drawing/painting, exercise, or sports activities.

**Workshop leaders may choose to have one or more guest speakers. Please refer to the Guest Speaker section of the Workshop Leader Handbook pertaining to the Guest Speaker Form and Guest Speaker Policy. **It is always helpful to have a co-leader – particularly if you are leading a zoom
or a hybrid workshop.