Learning4Content/Workshops/Face-to-Face/Facilitators Guide/Preparations

This Facilitators Guide to Learning4Content Workshops is a work in progress.

=Preparation for the workshop= You need to help the host organisation and participants prepare for the workshop, and make sure you are ready, yourself.

Before we start, it's worthwhile getting up to speed on the WikiEducator itself, and researching some past workshop reports:

=Gauging interest and support=

If you are organising the workshop in your own country, you can find information on organising pre-workshop logistics at this page: Organizing_pre-workshop_logistics_activities.

If you are coming from a different country to where the workshop will be held, this is usually a process between the Commonwealth of Learning and each member country's COL Focal Point representative. However, if you are included in the communications, it's fine to introduce yourself and help them to understand the benefits and requirements of the workshop.

=Learning contracts and registration= Send the Learning Contracts and Registration document to all the participants, perhaps via the COL Focal Point. Send the documents in both pdf and odt format, in case they do not have access to OpenOffice, they will at least be able to print the pdf files and complete by hand.

Explain to them the purpose of the documents.

The Learning Contract is explained here: Learning4Content/Learning_contract.

The Registration form allows the participants to think a little about the workshop beforehand, and to write down some information about themselves that they can use when creating their User Pages during the workshop.

=Handouts and other workshop resources= Your participants will find it very useful to have a set of printed lesson notes at hand, during and after the workshop. Please make arrangements, and/or consult with the COL Focal Point to make sure they are all printed and copied for each participant. There are over 80 pages in total so this is a significant task with up to 20 participants.

If it is not possible to print the documents in full for everyone, provide the electronic copies (pdf format) for participants to print themselves, and try to have a few preprinted copies available to share.

As the facilitator, you should print your own copies and familiarise yourself with the contents.

In some cases, due to cost and/or limitations in printing infrastructure at the venue you may need to restrict printed materials to the minimum.

=Introductory Presentation=

It helps to prepare a short slide show presentation, to give some background and regional context. This can be a way of helping participants to think about how the Wikieducator might fit into their work and their lives.

=Agenda=

You can download a draft 3-Day workshop agenda here

You can adapt this to your needs. This is up to you. Some tips:
 * Customise it to suit your participants
 * Add your introductory presentation
 * Aim for most of day 3 on contributions
 * Note that thins will move faster on day 2 and 3