The Pioneer s WORKSHOP ACTIVITY TRAIL MAP 6 Learning Activities To Use In Your Next Workshop
WELCOME In 2014, the inaugural Pioneer Nation conference for independent entrepreneurs was held in Portland, Oregon. When planning for the event, the organizers decided they were tired of conferences that were long on inspiration and short on action; they wanted something different. They decided to incorporate a series of interactive, hands-on workshops, each of which included recommended activities so that participants could immediately apply what they were learning to their own situation. This ebook contains an overview of all of the core activities used at Pioneer Nation. Each was specifically selected to invite reflection, application, problem solving and critical thinking - skills which research shows are key drivers of true, deep learning. You will also find advice on how and when to use each activity, so that Page 1 of 15
you can apply them to your own workshops. While the activities themselves are described in terms of how they would work in a physical workshop setting, they can also be adapted to the online environment with a bit of creativity and technical know-how. You don t need to be an expert educator to use these activities; with a bit of preparation and a learner-centered focus, you can integrate them into your own teaching to help your students learn more. Note: All photos are courtesy Armosa Studios. Used under Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License. Page 2 of 15
WHICH ACTIVITIES SHOULD I USE? Choosing the perfect set of activities for a workshop depends on several factors, and so it s worthwhile to consider how the activities will fit into the workshop as a whole before you start making your selections. Page 3 of 15
Consider things like the number of participants, the workshop duration, how much time can be dedicated to each activity, and the set-up of the space (be it physical or virtual). Beyond logistics, one of the most important things you need to figure out is exactly what you want people to get out of the workshop - and how your activities can help them demonstrate what they ve learned. As you plan and outline your workshop, do not think in terms of what you want to teach people or what knowledge you want them to acquire; instead, ask yourself: As a result of this workshop, what should my attendees be able to DO? The answer to this question is your main workshop outcome: a specific, measurable behaviour that the participant can demonstrate to prove to themselves that they can accomplish the task at hand. Choosing Activities The reason that your outcome is so important is that it essentially dictates the appropriate activity or learning task for your workshop should be. For example, if your workshop s outcome is that participants will be able to create a marketing plan, then the participants should walk out of the workshop with a completed marketing plan. Page 4 of 15
However, it s not just enough for participants to complete a worksheet or fill in some blanks on a handout. We internalize, understand, and remember what we ve learned better when we have actively engaged with the material in a deep and meaningful way. Above all, workshops should incorporate a good mix of techniques. By using a variety of active learning techniques across (and within) workshops, participation rates - and therefore, satisfaction and learning - will be higher. Page 5 of 15
CORE WORKSHOP ACTIVITIES In general, the more complex the skill, the more dedicated time you want to give the individual to work on something before sharing it for feedback. Techniques like, gallery walks are more suitable for high-level, complex tasks; think-pair-share is more valuable for less complicated, more straightforward lessons. Some techniques, such as personal response cards are valuable in every workshop, as they give participants a consistent way to give feedback (Do I understand? Am I ready to continue? Do I feel confident?) to their facilitator. The 6 core workshop activities are: Personal Response Cards Think-Pair-Share (TPS) Gallery Walk Focused Listing Pause Procedure Writing for Learning There are also several other techniques that can be used in combination with the above; these additional tools are included at the end. Page 6 of 15
Personal Response Cards Personal Response Cards are used to get instant feedback to the facilitator from attendees without needing to pick out individuals. Helps clarify information, encourage participation. Ensures that attendees get the concepts before moving on. HOW IT WORKS Each attendee is given a set of 4 colored cards (one of each color; e.g. recipe or index cards) Facilitator frequently asks questions of the audience: Is this clear? (Red = unclear, Orange = mostly clear, Green = totally clear) How would you classify? (Red = Category A, Orange = Category B, Green = Category C, Blue = Category D) Can also ask multiple choice questions, true / false, etc. Page 7 of 15
Think-Pair-Share (TPS) TPS is used to help promote higher-level thinking. Good for intermediate to advanced topics, and also good for workshops that result in creating a longer-term plan (for accountability purposes). HOW IT WORKS The Facilitator poses a QUESTION Attendees THINK about the question and record (write, sketch, etc.) their answer in their workbook After thinking about their own responses, attendees PAIR off and discuss with a partner Finally, everyone comes back as a group, and SHARES what they discussed and learned Page 8 of 15
Pause Procedure Pause Procedure is used to promote learner engagement in informationheavy presentations. Good for conceptual topics. Helps with long-term memory retention, making it easier to revisit the topic and apply it after the workshop is over. HOW IT WORKS Every 12-15 minutes, take a 2 minute pause During the pause, attendees rework their notes and discuss with neighbor(s) to clarify any unclear points Page 9 of 15
Gallery Walk A gallery walk encourages thoughtful responses to others work. Good for promoting feedback, refining understanding and encouraging deep reflection. Excellent for sharing ideas and providing feedback. HOW IT WORKS Facilitator provides a task or topic for reflection Attendees write their responses on flip-chart paper and post on the wall Attendees walk around the room (individually or in groups), reviewing others work, and adding ideas, thoughts, suggestions, etc. Each attendee retrieves their own paper, reviews it for comments, etc. Page 10 of 15
Focused Listing Focused listing is the equivalent of solo brainstorming, and focuses on the rapid application of a concept. Good for taking theory and transforming it into knowledge. Excellent introductory activity for generating lots of ideas to be evaluated, based on criteria presented later. HOW IT WORKS Facilitator poses a specific question or presents a topic to attendees Attendees list as many thoughts as they can related to the question / topic [OPTIONAL] Facilitator moves around the room, reviewing attendees lists in order to identify and summarize trends or themes [OPTIONAL] Attendees exchange lists with a partner, and continue brainstorming additional ideas onto each others lists Page 11 of 15
Writing for Learning Writing for Learning is a strategy used for invention and revision, and are particularly useful for summarizing and condensing info, interpreting given info and commenting on its significance, explaining a puzzling situation, and visualizing connections between new ideas. Note: while the name implies writing as the core activity, it can involve freewriting, sketching, mind-mapping, etc. HOW IT WORKS Facilitator poses a specific question or presents a topic to attendees Attendees sketch, mindmap freewrite on the question / topic [OPTIONAL] Facilitator moves around the room, reviewing attendees work in order to identify and summarize trends or themes [OPTIONAL] Attendees work aloud with a partner, on a common worksheet, to develop ideas together Page 12 of 15
Other Tools (Use in Combination with the Above) CASE BASED LEARNING Excellent for higher-level mastery. Present a complex, real-life scenario and ask attendees to describe what s going on, apply what they have learned to the situation, analyze the situation and ultimately evaluate the possible outcomes and opportunities. CONCEPTESTS ConcepTests are group multiple-choice assessments used to test understanding. Good for situations where there s a right/wrong answer, they help the facilitator better gauge success at lower levels of mastery before moving on to higher levels. Especially effective when followed-up with a TPS activity. DEMONSTRATIONS Effective way to arouse interest, but ineffective for helping attendees understand or remember what was demonstrated, as they tend to have an incorrect interpretation of what they saw. Use as an introduction or Page 13 of 15
overview tool (as a pre-assessment), and then quickly move into the 3D model: demo, discuss what was seen (point out the less-obvious aspects), and then get attendees to do it for themselves. PUZZLES AND GAMES Almost any type of knowledge-test can be presented as a puzzle or a game. By introducing levity and fun into the learning experience, retention is increased. Jeopardy-style games, in which attendees are broken down into teams and work together to answer questions from different categories / topics for points, can be an especially effective knowledge-check. ROLE PLAYS Role playing is generally considered highly motivational. It encourages attendees to explore the intersection between what they are learning, and how they will apply it in the real world. Using role play can help to demonstrate that the world is a complex place with complicated problems, and encourages creativity in problem solving. Page 14 of 15
CONGRATULATIONS You ve completed reading - but that s only just the beginning. Your next steps are to think about how you can use these activities in your own workshops, webinars and training programs. No matter what you chose, I d love to hear what you decide to do and how it works out. Connect with me at: Email: me@mynameisbreanne.com Web: Twitter: @mnibreanne If you re looking for more advice on how to master the business of teaching online, including additional resources and guides just like this, sign-up for my newsletter: http://mynameisbreanne.com/newsletter Page 15 of 15