Online Workshops 

Definition

• a training event with specific learning outcomes, prepared resources and activities where there are significant amounts of participant activity and interaction. The workshop takes place synchronously for a fixed amount of time, usually short (1 >2 hours), with pre-registered participants.

Structure

• Before session:
  • Clear instructions sent out to delgates
  • Participants access course and read/review resources/case studies, post an introduction to a forum (orientation time)
  • Clear linear layout of activities to refelct synchronus participation
  • One discussion thread per case study or a strong focussed resource created
• During session:
  • Structure of workshop is displayed clearly and is a tight set of co-ordinated "activities"
  • Socialisation activity completed first
  • directed activities engage participants
  • Open/unstructured question and answer in forum. Moderator/trainer/presenter responds in forum (but encourages peer support).
  • Other activities completed
  • strong facilitator support
• After session:
  • Collation/summary of main points of discussion by favcilitator or delegates
  • Participant evaluation

Activities

• Resources available in advance for reading and review (case studies, links, video/audio documents etc)
• Students invited to post an introduction about themselves in forum (socialisation activity)
• Students invited to chat in chat room (socialisation activity)
• Students invited to post open unstructured questions to forum. Moderator/trainer/presenter responds in forum.
  • Student responds to student, and/or
  • Faciliatator responds to student, and/or
  • Expert reponds to student
• Students requested to participate in online activity (glossary, wiki, or survey etc)
• Weblinks to related articles & resources.
• Students invited to create and post summary of main points
• Formative assessments or simple quizzes
• Student experience evaluation via survey or poll

Evaluation/feedback

• open and closed questions
• quantitive & qualitative feedback
• collated survey

Platform

• A VLE/platform
• A suite of linked web(2) tools?  eg. a forum , wiki, surveymonkey, youtube, googlescholar, ning, twitter, MSN - for example.