How to Facilitate
Parallel Workshops at a Conference
Ib Ravn, PhD, senior lecturer
Department of Educations
Aarhus University, Denmark, www.edu.au.dk/fv
Today’s goal and program
Goal
•
Help you create a safe and learning-friendly context for your
delegates in the parallel workshops
Program
•
Morning: Your challenges. My presentation on how to handle
them. Your experience. We digest that.
•
Afternoon: You design your sessions. You present the designs
to the rest of us. Feedback. Today’s take-aways
Lunch 12:30-1:00PM. Suitable breaks. Finish 4:00 PM
Overview of processes and advice
1.
Get process agreement with presenter
2.
Welcome, with process instruction
3.
Meet people
4.
Pair and share
5.
Silent reflection
6.
The constructive opening question
7.
Take-aways (combining 4, 5, and 6)
8.
Plucking the best
9.
Control Q & A and plenary debates
10. Introducing a process
1. Get process agreement with presenters
1.
Tell them precise length of presentation
2.
Time’s up: ”When do you want me to remind you, and how?”
3.
”How do you want me to interrupt you if you exceed the time
limit?”
4.
”Is it okay that I run the Q & A, so that you can concentrate
on answering the questions?”
5.
Alternatively: ”After your presentation, what will you do and
what would you like me to do?”
2. Welcome at session, with process instructions
1.
Start on time (max. 1-2 minutes late)
2.
Take charge of the room (you are the host; both delegates
and speakers are your guests)
3.
Introduce yourself and your role
4.
Mention the speakers and their topics
5.
If you have planned unusual processes, explain them
6.
Show session program on flipchart, especially finishing time
7.
Other practical matters
8.
Introduce the first process or speaker
3. Meet people
What: Delegates meet 3-4 neighbours
Rationale: Warm up the room for learning
When: Before the first speaker
Time: 4-7 minutes
Speak: ”Today’s speakers are not the only interesting people in
this room, you know. Seated close to you you’ll find other
smart and experienced people. I’d like you to spend five
minutes meeting people next to you and in the rows behind
you and in front of you. Go ahead!”
Tap a glass when time’s up: ”Thank you! Our first speaker is…”
4. Pair and share
What: A chat with your neighbour
Purpose: Digest the presentation, relate it to your own world,
prepare questions, meet a stranger.
When: After presentations, before Q & A
Time: 5-10 minutes
Speak: ”Before Q & A I’d like to give you a chance to talk about
the presentation with the person sitting next to you–when I
say ”Go!” in a second. Why don’t you pair up from this side of
the room, so please move together if you need to. Those of
you who are left out over here, please get up and find a
partner from another row. We’ll do 7-8 minutes. Please go
ahead!”
5. Silent reflection
What: A minute to reflect; everyone jots down a few thoughts in
silence.
Purpose: Digest the presentation, reflect, ”What are my thoughts,
really?”
When: After a presentation, before Q & A.
Time: 2-3 minutes
Speak: ”Before we do Q & A I’d like to give you the opportunity to
think a bit about the presentation. Take a few minutes to
write down a couple of thoughts on a piece of paper. Go
ahead!”
(If someone speaks, don’t stop them, unless they’re noisy)
6. The constructive opening question
What: A useful question to talk about or reflect on
Purpose: Helping people focus on what they got out of the
presentation. Smart people often happen to focus on what
was missing.
When: Before ”Pair and share” or ”Silent reflection”
Time: ½ minute
Speak: ”I’d
– What
– What
– What
– What
like you to consider this question [one of them]:
inspired you the most in the presentation?
seemed really useful in the presentation?
would you do different tomorrow?
would you like to know more about, and why?”
7. Take-aways (combining 4, 5, and 6)
What: Delegates consider what they got out of the session
Purpose: Ensure learning
When: At the very end
Time: 5-7 minutess
Speak: ”Before we close I’d like to give you all a chance to
articulate for yourselves what you got out of this session.
Please spend 2 minutes clarifying what you will take away
from the session. You will present this to your neighbour
afterwards. Go ahead!”
”Thank you. Now get up and find a stranger and tell each
others what you wrote. You have a total of 5 minutes.”
8. Plucking the best
What: Facilitator takes input from the people who have things to
say
Purpose: Get a few pertinent reports from ”Pair and share” or
”Silent reflection”
Time: 5-10 minutes
Speak: ”Let’s hear from some of you what you talked about. Don’t
give us a loyal report of everything you discussed with your
neighbour. What we want to hear is what’s important to you.”
If a constructive opening question was used, ask for a report on
that before opening up to ordinary questions and comments.
9. Control Q & A and plenary debates
1.
Step forward, thank the presenter briefly, ensure applause.
2.
If constructive opening question, pluck replies to that
3.
Say how much time there is for questions
4.
Take questions. Keep a mental list of the next 2-3 questions.
5.
If questions and debate move along spontaneously, fine. But
stay up front, for easy intervention
6.
Check bad questions. Refer them to later, if necessary
7.
Finish when the time is up, even though there may be more
questions
8.
Conclude by thanking the presenter; elicit applause again.
10. Introducing a process
1.
Don’t speak until you have everyone’s attention 100%
2.
Be friendly, calm and firm as you ask delegates to do this and
that
3.
Never ask if the delegates would like to do it. Assume they’ll
do what they are asked to
4.
Help the delegates do it in practice (pair up, find paper, etc.)
5.
Accept without comment if someone chooses not to do it –
unless it disturbs other delegates
6.
Say ”Thank you!” afterwards and little else. Don’t apologize if
the process did not seem a success. Move on.
11. Task
1.
Note-taking in silence: 2-3 points from the presentation that
seemed useful to you (2 min)
2.
Share them with your neighbour (7 min)
3.
We hear some of your points
12. Processes, retrospectively
1.
Pre-lecture warm-up
2.
My presentation
3.
Before Q & A, a constructive opening question
4.
Silent reflection
5.
Pair and share
6.
Plucking
7.
A free Q & A
13. Sample session program, a
•
Intro and program (5 min.)
•
1. presentation (a difficult one) (20 mins)
•
Talk to your neighbour about it (7 mins)
•
Q & A (8 mins)
•
2. presentation (an easy one) (20 mins)
•
Q & A (14 mins)
•
Thank you! (1 min)
14. Sample session program, b
•
Intro and program (5 min)
•
1. presentation (20 min)
•
Q & A (7 min)
•
2. presentation (20 min)
•
Q & A (7 min)
•
Silent reflection: What was important to me here? (2 min)
•
Pair and share that (10 min)
•
Pluck what was important (4 min)
15. Sample session program, c
•
Intro and program (5 min)
•
Meet people (5 min)
•
1. presentation (20 min)
•
Q & A (8 min)
•
2. presentation (20 min)
•
Q & A (8 min)
•
Wrap-up: ”Jot down two take-aways (2 min.), get up and tell
a person you met just an hour ago (5 min.), then have your
break. Go ahead!”
16. More on the facilitation of meetings
•
Steen Elsborg and Ib Ravn: Learning Meetings and Conferences in
Practice. Copenhagen: People’s Press, 2007.
•
Various papers (”The Learning Conference” and ”Creating Learning at
Conferences Through Participant Involvement”):
www.dpu.dk/om/ibr, klik ”Publikationer”
•
About the group ”Facilitating Knowledge Processes” at Aarhus
University: www.dpu.dk/fv
•
My blog on facilitation etc.: www.ibravn.blogspot.com
•
International Association of Facilitators: www.iaf-world.org