Workshop Leader Checklist

This page is intended to help Cutting Edge follow-on workshop leaders (and their mentors) keep track of all of the tasks associated with planning and running a follow-on workshop, from the beginning of planning through the final report.

Workshop Design and Website Development

  • Set the goals and objectives of the workshop
  • Set the scope of the workshop program
  • Decide what participants will create/submit for the resource collection
  • Set the selection criteria for workshop participation
  • Write the application questions
  • Set the application deadline (usually 2 months prior to workshop)
  • Set the registration fee; this should be sufficient to cover all of the workshop leader's (or leaders') expenses
  • Develop the workshop website, beginning with the index, overview, and application pages
  • Develop the workshop program, paying attention to best practices in workshop design
  • Work out the logistical details (room numbers, etc.)
  • Expand the workshop website to include whichever of the following are appropriate: logistics page, program, registration form, participant list, any upload forms for participant submissions, and pages for those submissions

Publicity

  • Think about who your target audience is
  • Plan ahead: make sure your website will be ready when it's time to send out your first announcements!
    • If your workshop will take place in association with a professional society meeting, your first publicity will be when abstracts have been accepted for that meeting, so that meeting attendees can plan their travel accordingly
  • Think about how to get the word out to your target audience. There are many suggestions on the workshop recruitment and publicity page.

Workshop Evaluation

  • Plan time for workshop evaluation, including reflection and action planning, into your program
    • All Cutting Edge workshops (including follow-on workshops) collect a standard set of data for evaluation purposes. Information on these data can be found on the page about planning your workshop evaluation
    • Your goal is 100% participation in the workshop evaluation process
  • Consider doing some form of embedded assessment

Post-Workshop Reflection Report

  • Write a workshop report and complete workshop reflection for evaluation
    • How many participants attended
    • What they learned
    • What you learned: what went particularly well, what you would do differently if you did it again
    • Any feedback you have about the mentoring process, both in terms of the workshop design and the website development process

Follow-up

  • Update the workshop web pages:
    • Collect and post files (presentations, posters, readings and relevant links) to the workshop program page
    • Change workshop web pages to the past tense
    • Collect missing, incomplete, or promised contributions
  • Proofread the website
  • Consult with web team mentor regarding incorporation of workshop results in the topical module
  • Follow-up communication with participants, including check in on progress on individual action plans