Workshop Leader Checklist

This page was originally developed 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. It can be used to outline your plan and track your progress as you plan and carry out your workshop.

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 at least 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 SERC regarding incorporation of workshop results in the topical module
  • Follow-up communication with participants, including check in on progress on individual action plans and plans for presenting at conferences or possible publications