Learning Objectives
At the end of this workshop:
- Workshop participants will identify alternative methods of producing their food to save money.
- Workshop participants will learn about new methods that they can apply in the process of producing their food.
- Workshop participants will have an incentive to start participating in the process of making policies related to food security.
- Workshop participants will develop an interest to take part in activities that foster community welfare.
- Workshop participants will learn the benefits of ensuring that they have food security.
- Workshop participants will have an incentive to increase cohesiveness in the community.
- Workshop participants will have an incentive to increase community interaction when resolving issues.
- Workshop participants will learn about the potential environmental impacts of some of the methods used to ensure food security.
Instructional Plan
There are some characteristics of the planning context as well as the learner community that have been put into consideration when designing the instructional plan. It was critical to accommodate these variables when identifying the instructional techniques. Some of the variables that have been taken into consideration include the number of participants in the workshop, the educational level of the participants as well as the instructor’s skills. Other factors such as the learning tasks and the objectives of the workshop were also put into consideration.
The number of participants in the workshop is a crucial determinant of the effectiveness of the lessons delivered. To ensure that the workshop lessons are delivered effectively, we have limited the number of participants attending the workshop to a total of thirty. The small group will allow the organizers and the participants to have time for one-to-one talks.
The presence of persons who have prior knowledge on the issue of food security is important in ensuring that the discussion is fruitful. Participants with prior knowledge on the issue of food security are more likely to engage the instructors and ask several questions making the discussion lively.
The participants with prior knowledge of food security are instrumental in offering a different perspective on the matter. The ability of the instructors to deliver the lessons in an engaging manner is essential to ensure high participation. The execution of the workshop objectives depends heavily on the trainers’ ability. We have chosen a group of warm trainers with good communication skills as well as a high ability to ask probing questions that keep an audience attentive.
Given that there are variations in the objectives of the workshop, the teaching techniques will also vary. For example, each objective will have a different delivery method and different learning tasks. Incorporation of varying tasks is critical in ensuring that the participants take full advantage of the lesson. The workshop will include mock simulations for the participants to comprehend the lessons in a better manner.
Given that different persons have different ability to grasp things, the teaching techniques will be varied. The variations in the teaching will seek to accommodate the levels of lesson durations that the participants can be able to tolerate. There will be icebreakers that will allow the participants to rest and refresh, enhancing their understanding. We will seek to employ multiple teaching techniques to ensure that a large percentage of the participants benefit from the workshop.
Instructional Plan Justification
Instructional Approaches and Activities
The workshop will incorporate a host of different instructional techniques to ensure that all participants take full advantage of the workshop. The importance of integrating multiple instructional methods lay on the fact that there is no one-fit-all method for teaching adults. The different instructional techniques will be used to deliver different lessons during the workshop. To begin with, it is paramount that a conducive learning environment is established from the onset to derive maximum benefits.
The workshop will begin with an introductory section conducted by the planning committee. The introduction will set the stage for the entire workshop by giving a comprehensive schedule of the different lessons that will be covered. When workshop participants are free with each other, there is maximum participation and engagement during the sessions. The icebreaker that will take place after the introduction will serve the purpose of enabling the participants to familiarize with each other.
The next session will seek to address the methods that the community can rely upon to guarantee their food security. The best manner of delivering this session through a engaging participants in an all inclusive dialogue session. By teaching, this lesson in a participatory manner we will enable the community members to own the outcome of the session so that they can own all the identified methods. We will ask probing and guiding questions to enable the community members determine the available methods to guarantee food security.
The next session will be delivered through a lecture method given that it focuses on the cognitive learning domain. The lecture will ensure that the correct knowledge is transferred to the community members. The lecture method will also be used to ensure that the community learns about participation and benefits of food security.
Small group discussions will be used to empower the participants to develop solutions by themselves. Methodological approaches that are critical in resolving community issues are more technical and as such should be taught using a lecture method. Finally, environmental impacts related to the search of food security will be taught using a lecture method given the technicalities involved in the subject.
Room Arrangement
The workshop will be hosted in a facility that has different rooms that will accommodate the different teaching sessions from lectures, large group discussions, and small group sessions. Having a room that is conducive to learning is critical in ensuring that the participants can focus fully during the different sessions. By arranging the workshop venue in a favorable manner, it will be unlikely for the participants to experience a lack of concentration.
A decrease in concentration emanates from fatigue and distractions that occur during the learning process. Fatigue can result from the colors that the learners look at during the workshop. As such all the instructors will use warm colors in their PowerPoint presentations and other instructional materials. The chairs that will be employed in the venue will have the adequate height to allow the participants to sit and take note without straining their backs.
Possible Barrier
The anticipated workshop barriers are related to the personal issues of the participants. The target population of the workshop is the adult persons from the specific community who naturally have other responsibilities that could result in learning interruption. Despite a percentage of participants’ issues being out of the control of the committee, we have prepared the workshop venue in a manner that will enable the participants to relax and enjoy the session.
This will enable the participants to be in a position to focus on the learning and participate actively in the workshop. The workshop lessons have been designed in an inclusive manner to allow adequate participation even from the less knowledgeable of the participants. The use of technology is limited as we understand that some of the participants may not be familiar with most technological operations.
Positive Learning Climate
The creation of a positive workshop learning environment is critical in ensuring that the participants are fully engaged during the sessions, and they take full advantage of the material being taught. The participants will feel more comfortable and engaged resulting in the building of a positive attitude that is critical in ensuring that better learning takes place. We have planned to establish an all-inclusive environment that accommodates all participants including those who are less knowledgeable about the issue of food security.
The environmental factors that will be applied to ensure enhanced comfort include proper lighting of the rooms and ensuring the rooms are well aerated. The sessions will be tailored to the experiences in the community to boost their confidence and encourage participation. The instructors will avoid negative comments during the session even when a participant gives a wrong response to the questions asked.
Roles of Instructors and Participants
The instructors will be responsible for choosing and implementing each lesson by applying the instructional techniques identified. The instructors will conduct the sessions and are solely responsible for ensuring that participants are fully engaged. The instructors will guide the question and answer sessions as well as the group discussions.
The instructors will have the role of identifying the different abilities of the participants and encouraging them to participate in activities in which they can make a significant contribution. The participants will play the role of learning and listening to the instructors. The participants will be required to ask questions to make the sessions livelier and get clarification from the instructors.
The Question and Answer Session
The information from the question and answer session will be addressed immediately as the sessions continue. The instructor will call upon the participants to contribute to questions before clarifying or adding any extra information.
In cases where a different participant can provide a satisfactory answer to the issues raised, the instructor will avoid adding any other information in order to build the confidence of the community members to handle the issue of food security. The instructor will use real life examples to address the information to enhance the understanding of the participants. The information will also be recorded and included in the handouts to be provided after the session.
Links
A big percentage of the lessons are based on the cognitive domain as they are intended to enable the participants acquire new knowledge during the workshop. Lessons that are technical for the community members to be in a position to contribute to the discussion have been identified and will be delivered through the lecture method.
These include issues touching on the environmental effects of food security, approaches to resolving community issues and the importance of food security. Other items that require the development of community-based solutions or empowering the community to figure out their solutions will be delivered through group sessions. Such sessions are critical as the participants will end up adopting the solutions that they have identified themselves.
Conclusion
The assignment lays an emphasis on the impact of the workshop layout on the ability of the participants to learn. The assignment made me reflect on the choice of instructional materials that will be used to deliver the lessons in the most efficient manner. These two issues are not among the things I would naturally give a big consideration during the preparation of workshops and learning events. There are times when I have considered the content, but I did not bother to evaluate the delivery methods of the content.
The net effect of not considering these methods have led to underperformance in the execution of the workshop and my community work. From the experience, I am now aware of the role of the intrinsic details such as layout and instructional techniques, in the process of learning. I will be in a position to organize a successful community teaching workshop based on the experience I have obtained from this assignment.
Appendices
Appendix 1 – Worksheet A: PCs/DCs
Appendix 2 – Worksheet B: Instructional Plan