1.4 On-site Training and Workshop
Course Objectives
In this section, Project Managers will find information on considerations and resources to use while planning on-site trainings and workshops for mapping and OSM, including:
- Understanding on how to plan effective training and workshops
- Learn examples and resources for creating training agendas
Learning Activities
Most mapping projects will involve trainings or workshops of some kind, whether training field mappers to use OpenDataKit, training local government stakeholders how to export and use OSM data, or training students in QGIS for creating maps. During the planning stage, project managers and OSM communities should anticipate what trainings are necessary and what resources will be required to run each training or workshop.
Training Requirements
Attendee Requirements
Requirements for attendees will vary depending on the scope of the trainings, the intended participants, and the available resources. No matter the scope of the training, it is important to communicate these requirements BEFORE the training so that participants can come prepared.
Some attendee requirements may include:
- Have a laptop that able to connect to the internet.
- Have a mouse.
- Be computer literate with basic computer skills.
- Have enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate with others.
- Attendee’s computers should have sufficient free disk space (approx 10GB) and attendees should have administrator rights so that they can install software on their computers.
- Attendees should have a PDF document viewer installed on their computers.
Workshop Venue Requirements
Beside participants requirements, it is also important to setup a workshop/venue that have several requirements, such as:
- Strong wi-fi connection
- If the venue can provide Wi-Fi, confirm with the venue managers that the Wi-Fi has enough capacity for the number of attendees expected to show. For example, if you expect 10-15 people to show up to your event, the Wi-Fi will need to be capable of hosting 15-20 internet connections - remember, you will need to connect as well!
- If there are no venues with wi-fi capability or with limited wi-fi capability, consider the option of using a mobile hotspot device or other Hotspot options.
- Space, tables, and chairs to provide for your expected attendance.
- Enough power outlets for charging laptops and other devices.
- If this is limited, you’ll need to consider power strips and extension cables.
- Generator/electricity access for duration of workshop.
Training Needs Assessment
A training needs assessment is the process of identifying knowledge and skill gaps of learners to ensure that training is targeted at their specific needs. It is important because it allows learners to participate and contribute to the training design process by:
- Shedding light on their mental models on a current topic, which can inform our training structure and language;
- Surfacing possible barriers that they might encounter during the learning experience, whether based on language, ability, time commitment, access to technology, or others; and
- Understanding their goals and motivations for joining the training, which can help with the alignment of expectations and tailoring the learning experience to cater to their needs.
During workshop or training for project, you might already have a sense of what the goals of the training are, and some of core materials that you intend to teach it during the workshop. However, this training needs assessment could become a tools for you to assess the learners’ current needs, strengths, and their weaknesses. You can assess them in various ways:
- Relevance: How important is X to your work?
- Confidence/ Self-efficacy: How confident are you that you can carry out X?
- Competence: use scenario-based tests or knowledge checks to assess whether learner is competent in X
| Tips: |
|---|
| While the training needs assessment is important, you also needs to consider some of the factors such as:Do not take all suggestions from the participants literally. You need to find the most insightful answers from all of the suggestionsConsider the materials that learners already know. It is common to always think of learners with materials that they don’t know. But it could also lead the workshop become overload by the topics |
Building an Agenda
It is crucial to take the time to create a detailed agenda for your workshop. This not only helps you to estimate the time required to complete the workshop, but also ensures that you cover all of the necessary topics. By building an agenda, you can also plan for a simulation for field data collection, which can be a valuable learning experience. Furthermore, by having a clear understanding of the expected time for all participants to begin the simulation, you can better manage the workshop and ensure that everyone is able to participate fully. In summary, taking the time to develop a comprehensive agenda can greatly enhance the effectiveness and impact of your workshop. Consider the following example of training agenda:
Presentation and Resources to Provide
After developing the agenda, you will need to determine what presentations are needed for each activity. HOT Training Presentations provided in this Toolbox are available for teams and OSM Communities to use with credit provided to HOT. Navigate through the Toolbox to appropriate sections for presentations needed. It is highly recommended that prior to the training/workshop, all necessary installation files are downloaded and loaded onto USB drives for offline installation. Sections throughout this Toolbox introducing tools include links to the installation files you will need.
[Quiz] Check Your Knowledge
Before conducting an on-site training session, which of the following key aspects is correct?
a. Participant requirements, workshop requirements, building training needs assessment, training agenda, and resources to be shared to the participants.
b. Phone specification, government approval letter, participants registration form, and training agenda
c. Trainer list, training agenda, participants seating strategy, field survey simulation location
d. All of the answers above are correct
Answer: a
Activity Checklist
At the end of this section, you already have understanding of:
- How to plan effective training or workshop
- Example of training material resources