WLD Guide to Facilitating_UMass Amherst 1 | Page 14

14

 An example is doing an exercise as a whole group rather than splitting into
pairs and feeding back. In less obvious cases go back to the aims of the
workshop, and decide which activities are most crucial for achieving these
aims. You may decide to offer the group some choices of what to do and what
to cut, but beware spending as long deciding what to do as you would have
done doing it. Even though you might be feeling anxious about the time, avoid
making people feel rushed as this would have a negative effect on the quality
of their learning.

Technical hitches
Check all equipment and venue practicalities before you start your workshop, and
have backup plans that don’t depend on technology. If something does go wrong
unexpectedly, see if people can achieve the aims of the planned activity in a
different way. For example, you might have planned to use some film clips as a
starting point for small group discussions, but you might be able to offer them a
verbal summary of the films instead.
 Don’t hesitate to explain the situation to your participants, and ask how they
would like to deal with it. For example, one of them might have the technical
knowledge to fix your computer, or know someone who could do it while you
got on with a different activity. Sometimes it might be better to reschedule
the workshop entirely.