Workshops

Workshops

Some teams might choose to present a workshop as their project.

What is a Workshop?

Workshops are limited-time educational opportunities, typically for small groups. By definition, workshops are active. Workshops have precise learning outcomes, for example:

  • Participants will learn when and how to file their personal income tax returns
  • Participants will learn how to understand their pay stubs
  • Participants will learn ways to meet find the hidden job market

Participants are guided by the workshop leader(s), and participate in activities that help them accomplish the learning outcomes.

What a Workshop is Not

A workshop is NOT a lecture or PowerPoint presentation. Although workshop leaders may use slides or video for specific reasons—to give instructions or illustrate a concept, for example—there is no lecturing. The participants are active for most of the workshop.

Workshops are typically low-judgment events. What participants learn is more important than what they create. Participants might share their results, and you may want to discuss their meaning or process. But don’t critique the creativity or craftsmanship—it’s important to create safe spaces where participants feel free to brainstorm and create. Participants must feel respected; not shamed, embarrassed or judged. An imperfect result that helped a participant learn is better than a perfect result that involved no creativity or experimentation. Workshop leaders must be emotionally intelligent, supportive, and skilled at giving effective feedback.

What Activities are Appropriate?

Effective activities keep participants’ interest while they learn. We learn more and remember it longer if we’re engaged and interested in what we’re learning. Effective activities typically produce things that participants can keep. These things help remind participants of what they learned, and can keep participants thinking about it longer.

You can find lots of workshop activities online. Depending on your topic and learning outcomes, you may prefer group or individual activities. Choose activities that match your participants’ comfort level. For example:

  • Don’t ask adults in a professional setting to touch each other, remove clothing, share personal information, take undignified postures or embarrass themselves
  • Participants may not want to be blindfolded, especially if it will smudge their makeup
  • Participants may not want things on their head, due to hygiene and hairstyling concerns
  • Be sensitive to hidden disabilities and fears (including strong odours, loud noises and strobe lights)
  • Include activities that are fun and creative, but have a practical connection to what participants are learning. If there’s no connection, participants may accuse you of wasting their time

Choose activities that can be explained quickly and easily:

  1. Give a very quick introduction to the activity and how it relates to what they’re learning
  2. Describe the goal: what participants will do or make
  3. Explain how to do it, demonstrating or using clear visuals
  4. Announce the time limit
  5. Set a timer that all participants can see
  6. Circulate among participants, encouraging and helping them
  7. When time is up, clearly announce that time is up
  8. Move on to the next agenda item (probably a discussion or reflection of what they did/made, their process, and what they learned)

 Learning Activity 

You can do this activity alone, but it’s more fun and educational in teams of 3-4 people.

Review this chapter and answer the questions. After your team has answered the questions (your instructor will probably give you a time limit of 5-10 minutes) share your answers with the class.

Questions

Questions for Reflection:

  1. What’s the benefit of having multiple teams answer the same question?
  2. What’s the benefit of answering questions about content you just read?

 

The 5 Ws For Evaluating Resources

Who

Who wrote this?

  • Are they an expert, researcher, journalist, blogger, academic?
  • Do they have relevant degrees or experience?
  • Are they connected to an institution?

Who’s the publisher?

  • Are they reputable?
  • Why did they publish this?
  • Do they maintain/update this?

What

  • What type of source is this? Book, article, website, social media?
  • Is it scholarly, consumer or crowd-published?
  • What is the level and style of writing?
  • Does this answer your research question?

Where

  • Where did the author(s) get their information?
  • How are their sources cited?

When

  • When was this published? Updated?
  • Does this website seem current; do all the links work?

Why

  • Why did the author write this?
  • What is their bias?
  • Do they try to manipulate your emotions?
  • Are they teaching, informing, entertaining or selling?

Computer Basics

  • Save
  • Save as…
  • Save as PDF
  • Copy and paste
  • Be able to type 40 words per minute
  • Attach a file to an email

Word Processing Basics

  • Bold and italicize text
  • Left align text
  • Center align text
  • Adjust space between lines of text
  • Follow our class style guide
  • Indent/outdent text
  • Make bulleted lists and numbered lists
  • Start a new page using page break (not pushing “Enter” until you see a new page)

Spreadsheet Basics

  • Create a spreadsheet file
  • Use multiple sheets in the same file
  • Populate spreadsheet cells
  • Add/sum columns & rows
  • Use basic formulas:
    • Convert to %
    • Change number of decimal spaces
    • Display as currency $
    • Rounding
  • Make spreadsheets look professional:
    • Change size of cells, rows & columns
    • Auto fill in numbers feature
    • Numbering lists
    • Wrap text in cells
    • Differentiate between text & data entries

Activity 3

Complete the self-evaluation of your technical skills.

Activity 2

Complete the self-evaluation of your active learning skills.

1. Practice Active Learning
  • Listen actively
  • Take useful, practical notes
  • Prepare for every class
  • Arrive on time, ready to learn
  • Participate actively and professionally in class
  • Practice respectful, active teamwork
  • Help peers when you can
  • Review after each class, preparing throughout the semester for tests and exams
  • Do assigned work completely
  • Meet deadlines
  • Reflect on your learning to make it deeper and more permanent

2. Communicate clearly and professionally

  • Organize and present information clearly:
    • Identify key points of a topic
    • Understand the reader or listener and what they want and need to know
    • Introduce, organize and summarise key points
    • Provide valid evidence to support content
    • Clearly convey action items and calls to action
  • Create professional, easy-to-read documents that look useful and attractive
  • Write clear, brief, direct, precise:
    • Email and texts
    • Reports and other written material
    • Infographics and slides
  • Speak clearly, briefly, directly, and precisely:
    • With individuals and groups
    • On the phone and in voice messages

3. Practice professional self-management

  • Take responsibility for your actions and commitments
  • Take responsibility for your success at school and in the workplace
  • Act ethically in personal and work situations
  • Challenge yourself; go out of your comfort zone
  • Ask for help when needed
  • Treat others with respect
  • Listen respectfully and actively to others
  • Meet deadlines and time commitments
  • Request and implement feedback
  • Manage your stress using stress management techniques
  • Take care of your mental health
  • Manage your health and physical wellbeing
  • Practice good personal hygiene

4. Understand and use strengths—yours and other people’s

  • Know your strengths
  • Use them at school and work
  • Understand and respect other people’s strengths
  • Be aware of your challenges and how to strengthen them
  • Use strengths when working with teams

5. Work well in teams

  • Contribute to team goals and success
  • Avoid and manage conflict
  • Productively troubleshoot problems
  • Give clear, positive and useful feedback
  • Request, appreciate and implement feedback

6. Network and market your professional self

  • Identify the kind of work you want
  • Identify potential employers
  • Clearly articulate your strengths and how they relate to your industry/that employer
  • Identify and attend networking opportunities
  • Introduce yourself professionally
  • Engage confidently in networking conversations
  • Have a refined elevator speech
  • Use key networking platforms and tools
  • Know how to prepare for interviews
  • Answer interview questions professionally
  1. Be Professional: Treat this class professionally, like a workplace. Treat your instructor as your boss and your colleagues as co-workers. Develop and share your leadership skills.
  2. Come to class and participate: You are expected to attend every class, arrive at least 3 minutes before class starts, and engage in all class activities. Active participation is expected and graded.
  3. Arrive prepared: Do all assigned prep for each class. Bring printed materials to class when required. Bring school supplies to every class.
  4. Spend time on your work: Expect to spend 3-5 hours each week on Professional Business Practices prep and assignments.
  5. Read assignments and grading guides carefully: Use them as checklists before submitting work.
  6. Submit assignments before the deadline: Deadlines are non-negotiable and connected to marks. If you miss a deadline you will receive 0 on the assignment (unless you have a doctor’s note or valid, verifiable reason).
  7. Manage yourself: Practice stress management, time management and smart study techniques.
  8. Take care of your mental health: Success in Professional Business Practices depends heavily on your personal health and wellbeing.

Tips to help you manage your mental health

  • Expect stress. School, work and life consistently bring expected and unexpected challenges.
  • Understand that challenges are a normal part of your journey to success.
  • Practice stress reduction and self-care strategies from the first day of term, long before exams and assignments add stress.
  • Reach out when you need help. Talk to your instructor or other support services if you can’t handle something by yourself. Don’t let yourself get completely overwhelmed.

 

In this Chapter:

  1. What is Active Learning?
  2. Active Learning Skills
  3. Technical Skills You’ll Need
  4. Chapter 1 Learning Activity

How to email your instructor

  1. Your instructor’s email address is on the course outline
  2. Start the subject line with your course identifier (and section or class number, if applicable)
  3. Use a professional salutation, for example: Dear Lucinda
  4. State your question or request clearly, briefly and professionally, using short, active sentences and paragraphs
  5. Finish with the call to action, if applicable: what you want the instructor to do. For example, “Please let me know if that’s possible.”
  6. Close with “Thank you,” “Sincerely,” or “Best regards,”
  7. Type your name underneath that
  8. Under your name, add your:
    • Student id
    • Course identifier and section or class number
  9. Check spelling, and fix any punctuation, capitalization or grammar errors
  10. Add space between paragraphs to make the message easy to read and scan

 

Example Email: Missing Class

Subject line: PBP-003 Missing class today

Dear Lucinda,

I hope you’re well. This is to let you know that I won’t be in class today.

I’m sick and decided to stay home. I’ll check the PBP textbook to prepare for our next class.

I look forward to seeing you in class on Thursday.

Regards,

Alice daGrate, 10012345

Professional Business Practices-003-1806

Example Email: Requesting an Appointment

Subject line: BUSM4805-003 Meeting request

Dear Dr Chan,

Thanks again for your feedback on my report. I have more questions and would like to meet with you, please.

Are you available any of these times?

  • Monday, February 23, 8:30 am
  • Tuesday February 24, 2:30 pm
  • Friday, February 27, 11 am

Please let me know if any of those times work, or if you prefer another day and time.

Thank you,

Deep Singh

12345678

BUSM4805-003

1. Be professional

  • Be ready 3+ minutes before class starts
  • Notify the instructor if you will be late or absent
  • Come prepared with necessary materials and supplies
  • Be 100% responsible for your work
  • Show respect for and sensitivity to everyone’s gender, sexual orientation, ability, culture, language, political beliefs, and spiritual beliefs and practices

2. Follow Instructions

  • Before starting, read the instructions carefully and completely
  • Write a list of the instructions; note anything that’s not clear
  • Ask questions about instructions and check for understanding by paraphrasing
  • As you work, refer back to the instructions

Activity 1

Take the Following Instructions quiz

3. Take Notes

  • Have the right tools (notebook, pen, paper, device, power cord, etc.)
  • Use a binder for notes and handouts
  • Use coloured pens or highlighters to help organize the information
  • Write down the main points
  • Make notes on information that’s not on the slides (like explanations & instructions)

4. Prepare for Class

  • Login to your class website: read announcements, check assignments
  • Do the assigned prep for next class
  • Prepare questions and insights about the topic
  • Create a personal schedule so you’ll be on time for class (this might mean leaving home earlier)

5. Participate in Class: Active learning depends heavily on participation. Participating lets you test what you’re learning—what you understand and how well you remember it. Participating in class gives you the opportunity to share your skills and experience, and to learn from your peers, which is good practice for the workplace.

  • Come prepared (see above)
  • Challenge yourself
  • Create a goal for participating in class (ask 1 question today, raise my hand twice)
  • Volunteer for activities
  • Add to or question what someone else said
  • Ask “How” and “Why” questions
  • Use “I wonder…”, “I’m confused…”, “Can you explain…”
  • Listen actively:
    • Listen with your body (sit up, take notes, nod, use facial expressions, answer)
    • Listen for the structure and focus on following along
    • Listen for main ideas & key terms
  • Include others: ask their opinion, build on their comments, ask about their experience

6. Study Frequently

  • Create a study schedule plan
  • DON’T wait until the night before. It’s ineffective, stressful and tiring. You’ll probably do worse than if you had a good night’s sleep [1]
  • Review your notes within 24 hour of class. Research shows that 20 minutes per class hour of review within 24 hours dramatically improves recall [2]
  • Study in a group
  • Make a story, acronym or visuals to help you remember
  • Focus on key words or phrases that are probably in the exam questions
  • Make cue cards to help you remember and practice (see the examples below)
  • Practice answering quickly (because that’s how you have to do it during exams)

7. Excel at Exams

  • Breathe
  • Reassure yourself: I’m ok; I’ll do well
  • Do a ‘mind dump’ right away if there’s lots to remember. A mind dump is writing down a list of specifics—especially formulas, dates or names—that you need to remember for the exam.
  • Before starting:
    • Carefully read and follow the directions
    • Note the number of questions and what each is worth. Decide how much time to spend on each question based on its value
    • Answer easy questions first, answer questions worth lots of marks next, answer the ones you know the least last
    • Write in bullet points (if allowed)
A+ Amazing, astounding, memorable student. Rare.
  • Great leadership skills, professional attitude, ready to excel in the Canadian workplace
  • Perfect grammar, communication, presentation and networking skills
  • Understands importance of self-management and self-development
  • Asks for and incorporates feedback
  • Excels in all exercises and assignments, always submits before deadline
  • Class leader, excellent participation, perfect attendance, never late to class
A Almost perfect student
  • A leader, a model student, ready for a leadership role the Canadian workplace
  • Almost-perfect grammar, communication, presentation and networking skills
  • Responds positively to and incorporates feedback
  • Very strong in all exercises and assignments; meets all deadlines
  • Polished, professional participation, class leader, excellent attendance
A- Very strong student
  • Good leadership skills, ready to succeed in the Canadian workplace
  • Almost-perfect grammar. Strong communication, presentation and networking skills.
  • Responds positively to feedback and works to incorporate it
  • Strong grades on all exercises and assignments, meets all deadlines
  • Mature and professional participation, excellent attendance
B+ Strong student
  • Emerging leadership skills, ready for a junior level career job in the Canadian workplace
  • Good grammar, communication, presentation and networking skills
  • Responds well to feedback, tries to benefit from it
  • Good grades on exercises and assignments, meets all deadlines
  • Consistent participation, professional and mature in class & teamwork
  • Missed or was late to 1-2 classes, notifies instructor if late or absent
B Good student
  • Some leadership skills, working on developing more. Ready for an entry level career job in the Canadian workplace
  • Good grammar. Improving communication, presentation and networking skills
  • Accepts feedback, some evidence that it’s used for improvement
  • Good grades on most exercises and assignments, meets all deadlines
  • Some good participation, respectful and mature in class & teamwork, missed or was late to 1-2 classes, notifies instructor
B- Improving skills and attitude
  • Developing leadership skills, maturity and professionalism. Ready for an entry level job in the Canadian workplace
  • Communication is mostly understandable, grammar is improving
  • Participates in most exercises, most assignments are completed on time
  • Regular participation, listens well, treats colleagues respectfully, regular attendance
C+ Needs improvement, demonstrates willingness to try
  • Weak leadership skills, developing self-management skills and maturity. Ready for a minimum wage job in the Canadian workplace
  • Grammar, communication, presentation and networking skills need improvement
  • Participates passively in exercises, submits most assignments on time
  • Regular attendance, good attitude in class
C Lack of learning skills, time management, and/or self-management
  • Assignments are often late and/or poorly done
  • Participation is minimal or disruptive
  • Often late, frequently absent, passive or disrespectful in class
C- Unprofessional
  • Missed assignments, many late assignments, poor grades on assignments
  • Seems unwilling to participate in class activities
  • Consistently late or absent without notice, disruptive in class or does not participate

 

 

Participation & Professionalism 10%
Participation & professionalism-Month 1 2
Participation & professionalism-Month 2 3
Participation & professionalism-Month 3 2
Active Learning Reflection & Feedback Log-Month 1 1
Active Learning Reflection & Feedback Log-Month 2 1
Active Learning Reflection & Feedback Log-Month 3 1
Assignments & Worksheets 30%
1. Clear Communication 8
2. Voicemail 3
3. Email 7
5. Strengths worksheet 4
6. LinkedIn worksheet 4
7. Informational Interview Request worksheet 4
Professional Report 20%
 4a. Outline  1
 4b. Draft  6
 4c. Final  13
Team Project  25%
 8a. Proposal  0.5
 8b. Outline  2
 8c. Workshop  17.5
 8d. Debrief  5
Individual Mini-Presentation  15%
 9a. Topic  0.5
 9b. Outline  2
 9c. Slides  2.5
 9d. Presentation  10

n

 

  1. Citation needed ↵
  2. Citation needed ↵

License

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Professional Business Practice Copyright © 2021 by Lucinda Atwood is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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