INSTRUCTIONAL SKILLS WORKSHOP (ISW)

The Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW) is a professional development program for educators. Offered online or in person, it involves 24 hours of exploring and practicing effective teaching:

• understanding learners’ needs,
• defining intended learning outcomes,
• creating powerful learning experiences,
• engaging and supporting all learners, and
• reflecting and setting developmental goals.
  

This course involves hands-on, experiential learning in groups of 4-6 colleagues creating, experimenting, and reflecting together. The participants thoughtfully consider who their learners are, what they need to be able to do as a result of learning, what motivates them, and how best to engage and support them.

Who can benefit from the ISW?

This powerful workshop is for everyone who supports others in their learning – from corporate trainers to coaches and facilitators to managers and leaders keen on helping teams stay current in their field, or master new areas of professional practice.

Whether creating a series of sessions on health and safety, or helping colleagues use new software, or supporting new team members in getting up to speed on things, the ISW is a great investment in trainers' and managers' skills of engaging and enabling.

What is the value of completing the ISW?

ISW participants develop the competence and confidence to facilitate learning in ways that are engaging, effective, and satisfying. They leave the ISW ready to apply fresh approaches to needs assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation.

The participants' organizations will see their teams engage more keenly in learning that is thoughtfully designed and powerfully executed, with employees supported in performing to their best ability and developing for future levels of challenge.

What is the ISW experience like?

In the Instructional Skills Workshop, participants immerse in an active exploration of ways to support adult learning (from motivation to critical reflection to application) in formats relevant to the workplace. They develop skills relevant to both formal training environments and more personal on-the-job supports, whether in person, online (synchronous and/or asynchronous), or hybrid.

As part of a small group, participants in this online Instructional Skills Workshop apply sound design principles to understanding learners' needs, defining intended learning outcomes, and they plan lessons that focus on developing the desired knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Finally, they critically reflect on their practice and set developmental goals for continuously advancing as trainers and/or managers.

Participants are introduced to approaches to engaging learners in active exploration of topics, relating learning into practice, and maximizing practical value for learners. The ISW offers a practical and playful approach to finding one's style as a facilitator of learning, and discovering ways to continue enhancing one's practice.

Over the course of 3-4 sessions totalling 24 hours of learning, participants in the online ISW engage in setting intentions, designing and implementing short lessons (instructional practice), and reflection. The small groups engage in experiential learning in 'live' Zoom sessions, in which participants take turns facilitating learning and supporting one another with feedback.

The course supports participants' ongoing development. It can be scheduled as a series of full-day or half-day sessions, online or face-to-face. Scheduling these 'live' sessions a few days apart supports participants in reflecting on their learning and experimentation, considering their colleagues' and the facilitator's feedback, and thoughtfully planning and preparing for their next teaching practice.

By engaging educators with a range of experiences in learning together, the ISW goes beyond the foundational principles of effective teaching (instructing, training, facilitating learning). Participants leave the online ISW competent and confident to apply fresh ideas for powerful teaching in their organization. The immersive learning experience sparks curiosity and promotes the excitement of discovery.

Participants in the Instructional Skills Workshop can advance their ability to:

• Effect a culture of inclusion, curiosity, and learning in professional practice;
• Create a positive, respectful, supportive environment for all learners;
• Design and facilitate lessons that promote engagement and development;
• Purposefully choose strategies and tools for effective learning; and
• Boost their confidence as facilitators of learning and personal growth.

What should I be able to do as a result of taking the ISW?

The ISW -- whether taken online or in person -- enables participants to create:

• Learning experiences and outcomes that promote engagement and learning;
• Lesson plans that express participants' styles and guide learning activities;
• Classes that are inviting of all learners and that stimulate active exploration;
• Ways to assess learning and support learners with developmental feedback; and
• An effective approach to setting intentions for graduates' evolving practice.

The Instructional Skills Workshop is a comprehensive development program for educators designed in Canada and offered worldwide. Led by seasoned educators who are certified ISW facilitators, this course meets or exceeds the standards set by the ISW Network. Its graduates earn the internationally recognized ISW Certificate.

Participants also receive a digital copy of the newly updated ISW Handbook.