The Advanced Learning Workshop Toolkit

1. The Advanced Learning Workshop Toolkit A Guide for IEEE-HKN Chapters and IEEE Student Branches 12 March 2014 – Version 1

2. Advanced Learning Workshop (ALW) Purpose: • The ALW is intended as a "self-contained" kit to enable IEEE-HKN chapters and IEEE student branches to organize and conduct programs and workshops around student learning and academic success • With content focused on specific student learning needs, the ALW is designed to assist students in becoming more efficient and effective learners, address academic challenges and position them for successful academic and professional careers

3. How to Use the ALW Tool Kit • This kit is designed to set you on the path to success by providing a “step-by-step” guide for organizing and conducting a workshop • The kit is presented in “stand-alone” sections that will enable you to develop the key planning steps, allocate tasks, develop your timeline, and to conduct your workshop • Supplemental materials include the content modules and Word and Excel documents to be used in both planning and conducting the workshop

4. The ALW Topic Library • In power-point format, they contain the content slides, speaker notes and instructions and session materials and handouts • *Currently there are six modules in the library: • Time Management • Managing Stress • Developing Effective Study Habits (In Work) • The Engineer Communicator (Communication 101) • Preparing for Exams (In work) • Dealing with a Difficult Professor * Additional modules will be added as the program expands

5. Using the Modules • Each Module contains: • PowerPoint (With speaker script and instructions in the notes section) • A Module Worksheet (With time and slide beak-downs as well as handout lists) • A Session Evaluation Form • Session Exercises and Handouts (Specific to each module) • The PowerPoint slide deck is designed to be a starting point • Speakers can use as is or adapt it to their own knowledge and experiences • There are places in the deck to include links and information that is specific to the speaker’s institution

6. Using the Modules (2) • To speakers/presenters . . . In order to prepare for a presentation it is recommended you: • Print out the deck as “Notes Pages” • Review the slide content and the notes content • Do your own research on the topic to add to your knowledge base • Make any additions or modifications based on your own knowledge • Become familiar with the handout materials and exercises • Do a practice run-through to ensure you are familiar with the content and to time the session • Confer with the organizers on audience make-up and size • Have the appropriate number of hand-outs available

7. Using the Modules (3) • Understanding the Speaker Notes: • Text formatted in standard font is intended to be used by the speaker during the presentation to supplement the material on the slide • Text formatted in bold is excerpted directly from the presentation slides • Text formatted in italics is intended as directions or background notes for the speaker; italicized text is not meant to be read aloud

8. ALW Tool Kit Topic Index

9. ALW Tool Kit Topic Index (2)

10. Section 1 – Making the Decision

11. Is There a Need? • Your IEEE-HKN chapter or IEEE student branch is looking for new activities and has decided to explore offering an Advanced Learning Workshop on campus • Before making a decision you should ask these questions: • Is there a need for this type of workshop? • Do students have access to other learning and academic resources on campus? • Where are the gaps? What learning resources are students looking for that are not currently available?

12. Making a Determination • Your “assessment of need” can include: • Surveying the students • Consulting with faculty members • Investigating the current academic resources available • Reviewing the history of previous activities • You should move forward with your planning if your assessment indicated: • There are limited/no academic resources for students • There are gaps in the resources and the ALW offers a complement to existing resources • The students have indicated a strong desire for this type of programing

13. The ALW Chair • With a go-ahead to organize an ALW, the first step is for your unit leadership to appoint a Chair to oversee the planning and execution • The role of the ALW chair includes: • Responsibility for the overall planning and success of the workshop • Recruiting and recommending members for the organizing committee • The development of the ALW program • The development and monitoring of the ALW budget • Delegating tasks and responsibilities to the organizing committee and holding regular meetings • Reporting on status to the chapter leadership and preparing the post workshop reports

14. Section 2 – Goals and Objectives

15. Goals & Objectives: How Will You Know if You are Successful • Your leadership’s second step is to provide a charge to the Chair and Organizing Committee • This ensures they know what is expected of them so they can strategize and plan with the ends goals in place • Develop 3 to 4 SMART Goals: • Specific – the goal needs to be clear and unambiguous • Measurable–the goal must have measurable criteria • Attainable–the must be able to be accomplished • Relevant – the goal must be relevant to your mission and needs • Timely– the goal must have a set time-frame for completion

16. Goals & Objectives: Examples • The goals you develop are connected to your unit goals and should focus on the outcomes you desire • Before setting your goals your organizing committee should meet to discuss the desired outcomes • Goal Examples: • Hold three 1 hour ALW sessions during the semester (event focused) • Attract an average attendance of 25 students per session (attendance focused) • In the post activity survey, 50% of the student attendees indicate they found the session valuable (satisfaction focused) • There should be agreement on the objectives and all they should be posted and communicated to all of the organizing team members

17. Section 3 – The Organizing Committee

18. The Organizing Committee • You should create an Organizing Committee to oversee the planning of the activity (see template included with this kit) • The size of the committee will ultimately depend on the scope of your activity • A 1 hour dinner meeting after class does not involve the same level of planning as a full day workshop • A good first step is to populate key committee positions in order to determine the scope of your activity • Additional committee members can be added as needed based on the work requirements

19. The Organizing Committee – Recruitment • A good place to start is with your unit’s operating board or executive committee • Are there any unit leaders that would be interested in directly supporting this activity? • Some positions, like the Program Chair and the Treasurer, might see this as an extension of their responsibilities • If you need additional resources beyond your unit leaders, recruit from the ranks of your membership • Emphasize this as a learning opportunity and as a chance to contribute to the unit • Also emphasize the limited scope of the volunteer commitment (Many people are reluctant to make long-term commitments of time, and this approach might prove so satisfactory to them that they want to join the unit leadership)

20. The Organizing Committee – Key Functions • As noted previously, the scope of the key functions can vary depending on the type of activity • The following key functions are typically part of event organizing committees: • Program: Responsible for overseeing the selection of topic(s), identifying speaker(s), collecting event descriptions and speaker bios and serving as a contact for the speaker(s) • Venue: Responsible for identifying event location, re-serving the venue and ensuring the room set-up meets the requirements • Marketing/Promotions: Responsible for developing and executing the marketing plan (newsletters, promotional flyers, web site, e-mail blasts, etc.)

21. The Organizing Committee – Key Functions (2) • Treasurer: Responsible for managing the budget, collecting revenues (registration fees, sponsorships, etc.), paying all expenses, recording all transactions and develop a final report • Onsite Logistics: Responsible for speaker(s) set-up requirements (audio/visual, handouts, flipcharts), arranging for food and refreshments, checking in attendees, maintaining the attendance record, names tags, etc. • Fundraising: Responsible for developing and executing the fundraising plan and maintaining relationships with all donor/sponsors • Your choice of activity will determine the need for the above committee functions and others should be added as needed • In selecting the right people to carry out these functions, try to map their experiences and expertise to the need • If an inexperienced individual has been assigned one of these roles, the Organizing Committee Chair should provide additional guidance and oversight

22. Section 4 – The Timeline

23. The Importance of a Time-line • Whatever project you might be working on, time management is the system that works best to make sure everything gets done • Creating a time-line for organizing your event, with associated milestones and responsibilities, ensures that everyone is working toward the same task and allows for an easy status check to help you focus on areas that need attention • The detail of your time-line can vary with the type of activity you are planning • A more involved event, such a 1 one day workshop, with multiple sessions needs more planning than doing a single 1 hour lunch meeting • Base your time-line on a realistic estimate of all of the task needed to be completed

24. Time-Line Guidelines • Start at the End • The first milestone to identify is the end date . . . When do you want to conduct the event • This enables you to work backward and add in the tasks necessary to organize your event • Set a Realistic End Date • Don’t rush the planning, make sure you have enough time to plan, organize and hold your activity • It’s better to do it right, than fast • Develop Your Task/Milestone List • Identify each of the tasks you need to accomplish in order to hold the event and estimate the time necessary to have them accomplished • Remember that some tasks might have to come first in order to do others . . . An example is identifying the speakers/program before creating the marketing piece

25. Time-Line Guidelines (2) • Build In Buffers • It is ok to overestimate the time, especially if it’s the first time you are trying something • You never know when something might come up or be harder to accomplish than you thought and it’s always easier • Set a Realistic End Date • Don’t rush the planning, make sure you have enough time to plan, organize and hold your activity • Communicate • Each task should have identifiable owner(s) • The time-line should be ready available to all of the planning team • If anyone notices a red-flag, meaning a deadline is passing without the task being accomplished, communicate to the rest of the team so everyone is aware and action can be taken

26. Sample 5 Month Timeline -1 Day Final Check on Materials, Room Set-up, A/V. Signage and Registration Finalize Date, Finalize Program Topics, Recruit Additional Planning Members as Needed, Confirm Venue Promotion and Marketing (repeated 1 week prior) Confirm speakers, Obtain Bios, A/V Requirements, Handout Requirements Conduct Event/Activity -1 month - 5 months - 4 months - 3 months - 2 months 8 9 12 Post Event (+30 Days) Event Metrics and Assessment, Financial Report, Thank You’s • Decision to hold event, Planning Team Identified, Target Dates Identified, Begin Program Development , Explore Venues Recruit Speakers, Develop Budget Develop Marketing Materials (website, brochures, blast emails, posters, etc.), Registration system - 1 Week Confirm with speakers, assemble all necessary session and registration materials and catering confirmation This is an example text. Go ahead and replace it with your own text. It is meant to give you a feeling of how the designs looks including text.

27. Section 5 – Developing a Budget

28. Developing a Budget • Every event/activity has budget • The extent of the budget depends on the details and complexity of your event • A lunch meeting requires a simpler budget than multi-session workshop • The budget is based upon how much income is expected from all sources set against the expenses that are anticipated • In most cases you will need to be realistic about what is affordable within the limits of your budget income • Most event organizers try to establish the amount they need that is the minimum, but your budget must be continually reviewed

29. Developing a Budget: Expenses • These are typical *expense categories: • Room Rental (Venue) – Fixed • Food and Beverage – Variable • Audio Visual Rental – Fixed • Speaker Expenses (travel, honorarium, etc.) – Fixed • Handout Materials (printing and reproduction) – Variable • Signage – Fixed • Registration Materials (Name tags, Program, etc.) – Variable • Marketing and Promotion – Fixed • Insurance – Fixed *(See sample expense template)

30. Developing a Budget: Income • These are typical income categories: • Registration Fees • Sponsorships • Donations • Raffle Sales • Merchandise Sales

31. Developing a Budget: The Break Even Point • If you are planning a simple event held in a classroom, with pizza and sodas, and you’re using your unit budget to cover costs, you don’t need to develop a full expense/income budget • But it is still beneficial to create a budget to ensure you stay on track • If you are planning a more extensive event that requires additional funds beyond your chapter treasury, you will need to calculate a budget based on expected expenses and income • And what you’re looking for is a “break-even point”

32. Developing a Budget: The Break Even Point (2) • You never want to create a budget that “loses funds” • At the very minimum attempt to break even and if possible produce a modest surplus. Here are the steps: • Identify which expenses will be fixed and which will be variable (variable expenses tend to be based on the number of attendees, e.g. meals, as opposed to fixed costs such as marketing materials and audio-visual requirements) • Do a realistic assessment of your potential attendance • Calculate your total expenses based on that attendance • Calculate your budget income based on all potential sources of revenue excluding the registration fee • Unless you are expecting large revenues from sponsors and other sources, you likely have a shortfall • Now divide the shortfall by the number of expected attendees. This will tell you how much the registration fee should be. If the fee is too high, you might need to cut down on the expenses. If it is a reasonable fee, you could add a small amount to provide a pad. Your surplus comes from managing the expenses, exceeding your attendance projections and increasing your sponsorship revenue

33. Section 6 – Developing the Program

34. Develop the Program • Following the decision to hold your ALW, the most important one after that is to decide what module or modules to offer • Your planning team should select the most appropriate topic(s) • There are currently 6 modules in the library with more to come soon, so you will have many available choices • Conduct an assessment of students needs at your university • Conduct a survey or poll of the students to determine which topics are the most desired • Scan the academic resources that are currently available to students on campus and select a topic that is not currently offered, for example there might be many options for students for time management tips, but there is nothing for Dealing with a Difficult Professor • Choose the topic(s) that will most interest students to generate the highest attendance

35. Develop the Program (2) • Other steps to help you choose the program topics include: • Brainstorm ideas among your unit leadership and your planning team • Consult with the faculty members and/or the Academic Resource Center staff • Solicit opinions from other student colleagues • Should you not be able to come up with a definitive choice, it is always a safe approach to choose the most general topic . . . That might have the most appeal to a majority of the student audience

36. Section 7 – Speakers and Presenters

37. Identifying Speakers and Presenters – Students • The intent of the ALW is to have students serve as the speakers or presenters • With preparation and practice, each ALW module contains all of the information needed for a student speaker to make an effective presentation • Two or Three (Max) students share presentation duties • If there is more than one student presenter, make sure they clearly identify their assigned responsibilities • Suggested Speaker Criteria • Demonstrated experience in making presentations • Knowledge or experience with the topic • Engaging, Energetic and Enthusiastic • Assign a small team to identify potential student speakers within your unit or even other professional society student groups

38. Identifying Speakers and Presenters – Academic or Industry • There might be time when you feel it more appropriate to have a more experienced speaker, possibly a faculty member or industry practitioner • There are a number of outlets to identify speakers: • Your engineering department faculty • Other schools within the university • Your university academic or career resources center • Your university’s industry advisory board • Your local IEEE section • http://www.ieee.org/societies_communities/geo_activities/regional_world_map.html • IEEE-HKN Alumni Key to Success: Energetic and dynamic presenters contribute to the success of your events!

39. Section 8 – Selecting the Venue

40. Selecting the Venue • The best option for you to use an on campus site for your activity. The benefits include: • No or low cost • Students are already there • Built-in audio visual • But be sure to take into account some limitations with the on campus site: • Limited ability to alter the seating arrangement (classrooms) • Limited availability during school hours (you might need to conduct the event in the evening or the weekend) • You might need to self-cater (order food, bring the supplies, clean-up)

41. Selecting the Venue (2) • Steps to follow in selecting the venue: • Establish your meeting needs (number of attendees, space requirements, desired room set-up, available dates, etc.) • Conduct a search for all of the available venues on campus and assess them against your needs • Identify the ones that meet your needs • Visit the sites and compare all of the criteria and make the decision • Be sure to reserve the venue as soon as possible (through your campus process)

42. Section 9 – Marketing & Promotion

43. Marketing & Promotion Before you start developing your marketing materials you must differentiate between “Features versus Benefits” • The biggest failure in marketing is presenting only the features of what is being offered as the solution to the target audience’s need or problem • In preparing your promotional materials you want to make sure you are speaking to the benefits • A Feature is what your product, service or event has or does. It is a characteristic that is a quantifiable, indisputable fact. • Example: The ALW Time Management Module offers ten time management tips • A Benefit is something of value or usefulness that helps your target audience with solving problems or improving their personal or professional lives • Example: The ALW Time Management Module offers you tips on how to efficiently manage your time so that you can focus on high priority tasks

44. Marketing & Promotion (2) Determining the Benefits • Every feature typically has a benefit, so the question is how to identify the benefit? • Start with a list of all your features • Then ask some questions: • Why does this benefit matter? • Why problem does it solve? • How does it improve something? • What’s In It For Me (WIIFM)? • *If you find yourself describing features, listing product or program attributes, insert these two words, “So that” and finish your sentence with the benefit words. • The ALW Time Management Module offers ten time management tips “so that” you can prioritize your time and use it more effectively *Terri Langhans at http://www.blahblahblah.us/

45. Marketing & Promotion (3) Identify Your Target Audience • IEEE-HKN Students • IEEE Student Members • Students from other engineering disciplines • Students from outside the engineering school (Don’t limit yourself. Academic learning transcends majors.) How Do You Reach Them? • Website • E-Mail Blasts (Student university list servers, professional society rosters, etc.) • Flyers and Brochures (Printed and on-line) • Posters • Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) • University Calendar of Events • Classroom announcements

46. Marketing & Promotion (4) Items to Include in Your Promotional Materials • A Great Headline • Use visuals and something that will grab your audience • Meeting title, dates, location and contact details • Who should attend and why • The Benefits – This is about them, not you • Session Description, Speakers and Bios • Registration Information (how-to, deadline and fees if any) • Where to go for more information

47. Section 10 – Registration

48. Registration • The registration process is the first interaction your attendees will have with your event, so it is important that it is simple and easy to accomplish • Registration is important because: • It tells you how many people to expect so you can plan on supplies and food requirements • Provides a list for the creation of name-tags • It provides a measuring point during the planning phase. For example, two weeks out you might not have the numbers you anticipated so you can then step up your promotional plan. • It provides a list of contacts that you follow-up with following the event and also invite to future events

49. Registration (2) • Your registration requirements can vary depending on the scope of your event • A meeting after class might just involve an RSVP via an email • A full day workshop with a registration fee requires an online registration tool that allow electronic payment • Choose the method that meets your needs, but is easy for the person registering • There are a number of on-line tools you can use: • Survey Monkey – it’s for surveys, but can be adapted to collect simple registration information and it has no costwww.surveymonkey.com/ • Other options include: • https://www.alareg.com/ • https://www.eventbrite.com/ • http://www.formsite.com/

50. Section 11 – Fundraising & Sponsorship