Inclusive Online Workshops
I recently facilitated a virtual workshop with staff from four partners, located across two countries, and all working from home in different locations.
Here are some approaches that I used, relatively successfully, to enable an inclusive workshop.
Preparation is everything!
I prepared the workshop presentation slides well ahead of time, so that it could be translated and shared with participants prior to workshop. This also enabled participants that didn’t have a video option on zoom to follow along.
A separate zoom link was set up for in country partners, where they could access a simultaneous translation, which was being conducted by one of the partners.
We used the closed caption function on Zoom and a second staff member simultaneously typed the translation of the workshop. She was a fast typer! We tested this approach to translation prior to the workshop, to ensure it would work effectively.
The small group discussion conducted in break out rooms in Zoom were organised by language to enable participants to could talk freely. It also gives the translators a break!
Participants were asked to turn videos on when speaking (if possible), to support participants with hearing difficulties and general understanding.
We set ground rules in the workshop, where we all agreed to talk at a slower pace.
We left time and space for different people to share their inputs, particularly important given the need for translation delay, and to ensure different perspectives were gained.
What have been your tips and tricks for managing inclusive virtual workshops ?
