Co-Creating New Workshop Initiatives in the Aptoverse
The following seeks to kickstart the process of creating the foundation that empowers community leaders (such as coordinators and educators) to host workshops that are tailored to specific audiences, such as Movers.
As with anything in the ecosystem, this is a community-driven, collaborative effort so I’d love to see your input and/or your feedback. Don’t hesitate to add your own suggestions to help us in establishing community workshops in the ecosystem and to improve the proposed format.
Objective: Helping the community in establishing the workshop format as a tool for education and collaboration in the Aptos ecosystem.
#1 Process Overview
The following process is proposed for the creation and execution of community-driven workshops:
- Community member proposes workshop topic. Ideally, proposal includes information about a) content, b) goals and guiding questions, c) target audience, and d) benefit for the ecosystem. Proposal is discussed with team member of Aptos Labs
- Preparing workshop. Based on the feedback from Aptos Labs, workshop host prepares workshop outline/structure. Optionally, workshop slides are prepared as well (see #2)
- Review. Workshop outline is reviewed by Aptos Labs. Feedback is implemented
- Hosting workshop. Approved workshop is hosted by community member
#2 Presentation Template
It is proposed that workshop hosts prepare slides that guide participants through the workshop. This helps hosts to draft an action plan for the workshop that includes topics, objectives, and guiding questions. Creating slides for the workshop also helps hosts to structure the workshop.
A template with sample slides was created that workshop hosts can use:
#3 Workshop Types
The workshop type as well as its content largely depend on the chosen topic and the target audience. The following is an attempt to help workshop hosts in better structuring their workshops.
Workshop hosts have a variety of different options to choose from:
- Co-creation workshops: the audience is actively engaged by the host to help in jointly accomplishing defined objectives
- Live trainings: the workshop format can be used to onboard new members/developers with the goal of providing specific training in a defined area
- Brainstorming workshops: the main objective of the workshop is to encourage the audience to create new ideas based on guiding questions
- Moderated discussions: the audience is actively guided through the workshop by the host who plays a key role in structuring the event, there are fewer opportunities for interaction
- Panel discussions: the workshop is structured by a discussion between a given number of panelists with Q&A sessions and feedback during the discussion and/ors at the end
- Bootcamps and workshop series: multi-day or multi-session workshops for topics that require a set of subsequent workshops
#4 Workshop Content
Hosts can combine different workshop elements when planning their event. Focus should lie on determining the appropriate sequencing to maintain a natural flow of the workshop.
These workshop elements can include:
- Introduction
- Guiding Questions
- Defining expectations (both by participants and the host)
- Brainstorming session (for example via miro.com)
- Training session
- Interviews
- Lectures
- Discussions
- Q&As
- Feedback
- Conclusion
#5 Defining Guiding Questions
A workshop’s guiding questions are used as tools that encourage participants to not lose sight of the defined goals and to make efficient use of their time. Such guiding questions can be introduced by the host at the beginning of the event to define what topics and objectives to focus on during the workshop.
#6 Workshop platforms
Free services such as Google Meet and Zoom (limited to a maximum of 1 hour in the free version) are recommended platforms for conducting workshops.