Quick reflect: My first Refworks training session

I'm now really glad that I was on my own for this training session: only 2 of 4 people turned up! Both female, both very very nice DPhil students.

What have I learnt from the last hour?

1) DO NOT log on to the wireless when teaching, as the internet 'fell off' and I couldn't demonstrate, via the projector, Refworks, Write-N-Cite III etc. Always use the cable to hook up to the web, using the red ports in the group study room!

2) If there are only 2 people, and me, for the training session, then one hour is ample. Sufficient. Enough time for them to log on/ learn how to navigate around Refworks/ download references via export and import/ learn how to cite references in Word.

3) Even if I took 4 hours to prepare for this yesterday, having two cups of (instant) coffee prior to the session is still the best way to be mentally and physically prepared immediately beforehand, as then I have enough energy and I'm sufficiently awake to be prepared to tackle any funny questions!

I'm teaching with a colleague next week: Endnote - basics; 8 people; we'll have to have the tables set up as one big table, with the laptops and chairs around the edges ("dinner-table" style, as B calls it), and I'll try out the new notebook computer thingy and our mini projector, I think, to save on space [Note - this won't work! For two major reasons: a) we don't yet have the cable to connect the notebook to the mini projector. b) The notebook doesn't have Endnote on it! Oh and c) The notebook doesn't have Word, which would confuse Endnote. The notebook would be useful for the first half of the Refworks training, the online bit though. Worth bearing in mind].

We'll have up to 10 adults in our little group study room next week for Endnote, plus 9 laptops = warm environment....

I wonder what questions they'll throw at us next week?

I wonder if I need to find a powerpoint presentation to use as an introduction, or just demonstrate and get them to think of their own search queries and references to download, organise, cite?


Plan > Do > Review

Plan - for Refworks (yesterday afternoon in the main)... Do - for Refworks (today) ... Review - for Refworks, right now!