Fred Hutchinson cancer center.

For the past 3 days, I’ve been attending a workshop at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (iPhone pic above) on a data analysis package called BioConductor. Disappointingly, it was not exactly what I was expecting. And by “exactly”, I mean “in no way”.

There was no avenue for providing any feedback during or after the workshop and as I’m sure everyone can tell; I was raised to say nothing at all if I don’t have anything nice to say. However my parents didn’t have any rules about blogging, so I will post a few comments and suggestions for organizers of future “workshops” here, based on my experience over the past few days.

  • Introductions: If you advertise for, and receive, attendees from industry who travel across the country and pay $1,200 to attend your workshop; make an effort to greet or at least acknowledge them in some way. Even just a casual few words during the coffee break on the first day would be both professional and cordial.
  • Backgrounds: In a group size of 15 people, you have time to briefly allow attendees to introduce themselves to the group and organizers and detail their experience and research aims. Not only does this encourage interaction, it will allow you to tailor your program and language accordingly.
  • Room setup: Adults do not enjoy being squashed into small rooms, with 3 people on desks clearly designed for one or two. Also, do not use a whiteboard that you acknowledge is out of view for half the room. Just don’t.
  • Deliver what was promised: Let’s say you are running an introductory course for a new type of bonsai pruning. Spending 70% of the time talking about the pros and cons of soil and water, then handing out a pre-packaged DIY tutorial for your new method, is not what those attending your workshop were expecting.
  • Questions: If you ask for questions and there are none, that is not a good sign. Good scientists give presentations that stimulate intelligent discussion and questioning. If you ask for questions and someone does ask one, allow them to finish their question before you start answering what you think they were asking.
  • References: If you are giving a lot of information and opinions to an educated audience, you need to provide references and follow up reading material. Handing out copies of a text book with your name on the cover, from which you presumably received royalties (via a course-fee-funded bulk purchase), does not seem very independent.
  • Common sense: When planning an introductory course, try to think like someone who isn’t already an expert in the field. Skipping over the steps of how one goes from a raw bonsai tree, to one that is ready for your specific and new method of pruning, is frustrating to the audience. If I don’t feel confident I can use this new technique when I get home and back to my own trees, rather than those provided in the course, it’s difficult to summon the energy and will power to learn new, advanced methods.

On the plus side, the lunch boxes were delicious and constant access to pastries, coffee and ice water will be missed!