Reflecting on Experiences and Practicing Exercises
InstructionsReflecting on Experiences and Practicing Exercises
This material is part of the VIRT2UE train the trainer program and is meant for trainers and trainees involved in the training.
You need to have a background in research (i.e. be employed as researchers) or be a trainer/educator/teacher who has had experience in research in the past.
What is this about?
In the second (face to face) group session trainees get together again for the last time and reflect back on the content of the training and on their experience in facilitating the exercises. In particular during the session trainees:
1) Reflect on their understanding of a virtue-based approach to research integrity and on how to enable a virtue ethics approach in people’s ways to think about and do research.
2) Practice again facilitating (part of) the exercises and address doubts and questions that might have arisen during the time in between the two face-to-face sessions.
3) Revise and reflect on the specific goals of the exercises and their contribution to the overall goals of the training.
4) Reflect on the possibility to adapt the training materials according the requirements of their own work context.
5) Lear how to find all relevant materials and support in organizing a training themselves.Reflect on your role as facilitator
Discuss issues you (might) have encountered during the exercises with other participants and reflect on your role and experience in facilitating the exercises. Make sure the specific goals of the exercises and their contribution to the overall goals of the training are clear to you. In particular reflect on the virtue-based approach to research integrity which is put forward in this training and on how to enable a virtue ethics approach in people’s ways to think about and do research. You might consider asking clarifying questions to make sure you have a good understanding of the approach and are able to use the same approach in training others.
Practice (parts of) the exercises again
Practice again (elements and variations of) the exercises supervised by a trainer. Discuss with your trainers and with the group the possibility to adapt the training materials.
Remarks
What is this about?
In the second (face to face) group session trainers wrap up the training,foster a reflection on the experiences of trainees with the exercises and supervise trainees in practicing selected exercises again. The goals of the session are:
1) Trainees understand what a virtue-based approach to research integrity;
2) Trainees practice again facilitating (part of) the exercises;
3) Ideally, trainees leave the training feeling confident in facilitating the exercises;
4) Trainees know the specific goals of the exercises and their contribution to the overall goals of the training;
5) Trainees are aware of the possibility to adapt the training materials according the requirements of their own work context;
6) Trainees know how to find all relevant materials and support for organizing a training themselves.Set the goals of the session
Together with the group you discuss the plan for the day. Plan time both for practicing the exercises and for addressing theoretical and content questions. If more people want to practice the same exercise you can consider allowing them to co-facilitate it.
Address doubts and questions
Encourage trainees to express doubts and questions that might have arisen during the time in between the two face-to-face sessions. Address both theoretical and practical issues and invite them to reflect on how to enable a virtue ethics approach in people’s ways to think about and do research.
Provide feedback on facilitation
Invite trainees to facilitate exercises in the way they did in their own work setting give then feedback and ask them to elaborate on possible modifications in the structure or steps of the exercises.
Restate the overall goals of the training
Remind participants of the overall goals of the training and ask them to reflect on the specific goals of the exercises and their contribution to the overall goals.
Explain where to find and how to adapt materials
Based on your experience and expertise in facilitating and using the face-to-face exercises, you discuss with trainees the competence level and learning needs of the target group they will work with, what are things that the target group would like to discuss more in-depth, and how to implement those issues in the exercise(s). Take some time to show trainees where they can find the training materials on The Embassy of Good Science. You may also instruct them how they can interact with the community by using the discussion section of the platform, and how they can suggest changes to the training materials.
Address certification
Remind participants about the fact that in order to become certified VIRT2UE trainers, they have to train 10 others, preferably trainers. If it is not feasible to train 10 trainers they may also train researchers who have the potential to be come trainers.
