Report of the Training

(Adapted from BARNES 2000)

The production of a good report of a training/workshop is as much a part of the training/workshop as the course itself (see also planning a training). However excellent and original a piece of work the training may be, unless the results can be communicated to other people it may as well not have been done! Communicating results of an investigation in a clear and useful way is a key part of the training follow up and is the reason for devoting a lot of effort to this aspect. If there are formal recommendations for your report, make sure you follow them.

(Adapted from BARNES 2000)

It is not necessary or even desirable to describe every minute detail of what was done in the training/workshop. One of the most important aspects of good report writing is to be concise, yet remain informative. The ability to select what is essential, and to omit what is merely incidental detail, is a skill you need to develop. In view of this, the main part of your report must be within the word limit(s) specified in the applicable module description, if this exists for your training course/workshop. Make sure you check the particular requirements for the subject before you start writing the report. In general, a report of a training/workshop should have the following arrangement (adapted from TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTRE n.y.):

1. Title Page: Includes the subject of the report, who the report is for, who the report is by and the date of submission.

2. Abstract: Usually 100 to 200 words, including the following:

• why the report has been written (i.e. what the training/workshop was done for),
• how the training/workshop was undertaken
• what the main findings were and
• what the significance of the findings is

Be specific and precise so that the reader can get a good understanding of the main points without having to read the whole report. It is usually written in a single paragraph.

3. Table of Contents: Helps the reader to find specific information and indicates how the information has been organised and what topics are covered. It should also include a list of figures and a list of tables if any are used in the report.

4. Introduction: The Introduction has three main components.

• The Background which describes events leading up to the training/workshop, what trainings/workshops have been done previously, and why the training or workshop was necessary.
• The Purpose which defines what the training or workshop was to achieve, who authorised it and the specific terms of reference.
• The Scope which outlines any limitations imposed on the training/workshop such as cost, time etc.

5. Body: Basically, the body answers the questions — Who? Why? Where? When? What? How? All information must be presented in a systematic way. It is important to include the training evaluation in the report with the participants’ assessment. Also, don’t forget to write down the main problems of the training/workshop to consider them in future courses.

Ideas what to include:

• If a field trip was included in the training/workshop, explain how it supported the course and if it had the outcomes you expected (see planning field trips).
• What role plays were performed?
• What training methods/methods of instruction were used?
• What were the discussions about?

These are just some ideas, but there are sure a lot more things you might include in your report. Make sure you stick to important points.

6. Conclusion: Should be as brief as possible and presented in descending order of importance. Conclusions should be free from speculation (i.e. ideas for which you have presented no evidence), have no new thoughts or references introduced and contain no further discussion of points raised.

7. Recommendations: Should follow naturally from the conclusions. They should be offered in descending order of importance and may be in point form when several recommendations are being made.

8. References: Accurate listing, in strict alphabetical order, of all the sources referred to.

9. Appendix/Appendices: Contains/contain important data, explanatory and illustrative material not included in the text, such as e.g., if required, the questionnaires from the evaluation.

(Adapted from TEACHING AND LEARNING CENTRE n.y.):

Tables, graphics and photos make a report more interesting and often visualise key findings best. Also, they can lead to a better remembering on the side of the participants if they refer to specific parts of the course, e.g. the coloured card technique (see also managing coloured cards). The tables, graphics and photos are placed immediately after where they are first referred to in the text. Photos can add a lot more content to your report, especially if they visualise results (and are not mere group photos). The reader should also be referred (by number) to the diagrams at the appropriate time in the text and the most important features pointed out to them. Tables, graphics and photos (called figures), should be sequentially numbered. In large reports with many chapters, they are sequentially numbered in each chapter (i.e. for Chapter 2 you will begin from Table 2.1, Figure 2.1). Titles for tables are centred above the table. Titles for figures are centred below the graphic.

The source of the table or figure should also be included. The source is usually in a smaller font (e.g. 8 point) and aligned on the left hand margin under a table, and under the title of a figure.