Developed in the late 1970’s in B.C., the ISW model is firmly grounded in the concepts of participatory, adult, peer-based learning and teaching.

These workshops take place in face-to-face sessions over 24 hours and adhere to the stated learning outcomes found on the iswnetwork.ca site..

The variable in these ISWs is the delivery approach – 3 or 4 days consecutive, 3-4 days divided by a weekend, 24 hours grouped into chunks of time and delivered over a longer period. The theme sessions that are offered by the ISW facilitators are tailored to the needs of each participant group and reflect important issues in education or theories of learning and teaching.

Purpose: “..enhance the teaching effectiveness of both new and experienced educators”

Format: 3-4 day workshop, 24 hours, 5-6 participants per 1 facilitator, small group setting

Process: participants design and conduct three “mini-lessons” and receive verbal, written and video feedback from the other participants who have been learners in the mini-lessons

Approach: experiential, adult learning, peer-based, reflective practice, participatory learning

Topics: theory and practice of teaching adult learners, writing learning objectives and lesson plans, techniques for eliciting learner participation, and suggestions for evaluation of learning.