Prior to attending the MALAT program, I had limited experience and exposure with an online learning environment. Years ago, I took Human Resources courses online, but that involved reading the textbook, answering questions, submitting them and then following up with assignments. Digital facilitation is an integrated approach that involves many different learning theories and incorporates not only reading literature and responding (via blogs and assignments) but also it involves working together in teams to share experiences and learning from each other.
Three Thoughts
Digital facilitation opens the doors to co-creation between the facilitator and participants. It allows participants to direct their learning.
Digital facilitation provides opportunities to apply old and new learning theories – cognitivism, constructivism and social constructivism with connectivism.
Digital facilitation is not a lecture via video. It is a method of opening doors and opportunities for each participant to learn from the program but specifically participants can learn or focus on topics that are specific, meaningful, relevant and timely to them.
Two questions
Every program we create or facilitate may be different. Is there a ‘recipe’ we should use related to the percentage of time we coach, facilitate or provide group activities?
Recently a digital facilitator said to me that he incorporated too many assignments/exercises into the program and this would need to be modified for the next time. Is it only through iteration that we learn or know this?
One Metaphor
Digital facilitation is like trying to decide what you want to do with your life – the possibilities are endless!
August 31, 2020 at 8:37 pm
Thanks for your thoughtful post, Caroline. Re: your second question, “Recently a digital facilitator said to me that he incorporated too many assignments/exercises into the program and this would need to be modified for the next time. Is it only through iteration that we learn or know this?” this got me thinking…If you are a new facilitator (or new to the specific course), I’m thinking you only know for sure after facilitating the course at least once, however one can make educated guesses based on their own past course work or seeking feedback from others. Several of our MALAT instructors have mentioned the changes they’ve made after facilitating our courses. I think each group of students is different as well, and you may find part way through the course that some tweaks should be made. P.S. I like your metaphor!
September 8, 2020 at 5:36 pm
Thank you for your comments. Maybe the learning here (for me) would be to show the facilitator material to a mentor and ask for their feedback and input. He or she may be able to view the material and based on experience, he or she may know if it is too much or too little. I think experience facilitating a topic guides how much or how little information should be included. Caroline
September 1, 2020 at 6:03 am
I enjoyed reading your post, Caroline! I appreciated your thoughts about digital facilitation AND IT REALLY made me want to be in an online course that you ever end up facilitating! 🙂 I most appreciated from your thoughts that you shared “Digital facilitation provides opportunities to apply old and new learning theories – cognitivism, constructivism and social constructivism with connectivism.” I see these opportunities to apply old and new learning theories and that is one of the elements of online learning that I am really drawn to today. John Spencer, an interesting educator, talks about Vintage Innovation: http://www.spencerauthor.com/vintage/ – this made me think of your shared thoughts that resonated with me.
And your metaphor: “Digital facilitation is like trying to decide what you want to do with your life – the possibilities are endless!” is SO TRUE! Another reason I am motivated by and encouraged by digital facilitation.
Best regards,
Leigh
September 8, 2020 at 5:44 pm
Hi Leigh Thank you for your comments. They are greatly appreciated. I read the Vintage Innovation article. John Spencer is right. Innovation is a mashup of old and new. Old is tried and true while new needs iteration. Perhaps its all about taking bits and pieces of each to make it our own.
Caroline