THREE: Facilitation in digital environments is
- complicated
Planning, creating, editing, and executing take additional facilitator time and energy. Even the best set-up may not be successful, especially during a pandemic or other environmental disaster.
- ever-changing
Technology advances require constant adjustments and upgrades.
- not private
Material can easily be shared and discussed with others.
TWO: Two questions I have about digital facilitation
- It seems the most effective digital facilitation follows a community of inquiry model with a teacher presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. Does this set-up have the potential to be more effective (or at least match) an in-person environment?
- Will higher ed digital facilitation experiences outnumber the in-person experiences in the near future?
ONE:Â A metaphor about digital facilitation
- Digital facilitation is much like creating a music playlist to help a workout move along. Facilitators begin with one song and add to it based on learners’ needs, personalities, and life circumstances. A soft, relaxing mix might be counterproductive for the personal best road run while the 170 beats per minute power mix might drive learners to their tipping points.
Love that metaphor, Wendy! I’ve never thought of it that way, but setting the pace throughout a course like you would a workout playlist feels very accurate. Start with a warm-up, get things moving (but keep some variety in there), keep the energy level going when they want to quit, and leave time for a cool down.