Category: LRNT 528

As I review my original thoughts on facilitation, I see my approach has shifted from what makes a good facilitator, to how does the facilitator fit in open education.

Three thoughts I now have on digital facilitation based on my course experience are as follows:

1. A facilitator is someone who assists in engaging the participants in the learning experience, not someone who is responsible for the participant’s learning.
2. A facilitator can help the participants approach the digital learning material in a way that meets their unique learning needs.
3. In order to make digital facilitation successful, there needs to be support from the educational institution in the way of training, technology, and the freedom to inject digital educational practices into the current learning model. 

Two questions I have about digital facilitation are:

1. As an educator, what parameters are we using to set standards for competence in digital technology? Can we start to assume a basic level of digital literacy from our students?
2. How can we effectively evaluate learning in a digital environment when participants engage with the content asynchronously? 

The following image is how I like to think about facilitation:

I feel that this image is a metaphor for the togetherness that is needed in a facilitation environment. The learning is everyone’s responsibility and everyone chips in to help each other towards the learning objective. There are some that are better to lead, and others who are happy to follow, while some are best positioned alongside someone who is struggling in order to champion them towards the finish line. All of these traits can be useful as a facilitator, as students often respond to different characteristics in a ‘teacher.’

I still struggle to see how to objectively evaluate learning in digital or open education. Coming from a healthcare background, my education had very clear objectives that often had a black and white, right or wrong approach. 

Delving into the grey of open education, I can see issues arising in fields where traditional education strategies are not compatible with the emerging open ed practices. Many institutions are protective over their curriculum, some of which is financially supported by stakeholders who demand their material be kept secure. Facilitating in this new world of open education can be a challenge and an adventure. Students have access to material that can greatly assist their learning, but can get lost in the vastness and lose track of the learning objective. I’ve learned it’s harder to keep them on track when you open the doors to open ed. That being said, it’s also impressive to see the flow of knowledge as students share and engage with open material. It’s inspiring to see students take control over their learning instead of sitting back and waiting to be spoon fed from the instructor

My teaching context is in vocational training, specifically paramedic training. Following the trend of other education frameworks, the use of online learning has increased in paramedic training curriculums. As a facilitator for this online component, it is important to address each of the following: social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence, especially when we consider a learning environment such as a community of inquiry. 

In a community of inquiry participants work together as both student and teacher, each participating in the different roles throughout the learning experience. The goal of a facilitator is to set the framework or tone for the discussion, and to keep the group moving towards the goal of the community of inquiry. Bringing a group of people together can result in lively discussions and quality learning for everyone. Discussed below are several strategies that a facilitator can use to ensure a positive learning environment in a community of inquiry and incorporate the 3 presences (Cognitive, Teaching, and Social). 

Cognitive presence: 

How do we recognize learning is happening? Dialogue between learners and not simply answered by the instructor suggests a higher level of learning by the participants (Moore, 2021). To increase cognitive presence, recognizing the various environments that students can learn from is important. Both synchronous and asynchronous activities create opportunities for learners to prepare, react, engage, and learn from each other (University of Waterloo, 2022). 

Teaching presence:

In contrast to traditional classrooms, there is no ‘class time’ for online courses. Establishing teaching presence is important to be perceived as “present” by students (Mandernach et all, 2006). As a facilitator it is important to funnel the discussions towards the learning outcome and at the same time, acknowledge and encourage student contributions to draw in learners. A visibly active facilitator increases student connectedness (Mandernach et all, 2006).

Social presence: 

It is important to recognize the limitations of the technology you are using. Moore (2021) identifies the qualities of in-person interactions that may not be present in digital communication. In-person communication allows for facial expressions, gestures, normal interruptions or overlapping conversations, and opportunities for immediate clarification, all important parts of developing social presence. Synchronous video technologies help to increase these ‘in person’ characteristics and ensure social presence is present. 

References

Mandernach, B., Gonzales, R. & Garrett, A. (2006). An examination of online instructor presence via threaded discussion participation. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 2 (4).

Moore M. (2021). Resilient Pedagogy. Practical Teaching Strategies to Overcome Distance, Disruption, and Distraction. Chapter 13: Asynchronous Discussions for First-Year Writers and Beyond: Thinking Outside the PPR (Prompt, Post, Reply) Box,  https://oen.pressbooks.pub/resilientpedagogy/chapter/thinking-outside-the-ppr-prompt-post-reply-box/

Online Discussions: Tips for Instructors. Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo. (2022).  https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-resources/teaching-tips/alternatives-lecturing/discussions/online-discussions-tips-for-instructors

My initial thoughts on facilitation in a digital environment center around my own experiences with online learning. There have been some highs and lows in regards to online learning, and many of my so-called challenging experiences have come from what I interpret as poor facilitation. 

3 initial thoughts I have about facilitation in digital environments

• Facilitation is a continuous process: A good facilitator is present often (sometimes daily), keeping the conversations going and responding to students in a timely matter. I find this maintains momentum of the learning environment and creates trust in the process. 
• Maintain a social connection: It can be challenging to see each other as people in digital environments. Facilitating a group of people requires everyone to see each other as people, and not an avatar or username in a chat room.
• Be a model user: A facilitator is responsible for maintaining the standard for behaviour within the group, and this can be a challenge with large groups or among varied backgrounds. It’s important for the facilitator to set the standard for conduct, participation, and overall tone of the digital space.

2 questions about digital facilitation

• How do you keep everyone at the same speed in a digital learning environment or online course?
• How do you gauge participation from students who are more observers than contributors? (and is observing an equal participation?)

1 metaphor I have for digital facilitation

• “It’s like herding cats….”