As we begin a new course on facilitation in digital learning environments, we are asked to reflect on our initial thoughts about digital facilitation in a 3-2-1 format. Below are my thoughts.
3 Initial Thoughts
Effective facilitation in an online learning environment takes a lot of careful planning and work to ensure learning objectives are being met in a meaningful way. You cannot take an in-person learning plan and plug it into an online environment, contrary to what many people believe.
Taking the role of a co-learner when facilitating in a digital learning environment by being a (relatively) active participant in discussions (Bull, 2013), can help develop facilitation skills and strategies while also learning more from the context of the participants.
There is a lot of potential for online learning, but good design and facilitation of learning are key to the realization of this potential. This includes the careful and thoughtful balance between social, cognitive, and teaching presence as described in the Community of Inquiry (CoI) model (Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2018).
2 Questions
Boettcher (n.d.) suggests that using current news events for students to relate to and discuss can be motivating. What are other effective digital facilitation strategies that support engagement and motivation?
There are several elements to consider when designing and facilitating an effective online learning experience. However, most of these elements apply to learning that takes place over a period of time. How does this translate to short-duration learning events such as one-off professional learning?
1 Metaphor
Being a facilitator of digital learning is like being a wedding planner. They are focused on the experience of others, working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth and memorable event for all who attend.
References
Boettcher, J.V. (n.d.). Ten best practices for teaching online. Designing for Learning. http://designingforlearning.info/writing/ten-best-practices-for-teaching-online/
Bull, B. (2013, June 3). Eight roles of an effective online teacher. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/
Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2018). Online educators’ recommendations for teaching online: Crowdsourcing in action. Open Praxis, 10(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.1.721
Hi Leah. Great post. I really liked your metaphor. And when discussing elements to consider when designing and facilitating an effective online learning experience, your question,
“How does this translate to short-duration learning events such as one-off professional learning?”
is something that I think about often as this is the bulk of my training facilitation at my work. I sometimes find much of the research and readings I have done are more difficult to apply to quick, self-directed, workplace training modules. Any tips of tricks that you have noted along the way to lend me?
Hi Rebecca,
Most of the professional learning I facilitate is synchronous (virtual or in-person), and I find it very hard to develop social presence in these learning environments. For example, does taking 10 minutes out of 60 to do an icebreaker to initiate social presence and a little bit of trust pay off when doing group activities and sharing? I think it does, but maybe the learners don’t see the value in terms of the time. I have to focus on a few things vs. trying to do them all, but I have yet to decide which are the most important. In terms of the workplace training that you do, I have developed some e-learning modules and have a couple of things I can offer you. Keep the modules to 20 minutes or less to keep the learner focused – use “chunking” if needed to break up topics. I would also recommend using Mayer’s Principles of Multimedia Learning to guide your design process. This is helpful in understanding how the brain processes information and learns and how we, as designers, can manage cognitive load to enhance learning by paying attention to how information is presented. I hope that helps!