Image Darren Wilson via Midjourney
As we move into the final stretch of our course work in the MALAT program, we start to put all the pieces together: Digital networks, learning theory, instructional design, and facilitation.
3 Initial Thoughts, Ideas, or Feelings
- Although I consider myself a strong public speaker and lecturer, with my teaching activity grounded in my subject matter expertise, I recognize facilitation as a unique skill set, one which I have not yet had much guidance in developing. I am equal parts excited and nervous about this.
- In our readings from Boettcher (2022) and Bull (2013), the suggested level of engagement caught me off guard. Daily communication between instructor and learners? In my teaching context (and workload), that level of engagement would be unsustainable. Thankfully, Bull also suggests that as long as expectations are set regarding the engagement level, less frequent engagement can also work.
- My current context is primarily in-person, but supported by technology. The best practices and teaching roles described in the readings have already given me ideas for how to better engage with my students in this kind of hybrid delivery model. I look forward to digging into some of the facilitation techniques with my team.
2 Questions
- When instructional designers create courses for others to facilitate, how do they manage the needs of the learners and the needs of the facilitator(s)?
- SWUX LXD (n.d.) emphasizes authenticity as a core sustainable goal in learning experience design. In situations where the facilitator is not the designer, how might they manage delivering a learning experience design that feels inauthentic to them? Is there room for flexibility?
1 Metaphor
I have often described teaching as a performance art, one which incorporates a high degree of improvisation.
That can mean being an actor on stage, having to ad-lib lines when they (or a fellow actor) might flub a line or go off-script. Or it could be more like jazz musicians following a score to faithfully perform standards, but with freedom to improvise solos at prescribed breaks, while still playing in time, in key, and following the chord structure of the piece as written. Or it could be like improv comedy, where performers are given only a brief prompt, and they riff off each other and the energy in the room to create something new and exciting that has never been seen before.
Sometimes, it feels like elements of all three.
References
Boettcher, J. V. (2022). Ten best practices for teaching online. Designing for Learning. http://designingforlearning.info/writing/ten-best-practices-for-teaching-online/
Bull, B. (2013). Eight roles of an effective online teacher. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/eight-roles-of-an-effective-online-teacher/
SWUX LXD. (n.d.). Six principles for transformative learning experiences. https://www.swuxlxd.com/blog/six-principles
Thanks for your post, Darren- I like that you are excited about the course. I find it interesting that this is the one you are nervous about because you always are so polished when you speak. It gives me the feeling that you would be a confident facilitator. I am the exact opposite. I feel fairly confident in what I design for engagement and facilitation online (knowing there is always room for improvement). However, facilitating a 3-hour class in person or my usual 5 hours online synchronously (gross) is generally nerve-racking. I noted that you were trying to wrap your head around daily communication with your schedule and student load. This can be labourious but there are ways to make it happen without going crazy. Like you I am in person with the class living in the LMS. I set 3 forum postings in a week Mon/Wed/Fri beginning/ mid and end of the week. I provide quick feedback on general activities where they are at and where they should be, and open a space for questions. I usually write the Monday one on Friday and set it to open on Monday. There are opportunities to work ahead. Often I add a voice record mid-week in the forum rather than writing – depends on student preference. Are there any ways you think you could increase your connection without it being to taxing on your schedule?
Thanks, Gill! I think I just haven’t had a lot of exposure to great facilitation, or the learning and practice to build that skill. A lot of my teaching is lecturing, demonstrating, and sharing stories from the field. 😄
My teaching load is about 16 hours in class, with around 60-80 students. Managing a constant communication flow gets overwhelming on top of all the prep and grading.
How much do you find your delivery evolves from what you initially design?
That is quite a course load- I get how that would be tricky to connect.
Great question! How I design has evolved immensely over the past few years, and with that I have learned to be less rigid. I ask early in the course if things are not working in the layout/ presentation for the course, or if there are issues with content and access if using mobile devices. I adapt the rest of the course based on needs/ preferences. I usually do this before I release a week rather than working too far ahead. I find designing with flexibility in mind allows me to pivot when needed, but I end up doing less changes that I used to when I give the space to make change.