{"id":1456,"date":"2023-09-13T15:26:12","date_gmt":"2023-09-13T19:26:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0268\/?p=1456"},"modified":"2023-09-13T16:41:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T20:41:19","slug":"draft-facilitation-plan-inclusive-facilitation-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/malat-webspace.royalroads.ca\/rru0268\/draft-facilitation-plan-inclusive-facilitation-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Draft facilitation plan \u2013 inclusive facilitation practices"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Image by Midjourney<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Co-authored post by Giulia DiGiovanni<\/strong>, Terry Kent<\/strong>, Andrea Livingstone<\/strong>, and Darren Wilson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In preparation for our facilitation week, our team has begun our planning process to incorporate some best practices in facilitation to create a successful learning experience for our participants. The learning content we will be delivering centres around the facilitator\u2019s role in creating inclusive learning environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Learning objective<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To develop an understanding of the facilitator’s role in creating inclusive learning environments and to acquire practical tips and workshop strategies for fostering inclusivity in digital learning environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Timeline<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The proposed timeline for our learning module is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
Date<\/th>\n Mode<\/th>\n Facilitators<\/th>\n Learners<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
Sunday<\/strong>
October 8<\/td>\n 		Asynchronous<\/td>\n Introduction and orientation to the learning module<\/td>\n Pre-work assigned: (reading\/video)<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Tuesday<\/strong>
October 10<\/td>\n 		Asynchronous<\/td>\n Comment on learner reflections<\/td>\n Post reflections on discussion forum<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Wednesday<\/strong>
October 11<\/td>\n 		Asynchronous<\/td>\n Comment on learner reflections<\/td>\n Comment on peer reflections<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Thursday<\/strong>
October 12<\/td>\n 		Synchronous<\/td>\n Lead Zoom session. Summarize themes from learner reflections, describe best practices in inclusive facilitation, guide large and small group discussions<\/td>\n Participate in Zoom session<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Friday<\/strong>
October 13<\/td>\n 		Asynchronous<\/td>\n Module summary<\/td>\n Final reflection<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
Saturday<\/strong>
October 14<\/td>\n 		Asynchronous<\/td>\n Gather feedback<\/td>\n Provide feedback<\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table>\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The timeline is designed bearing in mind that the first two days of the facilitation week take place on a holiday weekend, and that participants\u2019 time will likely be divided. Therefore, we have allocated additional time in the first days of asynchronous learning to complete the learning activities in preparation for the synchronous session, which we have tentatively scheduled for Thursday evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Learning resources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We will use the following resources to initiate learning during our facilitation week:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LabXchange. (2023, March 23).\u00a0What Is an Inclusive Classroom?<\/em> [Video].\u00a0YouTube. https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=K-AWPB8adE4<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Page, C., Hardwick, J., & Takacs, S. (2021). Creating Inclusive Online Learning Environments. In C. Page (Ed.),\u00a0Inclusive Pedagogies<\/em>. Kwantlen Polytechnic University. https:\/\/kpu.pressbooks.pub\/inclusivepedagogies\/chapter\/creating-inclusive-online-learning-environments\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These resources will be provided to our learners as optional supplementary learning:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student Success. (n.d.).\u00a0Inclusive Online Teaching<\/em>. Appalachian State University. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https:\/\/cetlss.appstate.edu\/inclusive-excellence\/inclusive-teaching\/inclusive-online-teaching<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dunlap, J. C., & Lowenthal, P. R. (2018). Online educators\u2019 recommendations for teaching online: Crowdsourcing in action. Open Praxis<\/em>, 10<\/em>(1), 79. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5944\/OPENPRAXIS.10.1.721<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gamrat, C. (2020, February 6).\u00a0Inclusive Teaching and Course Design<\/em>. Educause Review. https:\/\/er.educause.edu\/blogs\/2020\/2\/inclusive-teaching-and-course-design<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hanson, C. (2022). Inclusive workshop toolkit. Teaching and Learning Services \u2013 McGill University<\/em>. https:\/\/www.mcgill.ca\/skills21\/files\/skills21\/inclusive_workshop_toolkit.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Page, C., Hardwick, J., & Takacs, S. (2021). Facilitating Classroom Communication. In C. Page (Ed.), Inclusive Pedagogies<\/em>. Kwantlen Polytechnic University. https:\/\/kpu.pressbooks.pub\/inclusivepedagogies\/chapter\/facilitating-classroom-communication-with-multilingual-students\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spence, R., Rawle, F., & Hilditch, J. (Eds.). (2022). Inclusive Facilitation Guide. In\u00a0Learning to be Human Together<\/em>. eCampus Ontario. https:\/\/ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub\/onhumanlearn\/chapter\/inclusive-facilitation-guide\/<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.).\u00a0Making your online course accessible<\/em>. University of Calgary. Retrieved September 12, 2023, from https:\/\/taylorinstitute.ucalgary.ca\/resources\/module\/developing-online-courses\/accessible-learning-environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Asynchronous activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our initial plan for the learning activities leading up to our synchronous session include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Read<\/strong> \u2018Creating Inclusive Online Learning Environments<\/a><\/em>\u2019 by Page (2021). It’s a relatively short read, taking less than 10 minutes, and it explores strategies for making learning environments more inclusive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Watch<\/strong> the video \u2018What is an Inclusive Classroom?<\/a><\/em>\u2019 by LabXchange (2023). The video has a duration of 7:30 and provides an overview of the essential characteristics of an inclusive learning environment. It also presents several interactive teaching methods that facilitators can employ to foster inclusivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Reflect<\/strong> on your experiences related to inclusivity in learning, either positive or negative, and share them in a Moodle forum post in the section [Reflections on Inclusivity]. These can be from your own personal experiences or those of your students. You have the option to express yourself through a video post, brief written paragraph(s), or an audio recording. Please keep your submission within a maximum duration of 3 minutes for video and audio recordings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Comment<\/strong> on your peers’ reflections, with a connection, a question, a thought, or a combination of those three. Ensure that each reflection receives a comment. This practice encourages equitable distribution of feedback. Once all posts have received initial comments, you are free to contribute more to ongoing discussions.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Facilitator note:<\/strong> After all have posted, the facilitation team will respond with a summary and 4 key themes\/topics that have emerged. These themes will inform discussions during the synchronous session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Synchronous activity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Proposed date and time: Thursday October 12, 17:00 Pacific Time, 20:00 Eastern Time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    10-15 minutes<\/td>Introduction:<\/strong> Best practices in inclusive facilitation, and the themes which emerged from the asynchronous exercise.<\/td><\/tr>
    10-15 minutes<\/td>Breakout rooms:<\/strong> In smaller groups, participants will reflect on their thoughts and experiences about inclusivity, the themes that emerged, and the best practices described in the presentation. How can we create more inclusive learning experiences in our own learning contexts?<\/td><\/tr>
    10-15 minutes<\/td>Discussion:<\/strong> Returning to the larger group, the breakout groups will share their experiences, observations, and conclusions, and discuss.<\/td><\/tr>
    5 minutes<\/td>Conclusion:<\/strong> The facilitation team will conclude the session, describing next steps and providing additional resources.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    6. Learning technologies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Moodle<\/strong> will be used as the “shell” for our facilitation week. This will allow for a range of asynchronous activities, including discussion forums, which we plan to use as part of the pre-work leading up to our synchronous session. We chose this tool because of its familiarity to the participants, and for its versatility with including various learning resources, including OERs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Zoom<\/strong> will be used for the synchronous session, affording opportunities for more personal discussion in a larger group as well as in breakout sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We are continuing to evaluate other tools to use to facilitate an engaged learning experience in both asynchronous and synchronous components of our learning module.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    7. Learning Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Garrison et al. (1999) describe three foundational forms of engagement that can create high-quality learning experiences: Social Presence, Cognitive Presence, and Teaching Presence. We will endeavour to support these forms of presence through the following activities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n
    <\/th>\n Activities<\/th>\n Indicators<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n <\/thead>\n
    Social Presence<\/strong>

    Establish social presence by establishing an environment of trust, where learners can express themselves with authenticity, and collaborate freely with their colleagues in a risk-free setting (Garrison et al., 2007).<\/td>\n

    \n
      \n
    • Offer video reflection as an option<\/li>\n
    • Use collaborative groups in our synchronous session<\/li>\n
    • Facilitate commenting on reflection posts, both facilitator and student<\/li>\n <\/ul>These options offer learners the opportunity to connect and aid in the feeling of involvement, engagement, and being a part of the group (Dunlap & Lowenthal, 2018).\n <\/td>\n


    \n
      \n
    • Creating an environment for risk-free expression<\/li>\n
    • Encouraging collaboration<\/li>\n <\/ul>We will facilitate establishing connections by encouraging collaborative activities in our synchronous session, as well as offering multi-modal choices in how to respond to their reflection of the materials offered. Our facilitators will also be commenting on several learners\u2019 posts, which can encourage connection and trust.\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    Cognitive Presence<\/strong>

    Build cognitive presence by creating opportunities for learners to connect new ideas to their lived experience, and apply new knowledge to their teaching and learning contexts (Garrison et al., 2007).<\/td>\n

    \n
      \n
    • Encourage and support the progression of inquiry in discussion and small group activities through triggering events, exploration, and integration to resolution.<\/li>\n
    • Provide thought-provoking comments on other posts to make meaningful learning<\/li>\n
    • Observe learners using the content to drive conversation\n <\/ul>\n <\/td>\n


    \n
      \n
    • Provide the necessary conditions for further inquiry<\/li>\n
    • Comments indicate a progression of thought and consideration of the other student posts<\/li>\n
    • Discussions allow for information exchange, formation of new ideas, and applying new information to learners\u2019 own contexts (Garrison et al., 2007)<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    Teaching Presence<\/strong>

    Apply best practices in online learning, such as giving learners an overview of the learning expectations and activities for the week, being present and engaging in the ongoing learning activities, and inviting open participation through a variety of learning activities (Boettecher, 2022).<\/td>\n

    \n
      \n
    • Offer both individual and group tasks (Boettcher, n.d.)<\/li>\n
    • Have clear expectations for assignments, including criteria and estimated times (Lalonde, 2020)<\/li>\n
    • Encourage and acknowledge student contributions in synchronous discussions (Lalonde, 2020).<\/li>\n
    • Use a combination of direct instruction and facilitated discourse to share knowledge (Garrison et al., 2007)<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/td>\n


    \n