Facilitation skills & Group based learning

1. Facilitation skills&Group based learning

2. Learning objectives • Explain what facilitation is and when it is required • With particular reference to group learning activities • Explain the difference between teaching, training and facilitation • Review examples of how not to facilitate group learning • Review key characteristics of successful facilitation • Identify appropriate facilitation techniques to be applied in common circumstance

3. Teaching, training and facilitating • What is the difference? • A good trainer = a learning facilitator • Trainees learn by doing • Trainees can learn a great deal from each other AND the trainer • Particularly important depending on what it is that is being learnt and how it is being approached • KSA: knowledge, skills, attitudes • Teachers tend to “deliver” information, experience and wisdom • Adult learning teachers should also be good trainers • We should all aim to be good facilitators and trainers

4. What do we mean by facilitation? • Successful facilitation is about enabling learning • A facilitator enables learning to take place by setting up the environment, structure and prompts for effective learning • They enable and facilitate the learning process

5. When is facilitation required? • When learning from others is required • When sharing experiences and ideas • When there is no simple “right” answer • When working in groups • Learning from groups, learning by doing = natural learning process • Learning appropriate solutions to challenges and problems • Ownership of solutions and answers = more likely to be retained outside of the training activity

6. Video • How to successfully facilitate group discussions…? • Questions to be considered as you watch: • What is being done well? • What is being done badly?

7. Group work… • Break into small groups as directed • Read through the exercise hand out • Discuss the element of the case study allocated • Agree your recommendations for the appropriate facilitation characteristics required • Identify someone to feedback for your group

8. Successful facilitation • Key characteristics of successful facilitation • Reference of key points • More details included in: • 2000 Tips for Trainers and Staff Developers, Phil Race (2001)

9. Group work: preparing participants • Help participants understand the benefits of working in groups • Think about the different ways of forming groups • Optimum group size and group dynamics • Structure initial group work carefully • Explain how groups can go wrong • Ensure suitable group work space

10. Forming groups • Dependent on the task, consider what makes the best group? • Provide clear instructions on forming groups • Random, skills based, geographical, like minded, balanced, considerations outside the task in hand • Be prepared for “herding cats”!

11. Group size • Different sizes for different tasks • Pairs, couples, threes, fours+ • Need to consider: • Time available • Desired outcomes • “Passenger” behaviour

12. Getting groups started • Ensure ownership of the task • Keep the beginning of the task short and simple • Don’t rely on oral briefing only, use printed briefing • Visit the groups in turn and check “correct” start • Clarify the task when asked • Break tasks into manageable elements • Try to control the amount of time groups spend on successive stages of each task

13. Group learning = learning by doing • Think of something that you know you do well • How did you get to be good at it? • Design learning by doing into group activities • Reading is not necessarily doing • Listening to experts is little to do with doing • Listening to each other has a lot to do with group learning • Allow time for sufficient practice • Make it okay to get things wrong

14. Poor facilitation – interaction 1 • Ignoring non-participants • Allowing domineering people • Lack of preparation • Being too didactic or controlling • Poor interpersonal skills • Lack of cultural sensitivity

15. Poor facilitation – interaction 2 • Favouritism • Talking too much • Intimidating participants • Being intimidated by participants • Putting participants down • Failing to invite equal contributions

16. Thank youAny questions?