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Learning Facilitation

What’s Inside This Chapter

• The differences between facilitators and presenters

• The principles of adult learning and their implications for facilitators

Facilitator or Presenter: What’s the Difference?

The purpose of learning facilitation is to guide the learners to agreed-upon destinations, which are the learning outcomes. As such, facilitating a learning experience is like being a guide on a jungle safari: You point people in the right direction, make suggestions, take steps to enhance the experience for the participants, and give guidance—but you don’t do it for them. In fact, you do it with them. It would be a poor safari guide who gives the participants a map, says, “Have a great trip,” and then sits back in a lawn chair to watch. The same is true of a learning facilitator.

One hallmark of true facilitation is that facilitators, to the extent possible, do not separate themselves from the learner audience; they are with the learners in the experience all the way. The facilitator is one of them, yet not one of them, and guides them to the learning destination.

The facilitator is responsible for and accountable to the group; therefore, the facilitator’s role is one of earned trust and honor. It’s a different role from a teacher, an instructor, or a presenter in a classroom, where there is a clear separation between the learners and the presenter, and in which the presenter is positioned as an expert who knows all. The learners are merely passive recipients of the knowledge. The facilitator knows the subject area, absolutely, but more than that, the facilitator is concerned with helping the learners know and apply the subject matter. The facilitator’s goal is not simply to inform, but to equip the learners for self-development and growth, and for continual learning about the subject to the point of mastery.

Three main characteristics differentiate facilitators from presenters: focus, control, and credibility.

Focus

When you observe a presentation and a facilitated learning event, many obvious differences appear. However, one of the most important differences is not visible: the focus.

In a presentation, the focus is on the presenter. All the materials, the presenter’s behaviors, and the actions are centered on the presenter. The goals for the presentation are to cover the material and showcase the presenter’s expertise and skill. Conversely, in a facilitated learning event, the focus is on the learner. All the materials, the facilitator’s behaviors, and the activities are centered on helping the learners learn and apply the content. The goal here is simple and profound: Make the learning and application happen.

Control

Facilitators share control. A presenter presents information or content to the audience. A good presenter has excellent command of language and vocabulary, an engaging speaking style, good listening skills, and a command of the subject. By definition, an excellent presentation results in the audience being informed about the subject matter and taking away useful information.

Because the presentation centers on the presenter, that person is in control of the subject and how the audience engages with it (or not). The presenter decides when questions are allowed, and which questions to address. Most of the action is on the part of the presenter; the audience remains largely passive. By exercising this control, the presenter takes on full responsibility for the audience’s increase in knowledge. And, by simply presenting information to learners without providing opportunities for them to engage with it, practice it, apply it, and make it their own, the presenter is essentially handing over a map, saying “Have a great trip!” and letting the learners find the way on their own. There’s no guarantee that the learners will use the information or learn from it. Just letting learners download the course and work on their own can be a real danger in online training. The facilitator needs to take an active role in the learning process.

For a facilitator, content expertise and presentation skills are the proverbial foot in the door for a learning experience. Without them the potential facilitator will not even be considered for the job. However, content expertise and presentation skills are only the beginning. An effective facilitator gives up much of the control of the content to the learners and shares the responsibility for learning with them. As the guide, the facilitator establishes the climate, learning structure, and flow of the learning.

The learners have a great deal of flexibility in asking and responding to questions, engaging the facilitator and peer learners in discussion, and applying the content to their jobs. Because control is jointly held between the facilitator and the learners, so, too, is accountability for learning. The learners are given accountability to both learn and apply the content as the facilitator guides the learning and application.

Similarly, online learners have accountability to engage the facilitator and other learners through questions, threaded discussions, discussion boards, and application of concepts to their jobs. Though physically removed, the online and virtual classroom facilitator engages learners and shares control.

As the learners gain more control, the facilitator must increasingly use listening, questioning, and coaching skills to build on the learners’ experiences as they engage and apply the content. While there may be a “lag time” for online learners, these same facilitator skills apply. The virtual classroom closely simulates the face-to-face classroom, making little difference in facilitator-learner control. Is this harder than being a presenter? You bet it is! Presentation occurs at the thinking level, whereas facilitation occurs at multiple levels—thinking, feeling, intuitive, physical, synergistic, and emotional—all of which the facilitator must respond to, keep track of, and invite learner involvement in as the learning event proceeds. While this is similar for the virtual classroom, the facilitator needs to be more intuitive when working with online learners to sense their continued readiness.

The more control that is given to the learners, the more real learning occurs.

Credibility

Whether presenters gain (or lose) credibility in the minds of the audience depends on the content of the presentation, their mastery of that content, their mastery of the technology, their ability to sustain learners’ engagement in an online or virtual learning environment, and by their ability to relate the content to their relevant experience. The presenter’s ability to give examples, tell war stories, and answer questions from a strong background and experience results in expert credibility. But, what happens if a presenter doesn’t know the answer to a question? Or, when the presenter’s answer and the learner’s experiences aren’t in sync, and the learner rejects the answer? Credibility in the eyes of the audience is damaged or even disappears.

Facilitators, on the other hand, derive credibility from more than subject matter expertise. Facilitator credibility derives from the ability to create and sustain a supportive learning environment, regardless of the type of environment (face-to-face, online, or virtual classroom), and link the learning to the learners’ jobs. Credibility comes from the facilitator’s interpersonal handling of the group process and individual engagement—whether they keep the spotlight on the learners. It comes from the ability to be flexible and adjust the content to the learners’ needs in the moment. It is how the facilitator engages the learners and helps them to self-discover the material. It comes from the facilitator’s efforts to support the learning, rather than solely from the facilitator’s subject matter expertise.

In this way, when facilitators are asked a question that they can’t answer (a rare event, of course!), they help the group find an answer together, and by doing so, retain and even increase credibility. Alternatively, if facilitators do not know the answer, they have the confidence to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out” without damaging credibility.

Principles of Adult Learning

The term adult learning has two aspects: adult and learning. What do these really mean in relationship to helping adults learn?

First take a look at the word adult. When do people become adults? Is it when they become 18? Is it when they enter high school or college? Is it when they take on the responsibilities of a job or family? From a learning perspective, people are adults when they become self-directing, and when they accept responsibility for their own lives. As an adult, being self-directed becomes an important component of one’s self-concept.

Learning is somewhat easier to define. According to Leonard and Zeace Nadler (1994), “Learning is the acquisition of new skills, attitudes, and knowledge.” Learning results in change. For facilitation effectiveness, the emphasis must be on both the acquisition and use of the new knowledge, skills, attitudes, and abilities.

Facilitation is the art of bringing adults together with the learning, by helping adults learn through self-discovery. Facilitation involves techniques for learners to learn from one another by sharing knowledge and experiences. While there is the give-and-take in the face-to-face and virtual classroom, threaded discussions, discussion boards, and chat features also allow learners to interact with one another.

Garry Mitchell outlined the foundational principles of adult education in The Trainer’s Handbook (1998). Blondy (2007) indicates that there is a significant difference in the assumptions of adult learning and those of pedagogy. This idea is supported by Knowles (1984), who describes pedagogy as independent learners with little experience, who are forced to attend learning activities. To support this view of adult learning, the adult learning principles, which are introduced in the following sections, provide a framework for development and facilitation that helps ensure the desired results. They will help you more easily identify with adult learners and provide meaningful learning experiences for them.

Readiness to Learn

Learner readiness is critical to success. According to Blondy (2007), adults want to know why they need to know something before they learn it. Without learner readiness, there is resistance, and learning does not take place. The facilitator should encourage the participants to openly discuss their resistance, which may include fear of the technology. Once the nature of the resistance is understood, it can be addressed. (See chapter 7 for more on different kinds of learner resistance.) One of the indicators for adult readiness to learn is when adults face situations requiring them to use the new knowledge, skills, or abilities. Timing, therefore, can be an important consideration. For example, if people are being trained on a new system or product that won’t be available for four months, the learner is not ready to learn. This situation happens quite frequently. The facilitator must position the content as a requirement for success in the near future. It’s also important for the facilitator to be available for follow-up, coaching, or a refresher course when necessary.

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

According to Blondy (2007), online learners enter learning for particular reasons and need to know the specific goals for the course. Thus, in order to help learners with their readiness, online learning can provide:

• course goals and objectives, expectations, and deliverables indicating application to the job

• a course syllabus indicating module topics and assignments

• current articles addressing what is happening in their industry and field of practice

• threaded discussions and discussion board topics relevant to their job, company, and industry

• readily available participant support from the facilitator or support staff

• recognition of the organization’s need to prepare learners for online and virtual classroom learning.

Active Involvement in Learning

Adults learn best when they are actively participating in the learning session rather than being passive recipients. People learn by doing. In training, this is usually done on the job. In the learning environment, the job must be simulated as closely as possible. Allow participants to practice the skills being taught. Minimize any time spent presenting content and maximize the time spent in practice and application through role plays, case studies, demonstration and practice, participant presentations, and so forth (Mitchell 1998).

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

While most of these are design and development issues, there are some implications for online learning. In order to keep learners involved, the online and virtual classroom learning environment can enhance:

• team projects and collaboration supported by team discussion forums, which can be secured so that only team members can enter and message one another

• team presentations

• virtual class discussions and case studies supported by threaded discussions and discussion boards

• chat, which allows real-time communication among learners through typed messages.

Self-Directed Learning

Adult learners are responsible for their own learning and are capable of self-direction. Although adults need some structure, they resist being told what to do. According to Blondy (2007) and Knowles (1984), self-directed means adult learners want to be actively involved in the decisions that affect them. The facilitator must engage the learners in a process of inquiry and decision making, rather than just giving the information or knowledge to them. When introducing various instructional strategies, the facilitator must provide the purpose (which links to their need to know) and the instructions, while giving them latitude to complete the activity.

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

In order to help learners, the online learning environment can provide learners with:

• the opportunity to identify their own learning goals and activities to achieve them (Blondy 2007)

• the opportunity to communicate with one another (Blondy 2007)

• complete directions for all requirements, providing examples where appropriate

• timely and complete individualized feedback on all work submitted

• facilitator availability for coaching within and outside office hours

• threaded discussions, discussion boards, and team projects with virtual breakout rooms to encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas

• all required resources to complete any assignments

• a course map and course schedule of assignments and deliverables for self-management

• instructional strategies that provide on-the-job application

• some flexibility in assignments so they can be customized to learners’ situations

• a welcome letter to invite participant inclusion, as well as notes of appreciation for participant contributions as course progresses.

Adults Are Motivated to Learn by Internal Factors

Adults are motivated to learn by internal factors. Similar to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, Knowles (1984) believed that adults are motivated to learn by internal factors, such as increased self-esteem, self-actualization, and recognition.

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

In order to help learners, the online learning environment can provide learners with:

• facilitators who recognize the needs of learners

• recognition of learner contribution

• experiences that draw on learners’ background and experience, making them feel appreciated and respected (Blondy 2007).

Trial and Error

Making mistakes is another way adults learn. According to Mitchell (1998), success motivates adults and makes them want to learn more, but they tend to remember mistakes and want to learn about how to correct them. Facilitators must allow participants to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from them. A safe environment for trial and error must be created. Likewise, the facilitator must be sure the successes are reinforced and that the learners capture those lessons learned.

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

In order to help with readiness, the online learning environment can provide learners with:

• ground rules for the virtual classroom sessions

• emotional support within the virtual classroom and in feedback on assignments

• positive contributions in the virtual classroom and within the threaded discussions and discussion boards.

Building on Experience

Adults learn by connecting new information with what they already know (Mitchell 1998). It is the building-block idea of moving from the known to the unknown. Because learning participants come with different backgrounds, the facilitator must discover what the participants know and then build on that knowledge. Some techniques that can help the facilitator understand the audience’s knowledge and experience base include pretests, icebreakers (see chapter 4), participant profiles, and soliciting precourse information by having participants respond to the course objectives.

Experience is a rich resource for adult learning. In any group of adults, there will be a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. The facilitator can leverage these different experiences to create a richer learning environment through facilitative discussions, case studies, role plays, simulations, and so on.

The downside is that adult learners may also bring a set of biases, presuppositions, and bad habits based on their experiences that can inhibit learning. The facilitator must help learners examine these areas and replace or enhance them with new ideas, concepts, and perspectives.

According to Potter and Heineke (2009), technology-based instruction can incorporate learners’ experience through small group exercises, projects, and case studies that require the group members’ knowledge and experience.

Online and Virtual Classroom Training Implications

Online learning can provide learners with:

• participant profiles

• course expectations with an emphasis on maximizing participant experiences

• threaded discussions or discussion board topics asking for participants’ ideas based on their experience

• team projects and presentations

• facilitative questions requiring a response based on knowledge and experience, which encourages learner-to-learner chats

• a safe environment to support sharing ideas and experiences, as well as the ability to challenge others’ ideas.

Sensory Learning

Although adult learners use all their senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste), individuals usually have a dominant or preferred sense upon which they rely for learning new things (Mitchell 1998). Learning facilitation usually addresses the senses of sight (visual learning), hearing (auditory learning, which is especially important for some online training), and touch (kinesthetic/tactile learning).

Visual learners must interact with and apply content in a visual way, which means they must see what they are learning as much as possible. This need can be met in a variety of ways, from graphics to the printed page, which can be downloaded by the online learner. Auditory learners must interact with and apply content through listening and speaking. This need must be met by providing auditory versions of the content (from lectures to music), as well as multiple opportunities for learners to hear and speak to one another. Kinesthetic/tactile learners must interact with and apply the content in a physical way. Although the obvious way to meet this need is to provide hands-on practice, it can also be met by providing ways for learners to physically interact with the content (such as note taking or drawing pictures).

Effective facilitators “create a variety of sensory input because what isn’t clear when received by one sense often crystallizes through another” (Mitchell 1998). Additional information about learning preferences and styles appears in the next chapter

Less Is More

Effective facilitators take complex or new material and organize it so it is easy to understand and the new information and skills can be applied. So, why is it that some instructors and trainers feel a need to cram all the content they can into a course? As content experts, they want to share everything. Yet, this very practice inhibits learning.

A large part of this issue relates to the initial design of the course. All content should directly align with specific learning objectives; any other content should not be included. When your course is properly designed, it is clear what content is critical and how you should focus your facilitation. Otherwise, you can fall into the trap of trying to do everything as quickly as possible, which can cause you to lose focus and get off track. In order to save time, you end up eliminating the skill practices and presenting more content, which ultimately causes learning to suffer.

Building on Theory

Theory is important to understanding, which is an important prerequisite to learning. Having participants understand why the learning is important and putting it in context makes the learning easier. However, this must be balanced with their orientation to learning; theory cannot simply be discussed in a vacuum.

Adults want theory presented in the context of the job and applicability to real-life situations. Facilitators need to explain the “what and why” of the course and any content within it, and then make clear the course’s relevance to the learners’ situations. Before participating in a learning experience, adult learners want to know why they should learn the information. Once they buy into their need to know, they will invest significant energy in the learning experience.

The facilitator must be able to link the course objectives and content to the adult learners’ need to know, as well as demonstrate the value of the learning as it relates to the learners’ personal or professional lives. They can be told the value, but it is better if they become aware of it through self-discovery of their knowledge and skills gaps. Finally, debriefing activities should reinforce their need to know.

The facilitator should bring examples to show application on the job. Draw on personal and work experience to make your examples real to the learners.

Practice

Orientation to learning is centered on life or work for adults. Adults want to learn things that will help them solve a problem, perform a task, or prepare for a position. Therefore, a key ingredient is practice, practice, practice. Practice not only increases proficiency but also increases the probability of retention.

If you run short on time, practice is not where you want to cut corners, because it is critical to learning and on-the-job application. Think of other ways to make up time (see chapter 6 for some ideas).

Feedback

Adults want and need feedback. People like and need to know how they are doing. As a facilitator, there are several ways you can provide feedback. However, it is important to remember that timely feedback is critical regardless of the learning environment.

Testing is one common way to give feedback. This helps you identify areas that need additional work, as well as areas where there is adequate knowledge. In the online and virtual classroom environment, testing can be easily implemented and then quickly graded, providing important feedback to the learner. You can also use checklists to provide feedback on practices, role plays, and case studies. You can help facilitate peer feedback. When discussing ideas as a group, you can clarify and provide feedback on participants’ comments. When you debrief activities, provide feedback to your participants on the quality and completeness of their work. Summarize with lessons learned. The use of tests, checklists, peer feedback, and debrief of activities can be incorporated in online and virtual classroom environment.

Individual Differences

Adult learners have individual differences. Every participant is unique and learns differently. Each brings different backgrounds, perspectives, and biases to the learning experience. As a facilitator, you need to recognize and positively respond to these differences.

Adults learn at their own pace. The online learning environment allows for more flexibility and control for the learner to complete the training. Although online courses are not open ended, the learner is usually not locked into a specific day or time of day to engage in the learning. In addition, not everyone is a fast learner, which can prove challenging for a facilitator. Ideally, you will have some information about your audience’s learning preferences prior to facilitating the course. If not, you should plan to address the needs of all, whether they are slow, regular, or fast learners. In this case, focus on the largest group: the regular learners. Your job is then to bring the slow learners along while challenging the fast learners. You may need to spend some extra time with slow learners or provide some remedial information. In the meantime, fast learners can:

• Take lead roles in your program.

• Provide peer coaching.

• Serve as resources to others.

• Take on additional and more challenging tasks.

• Present some content.

• Lead group activities.

Individual differences become greater with age, experience, and other areas of diversity. Some of these differences include learning styles, time and place of learning, depth of knowledge, expertise, and cultural background. Facilitators cannot control all of these variables, but they can accommodate different learning styles and depth of knowledge. Alter learning activities to accommodate learning styles. Through the expertise of the facilitator and leveraging the expertise of the group, a facilitator can bring more depth and job relevance to the learning experience.

Getting It Done

In this chapter, you were introduced to the main differences between presenters and facilitators and the implications of those differences for learning experiences. You also learned about how adults learn and about facilitation techniques and strategies that support adult learners.

Exercise 2-1 provides you with an opportunity to identify which adult learning principles are most meaningful to you as a facilitator—and to plan how you will incorporate adult learning principles into your facilitation.

Exercise 2–1. Applying the Principles of Adult Learning

Listed below are principles of adult learning. Using the following scale, indicate the extent to which you believe and support these principles in your role as a facilitator of learning:

0 = not at all

1 = to a very little extent

2 = to some extent

3 = to a great extent

4 = to a very great extent

Then, in the right-hand column, indicate how or what methods you will use to incorporate that principle in your facilitation of learning.