Training Delivery and Facilitation Flashcards
Facilitating vs. Teaching vs. Presenting
- Facilitating takes less of a delivery role and acts as a catalyst for learning. Participants assume responsibility for their own learning. Facilitators focus on managing the process.
- Teaching is about sharing information and distributing knowledge with limited learner involvement. This term is generally associated with a pedagogical process. What is the message and how effectively can you deliver it?
- Presenting is about delivering a speech to a group of people with little two-way communication
What is the best facilitation style?
No one facilitation style is better than any other.
Facilitators should be flexible and adapt their styles to the needs of their audience, recognizing that the audience will be made up of different preferences.
Important Facilitator Communication Qualities (3)
Using Voice: vary vocal quality; be mindful of bad vocal habits (pauses, filler words); talk with (not at) participants; deliver key words and concepts more slowly and less important content more quickly
Opening a Session: capture participants’ attention and interest with an icebreaker or opener such as a demonstration or illustration, provocative statement, visual, question
Personalizing Communication: personally communicate with participants through accepting/praising ideas, soliciting examples, questioning techniques, application activities, and the use of visuals. Use sufficient examples and logically sequence/transition between ideas.
How to monitor learner reactions?
Eye contact (in person)
Online tools (polling/raised hand feature), waiting for answers, asking questions to specific learners
How to address disruptive behavior? (8)
Prevent it from occurring in the first place through strategies such as:
- letting them set their own ground rules
- create a climate where feedback is encouraged
- build trust by rewarding appropriate behavior
- give disruptors the benefit of the doubt
- ignore inappropriate behavior initially - then pull them aside individually
- model appropriate behavior
- invite comments, ideas, and disagreement
- when someone disagrees, acknowledge that there are different ways of thinking about the topic
What is important about how facilitators dress?
Credibility is conveyed through appropriate dress.
How facilitators look can affect how participants perceive them and influence presentation style.
Facilitator should dress one step up from what they expect participants to wear, and make sure it’s comfortable, practical, and predictable
Effective use of body language (8)
- Use quick, positive, and energetic movements of the hands, arms, and head to maintain participants’ attention.
- Coordinate movement and gestures with delivery.
- Avoid distracting mannerisms such as fidgeting, pacing, and jingling coins.
- Observe participants’ body language, such as down-turned eyes, fidgeting, and slouching and respond appropriately.
- Use positive facial expressions.
- Avoid sitting behind a desk or standing behind a lectern because that establishes a barrier between the facilitator and participants.
- Move freely about the room and down aisles.
- Move toward participants as they respond to questions, encouraging them to continue speaking.
What is a facilitator/presenter’s most important job?
Focusing on the learner. Put the learner first.
Engage learners to improve retention, foster collaborative learning, and make learning enjoyable.
How to build credibility when facilitating? (7)
- Prepare in advance.
- Positive, welcoming attitude.
- Demonstrate confidence in tone of voice and body language
- Develop a peer-to-peer relationship with the participants.
- Facilitate engaging meetings.
- Maintain neutrality during difficult discussions.
- Know the organizational culture.
Facilitation Techniques (11)
- active listening skills
- give clear directions
- balance participant involvement
- check/confirm group understanding
- avoid judgmental comments
- maintain focus on the process
- plan transitions
- summarize key concepts
- use silence to encourage participation
- encourage questions for clarity
- welcoming nonverbal messages
Discussion Question Types (4)
Open-ended - used to stimulate discussion and encourage application
Close-ended - used for obtaining specific facts/yes or no; better when limiting information sharing
Hypothetical - help learners think freely where many answers may be valid, and allow learners/groups to consider different ways of handling a situation
Socratic - help learners arrive at their own conclusions
Techniques for Generating Ideas and Discussion (5)
- working in small groups
- silent listing of ideas on paper
- brainstorming
- structured brainstorming
- affinity diagrams (mapping connections and associations)
Techniques for Enabling Decisions (7)
- Allow time for individual reflection
- Use small and large groups effectively to achieve consensus
- Use prioritization techniques to arrive at top ideas quickly
- Move group to consensus through appropriate facilitation techniques
- Summarize the areas of consensus to keep the group focused.
- Establish clear next steps.
- Allow different behavioral style participants to feel heard, understood, and included.
Group Dynamics - Behavioral Styles (4)
- Dominating, driving: direct and decisive; andor and honesty are critical
- Influencing, expressive: positive and likes people; having fun is important
- Steady, amiable: a true team player; cooperating and sincerity are important
- Conscientious, analyzing: serious; quality and accuracy are important
What is most important is that TD professionals recognize these styles and are flexible enough to move into another’s style comfort zone to communicate best.
Strategies for Online Learner Engagement
- Gain attention at the beginning/before actual start time
- Use a variety of online engagement tools - switch between raise hand feature, whiteboard, chat, polling tools
- Call participants by name or incorporate them into examples
- Create social aspect, including brief introductions
