Getting It Done

In this chapter you were introduced to a variety of facilitation techniques to enhance learning. Doing your work as a facilitator in the areas of sequencing, activity instructions, timing, group sizes, grouping techniques, monitoring activities, giving feedback, and adjusting on the fly will ensure a complete and effective learning experience for your learners. Exercise 6–1 is another opportunity for you to plan additional skill development for yourself.

Exercise 6.1: Facilitation techniques self-assessment.

Instructions:

1. Assess your confidence level in each of the facilitation areas below by circling the appropriate number.

2. For low areas of confidence, indicate the actions you will take to develop that technique.

Facilitation Technique	Low Confidence	Moderate Confidence	High Confidence	Actions for Development
Assessing learners’ current knowledge level	1	2	3
Engaging learners during a content/knowledge/ comprehension activity	1	2	3
Sequencing content and activities	1	2	3
Providing activity instructions	1	2	3
Allotting and adjusting time	1	2	3
Choosing and managing group sizes	1	2	3
Grouping learners optimally	1	2	3
Monitoring learning activities	1	2	3
Giving learners feedback	1	2	3
Managing assessments and measurement	1	2	3
Adjusting on the fly	1	2	3
Questioning	1	2	3
Using transitions	1	2	3
Controlling discussions	1	2	3
Remaining neutral in debates	1	2	3
Avoiding winging it	1	2	3
Affirming	1	2	3
Watching and responding to body language	1	2	3
Being comfortable with, and capitalizing on, silence	1	2	3
Conducting debriefing discussions	1	2	3

In chapter 7, every facilitator’s “favorite” learner is discussed: the difficult participant!