Online Assess, strengthen, and practice your group facilitation skills through an experiential online program.
Overview
Leaders at all levels spend significant time facilitating meetings on topics ranging from planning and professional learning to problem-solving and community engagement. Given the sudden transition to remote work in many organizations, it is essential for leaders to strengthen their skills in group facilitation so that they may lead focused and efficient discussions that promote idea generation and decision-making, both in an online platform and in person.
Strategies for Effective Facilitation: Online gives educators the time and tools necessary to strengthen their skills in group facilitation. Through experiential learning, focused assessments, and practical feedback, participants will gain insights into various approaches to facilitation, understand the importance of developing detailed facilitation plans, and learn strategies to keep groups focused and productive.
Program Details
Strategies for Effective Facilitation: Online is a 2-part program through which participants learn online and then practice facilitation techniques in the context of their work. In the weeks between parts I and II, participants will follow their learning plan and strengthen the skills and dispositions that they deem most important for their success.
Part I (5–7 hours): Over three weeks, participants will assess their group facilitation skills and explore models and tools for leading group discussions. They will complete a self-assessment and leave with a learning plan.
Part II (2–3 hours): After implementing their learning plan and assessing their development, participants will return to the course site for peer coaching activities and to explore additional facilitation tools at their own pace.
A core part of the HGSE experience is cohort learning, and this curriculum is designed to create a community of practice for participants to learn with and from each other.
This online workshop is an asynchronous learning experience with no live components and is designed to be self-paced. All materials are provided at the start of the program and can be completed at times that best fit a participant’s schedule within the program period, though if participants wish to receive feedback on their meeting make-over assignments, they will have to adhere to a deadline at the end of Week 2. Participants should plan to devote a total of 7–10 hours of work. Participants who complete all individual assessments and contribute to group discussions prior to the end of the course period will receive a certificate indicating completion of 7 clock hours of instruction.
Objectives
- Understand your mental models of facilitation and collaboration
- Assess your strengths and learning edges and develop a learning plan in response
- Expand your repertoire of tools for helping people connect, both online and off
- Know the power of a good agenda and be able to plan an effective facilitation plan
