Facilitator Training Manual

Welcome to this three day asynchronous training on becoming a distance learning facilitator. My name is April Jasso and I will be guiding you through this 3-day course. This training program is for higher education facilitators without previous experience in distance education and includes key elements for developing distance learning facilitator skills.

Training program audience

• Audience: Higher education faculty members with no previous experience in online distance learning.
• Assumed current skill sets:

1. Internet use using Google Chrome, Mozilla, Internet Explorer, and Firefox.
   
2. Microsoft Office: Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Access
3. The ability to recognize different learning styles
4. Content knowledge
5. Technical skills- Basic computer use

• Assumed current experience:

1. Face-to-face interaction
2. Taught in the traditional classroom
3. 5 years of teaching
4. Curriculum development
5. Taught adults

• Current knowledge

1. Low to moderate level
2. Adult theories
3. Teach in the traditional classroom
4. Content knowledge in discipline
5. Basic motivational techniques for adult learners

Training Program Goals

• Skills to be a successful online facilitator: Technical Skills, Online Presence, Effective Communication, Compassion, Time Management, Engage Learners, Motivate learners, Feedback (information & acknowledgement), and evaluation (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).
• Training elements: Establish online presence, provide constructive and timely feedback, engage the learners, and classroom management.

Training Program Objectives

• Program Objectives:

Goal #1: Participants will manage time effectively to ensure goals are achieved.

Objective: Higher education faculty members will demonstrate effective time

management by replying to students' inquiries within 24 hours of being posted.

Goal # 2: Participants will learn to keep learners engaged.

Objective: Higher education faculty members will facilitate discussion, ask questions

and provide input. They will relate to learner experiences and ask thought provoking questions

Goal # 3: Participants will learn how to motivate students.

Objective: Higher education faculty members will provide substantive feedback

(positive feedback and constructive feedback).

Goal #4:

Participants will be able to establish and maintain a healthy learning

community.

Objective: Higher education faculty members will get learners to think through

participating in an interactive discussion. They will facilitate introductions and community-building activities at beginning of the course.

Summative assessment of trainee learning

• Measure the success of the trainees: An evaluation will be conducted using Kirkpatrick's four levels. According to Training Industry (2015), the four levels are:

Level One- Reaction, ask the trainees questions and use the feedback to determine whether or not the trainees was engaged and if they felt the training was relevant.

Level Two- Learning, determine what the trainee has learned to determine if objective have been met. This can be done by conducting a pre and post evaluation.

Level Three- Behavior, look for a change in behavior and determine if the acquired skills and knowledge are being applied to the job. This can be done by conducting a pre and post evaluation.

Level Four- Results, determine the tangible results of training. Evaluate the over all cost, effectiveness, quality, productivity and turnover. This will help determine if the training was effective.

• Measure the success of your program: All trainees will be given an evaluation at the end of the program, focusing on whether the course supported the learning objectives, and provided both quality learning experiences and instructor-learner interaction (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

Training Materials

• Skills needed to create effective distance learning:

1. Online Presence-Be sure to indicate to learners your hours of availability. Interact with the learners and find creative ways to motivate learners to participate.

2. Effective Communication- Go beyond email, allow texting. Look into Skype, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Providing different means of communication will enthuse the learner to reach out.

3. Discussion- Presence is a must. Monitor discussions and chime in, provide information. Also, ask questions to keep the discussion going.

4. Feedback- Be sure to provide expectations on assignments and how inform the learners on how they will be graded. Be sure to provide constructive feedback so that the learner knows the areas of improvements.

• Strategies to present these skills to facilitators: Group activities- discussion and role play, discussion boards. Trainees will get to choose their team of four. They will be given different skills to discuss the most effective techniques. They will also role-play to provide a visual to share ideas on these skills. Trainees will be required to discuss what they have learned on a discussion to board to practice online presence and discussion.
  
• Phases of development:

• Visitor- The instructor may be curious about online teaching but is skeptical and does not commit to teaching online. The instructor has no online teaching experience (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

• Novice- The instructor actually wants to commit to teaching online but is unsure how to set up a class and how to deliver it. She is fearful using communication tools and therefore lacks effective communication (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

• Apprentice- The instructor has a few terms of online teaching experience and is likely to overcome her fears. She knows how to effectively communicate with students by extending the means. Students have more ways of communicating with the instructor in addition to email and chat is the use of wikis, blogs, synchronous technologies and social networking technologies (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

• Insider-The instructor has taught several terms of online courses. She has advanced in skill development and has more confidence. She is comfortable using technology to communicate with students which shows that she is active and in turn establishes online presence (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

• Master-Instructors who have a great deal of experience and willing to try new approaches. The instructor knows the importance of online presence, knows how to engage students through media and is comfortable delivering content (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

• Transition between stages: All five stages have corresponding stages that demonstrate tranistion. According to Palloff & Pratt (2011),

Stage 1 – Teacher as learner: The information gathering stage where instructors develop technology skills.

Stage 2 – Teacher as adopter: The experimental stage where instructors practice on different technology tools and share experiences.

Stage 3 – Teacher as co-learner: The instructor recognizes the connection between technology and course delivery.

Stage 4 – Teacher as reaffirmer or rejector: The instructor develops an awareness of learning outcomes and the ability to see how different technological approaches impact student learning.

Stage 5 – Teacher as leader: The instructor teaches new members and becomes a researcher.

The learners transition to an adopter. The adopter transitions to co-learner. The co-learner transitions to the re-affirmer or rejector. The re-affirmer or rejector tranisitons to a leader.

• Description of theories of distance learning: According to Haythornthwaite & Andrews (2011), theories of distance learning are:

1. Transactional Distance- The separation or distance in time and space between the learner and the instructor. Moore (1997) focuses on dialogue, program structure, and autonomy.
2. Intrinsic Motivation- Since learners are physically isolated from other learners, it can be a challenge to be motivated. E-learning requires more motivation than simply learning does.
3. Digital Media- Visuals used to create a collaborative and engaging environment.

• Examples of how the different theories apply to different scenarios:

1. Example of Transactional Distance is- As the level of interaction between the learner and the facilitator decrease, the autonomy of the learner must increase. The learner is responsible for conducting research to find further information on a particular topic.
   
2. Example of Intrinsic Motivation- Students connecting with individuals who may have the same profession to gain insights and feedback as to ideas for improvements.
   
3. Example of Digital Media- Providing the capability for a learner to log into the classroom portal from a computer, laptop, or even a mobile phone and be able to do so at any location.

• Description of theories of engagement: According to Jones (2015), ways to engage the learners:

1. Get to know your students- Provide a brief background on yourself and ask the students to do the same. Be sure to respond to each learner's background.
   
2. Know the classroom mechanics of an online course- Be sure you know to navigate the platform and be prepared to answer simple questions regarding the process and submission of assignments.
   
3. Be accessible and respond to student inquiries in a timely manner- Provide availability and respond to the students' inquiries at least within 24 hours.
   
4. Weekly announcements- Keep the online presence going by making weekly class announcements.
   
5. Provide substantive feedback and positive feedback- Provide constructive and positive feedback so the learner is being acknowledged for good work and will know the areas of improvement.
   
6. Incorporate fun into the classroom- Make learning fun by using different kinds of cool graphics and pictures
   

Mentoring for faculty program

· Goals and objectives:

Goal # 1: To increase the trainee’s confidence in the delivery of services by providing feedback.

Objective: Higher education faculty members will be able to successfully facilitate an online course with minimal supervision.

Goal # 2: To advise and make recommendations on best practices for online courses facilitation by setting clear expectations.

Objective: The higher education facilitators will be able to demonstrate sufficient progress for online facilitation a month prior to class start date.

Goal # 3: To share ideas regarding effective distance teaching styles, strategies and pitfalls.

Objective: The higher education facilitators will be able to identify best practices of teaching styles, strategies and common pitfalls a month prior to class start date by assessing the quality.

Goal # 4: To develop the skills and attitudes needed to successfully perform their role as an online facilitator.

Objective: The higher education facilitators will be able to identify skills and attitudes needed as an online facilitator a month prior to the beginning of class start date.

· Identification criteria: According to Franchise Growth Partners (2011), a good mentor is:

1. Someone who shares his/her thoughts, ideas, material, and expertise with a

mentee.

2. An individual who is collaborative, keeps an open mind, and has a nonjudgmental

view.

3. One who listens patiently and confers privately

4. An objective observer who maintains confidentiality

5. A reflective practitioner who analyzes his/her teaching

6. A friend

7. A Leader

8. Team builder

9. Accessible and available

10. Provides an understanding of what the mentee can expect.

11. An educator

12. Provides constructive feedback

Performance status of the mentor

The mentor should be in exceptional standing as a professional distance educator. The exceptional standing will be determined by job performance and ratings from students.

· Years in distance education: The mentor must have taught at least 3 years in distance education.

· Classes successfully taught: The mentor must have taught at least 6 classes

· Criteria of success: The success of the mentor will be determined by their level of experience, willingness to serve, and feedback from students and job performance evaluations.

· Must the mentor have had prior experience? No prior mentorship experience is required.

Management and evaluation programs for facilitators

· How the faculty learning community might affect management: Faculty learning communities provide an excellent learning community where teaching and learning take place, explore and implement new approaches, give and receive feedback, and learn more about the campus by connecting seasonal faculty with the experienced faculty. The faculty learning community is a support system to help faculty members new to distance education by helping to boost confidence, self-esteem and motivation (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

· Challenges and strategies used to manage adjunct faculty from a distance:

· Challenges: According to Palloff & Pratt (2011), the challenges to effective evaluation are:

1. Adjunct faculty usually teach frequently, the problem is how to evaluate part-time faculty

2. Employ teaching strategies mediated by technology, the challenge is whether or not faculty are prepared to teach at a distance

3. Promotions and tenure process are typically established through student evaluations, the challenge is whether or not the chairperson has specified evaluation expectations and rewards.

4. With technology being factored into the role of the adjunct faculty, the challenge is if the faculty is being assessed on technology along with teaching effectiveness.

· Strategies: According to Palloff & Pratt (2011), the strategies to effective evaluation are:

1. Communication and community building- Faculty can feel isolated and disconnected, communication and community building can serve as a network of support.

2. Training and mentoring- Faulty need to be trained and mentored so that they know what is expected of them and how to effectively deliver the services to be a successful distance educator.

3. Faculty support- Teaching online can be intimidating to some and it requires lots of dedication and time. Faculty need to acknowledged and supported.

· Evaluation strategies for facilitators: Online facilitation evaluation will be evaluated using the rubric set by Palloff & Pratt (2011). Criteria Evaluation will be based on: Development of Social Presence, Evidence of Learner Engagement, Evidence of Instructor Engagment, Instructional Design for Interaction Points to determine level of interactivity: Low, 1 to 8; Average, 9 to 15; High, 16 to 20 (Palloff & Pratt, 2011, pp 155-158).

· How the evaluation and management strategies align to the identification of effective faculty skills and behaviors in Part I: The evaluation criteria are developed to evaluate the skills and behaviors of a distance educator.

Learning platform (LMS/CMS) used by the distance learning faculty for facilitating classes

• System chosen: LMS

"Learning management systems have been used for several years to deliver courseware in schools and popularize e-learning" (Mindflash, 2015). LMS is popular with the educational institutions. This will provide an overall management system that supports the facilitation of online courses but also provides the ability to track and provide status on any device.

• Facilitator processes identification

Present information: Information such as lectures and videos will be uploaded and posted in the class portal weekly to correspond to the week's topics.

Class discussions: Class discussions will take place through discussion threads. The facilitator will monitor the discussion and will provide information as well as ask questions to keep the discussion going. Students will have a chance to share their knowledge and experience while learning from each other.

Private discussions: Like public class discussions, there is the capability of conducting private messages to the students. Private messages will take place when the facilitator notices a concern with a student.

Receive assignments: Assignments will be posted weekly and students will be responsible for uploading and submitting assignments on time.

Assignment feedback: Once the facilitator has received the student's assignment, he/she will have one week to provide substantive feedback.

Three different technology or media tools that engage and enhance student learning:

Audioboo: Easy to use. All-in-one podcasting, audio sharing, application. Simplicity may be its best feature. Can be uploaded to i-Tunes, shared on Facebook, Twitter or other applications. The social platform combines audio and social media to enhance learning to engage students. This allows a learner to use an i-Phone as a recording device (Giacomantonio, 2015).

Animoto: Creative tool for creating slideshows of fieldtrips and various learning concepts. Fun videos can be created and shared via email, Twitter, or Facebook. Videos can be created using photos and videoclips from the gallery in the phone. Projects can be illustrated through videos ("11 Essential Tools For Better Project-Based Learning", 2015).

Piktochart: Piktochart is an easy infographic design app that requires very little effort to produce beautiful, high quality graphics. (Piktochart, 2015). Infographs are great visuals to support learning for those that are visual learners.

Three different technology for student collaboration

1. Facebook- The use of Facebook Groups is a private space that allows for colleagues to collaborate, share ideas and information and most importantly make working exciting. The grouping tool is useful for sending notifications, providing a discussion area for comments, document uploads, group chat and messaging back and forth about upcoming events (Makhlouf, 2015).

2. Skype- The Skype "platform provides for group meetings tools that can be particularly effective for remote participants to come together" Students are able to see and hear each other and can take part in a conversation (Walsh, 2015).

3. Wikis- Students can participate in discussions, share information and participate in collaborative writing (Walsh, 2015).

Description of the different distance learners

1. Cultural- Students come from different backgrounds: different skills, experience, education, class status, gender, age, views/opinions, religion and ethnicity.
2. Experiential- With the difference in age, some learners will know more and have experienced more than the younger learners.
3. Nontraditional learners- Have been out of the pipeline for 5 or more years. These learners may have had prior learning but with changes in trends and technology are behind and need to get updated with the trends and technology.

Description of the differences between synchronous and asynchronous facilitation skills

1. Synchronous facilitation is similar to the traditional classroom where it is instructor led, and requires for students to be present at designated times. Instruction happens at the same time (Palloff & Pratt, 2011).
2. Asynchronous facilitation is self-paced learning. Students are not required to check-in at the same time and learners get to learn at their pace with little to no help from the facilitator Palloff & Pratt, 2011).

Three technology management issues and resolutions

Issues:

1. Broken links to required readings
2. Difficulty navigating through the learning management system
3. Interruption of the learning management system due to routine maintenance

Resolutions:

1. Contact technical support
2. Ask the students how comfortable they are navigating through the system. For those that indicate that they are struggling, refer them to a tutorial or be prepared to give them one.
3. Provide different means of contact for students.

Three classroom management issues and resolutions

Issues:

1. Accessibility
2. Feedback
3. Inappropriate or behavior

Resolutions:

1. Provide different means of contact such as email and phone number.
2. Always acknowledge and provide substantive feedback so the student knows where he/she stands.
3. Ask students to read the university policies and procedures.

Learner feedback

Substantive feedback should be provided at all times. Students will get frustrated if they do not know what they did wrong and they will lose motivation they do not receive praise. There are three ways to provide learner feedback: messages, comments and audio.

Messages- The capability of sending private messages to students is a way to provide feedback. Send a mass message to the class to notify them of any updates or changes or to simply make announcements.

Comments- Comment on the discussion board and respond to the students posts. Comment when they are on track or off track. Add comments on the assignments to provide feedback.

Audio- Call students and speak to them in person to clarify any feedback or confusion.

Challenging Behaviors

1. Cyber-bullying- Follow the university policy for cyber-bullying and monitor class discussions.
2. Inappropriate posts- Class discussions need to be monitored and inappropriate posts need to be removed from the class discussion.
3. Lack of participation or engagement- The policy will include a participation requirement such as the amount of discussion posts.

ADA learners and associated strategies

According to Burgomaster (2015), barriers to access are:

1. Blindness
2. Other visual impairments
3. Specific learning disabilities
4. Mobility impairments
5. Hearing impairments
6. Speech impairments
7. Seizure disorders

It is vital to support learners with disabilities. Ways to help students with disabilities: be willing to bend the rules for accommodation, have open and constant communication, be compassionate, and provide one-on-one instruction. Be aware of the resources that the university offers and inform the learner (Kelly, 2015).

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from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Jones, R. (2015). Keeping Students Engaged in the Online Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/keeping-students-engaged-in-the-online-classroom/

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Mindflash. (2015). What is an LMS?. Retrieved from https://www.mindflash.com/lms

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http://piktochart.com/

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http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/what-online-teachers-need- to- know/

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https://www.trainingindustry.com/wiki/entries/four-levels-of-evaluation.aspx

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