1. Facilitation in the Adult Online Classroom: Techniques and Tips
FAC 101, Fall 2011
Kathy Hinds

2. Welcome to Facilitation 101
This week, you will learn about facilitation techniques available in the online classroom, and how to use these techniques to establish an online presence in your virtual classroom and improve student learning and retention.   

3. Facilitation 101 – Week 1
In the adult online classroom the instructor not only presents material and assignments, but helps to promote a learner-centered environment by fostering discussion that helps enrich student understanding and retention.  

4. Facilitation 101 – Week 1
To accomplish these goals, an online instructor must be less” lecturer” and more facilitator by providing a learning environment where students can freely share and discuss new ideas and opinions amongst themselves in order to solve problems relevant to their lives.  

5. Facilitation 101 – Week 1
You will read a series of assigned readings and watch a video and then complete two assignments during this week.
These assigned readings and video introduce you to the topic of facilitation in the online classroom and walk you through a variety of techniques to enhance facilitation.
They also describe the role of the instructor/facilitator and how that role differs from the instructor in a face-to-face classroom.

6. Facilitation 101 – Week 1 Your assigned reading/resources are:
Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions
Mastering Online Discussion Board Facilitation, Resource Guide,
Using My Courses, YouTube, Robjasonfain
Chapter 11, Teaching Online (3rd edition), Susan Ko & and Steven Rossen

7. Facilitation 101 – Week 1 Assignments
After completing the readings and reviewing the resources, you will:
Reflection: Briefly describe three techniques or tips would you use in your own online classroom and why? Do class management considerations influence your techniques or tips?
Discussion Forum: Advise a teaching assistant who asks for your advice about facilitating techniques in an adult online class. She knows very little about facilitation, different types of facilitation, and what her role is as a facilitator. What advice would you give her? Why is good facilitation important in an online classroom? What techniques, tips and/or tools are likely to promote the greatest student collaboration and learning in varying class sizes, yet keep her workload manageable? How could she assess student learning?

8. Facilitation 101 – Week 1 Assignment Details
Post your Reflection response in the Reflection folder. Rubric available. Due Date: Thursday by 11:00 MDT November 10, 2011
Post your Discussion Forum response in the DQ 1 folder. Rubric available. Due Date: Friday by 11:00 MDT November 11, 2011
If you have questions, contact me at

9. Facilitation 101 – Week 1
Have a good week and I look forward to reading your reflection and advice discussions!

10. Facilitation 101 – Week 1 References:
Ko, S., Rossen, S., (2010). Teaching Online: A Practical Guide (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.
Robjasonfain, (2008, October 8). Using My Courses [Video file]. Retrieved from
Teacher Steam, LLC, (2009). Title of article. Mastering Online Discussion Board Facilitation: A Resource Guide. Retrieved from online-discussion-board-facilitation.pdf.
Teaching Effectiveness Program, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Oregon (No date given). Title of article. Generating and Facilitating Engaging and Effective Online Discussions. Retrieved from