TEACHING & LEARNING THE FACILITATION PROCESS Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 30, 2003 TEACHING & LEARNING THE FACILITATION PROCESS Peter M. Markulis SUNY Geneseo Markulis@Geneseo.Edu S. Dolly Malik Dmalik@rochester.rr.com Barbara Howard SUNY Geneseo HowardB@Geneseo.Edu Daniel R. Strang SUNY Geneseo Strang@Geneseo.Edu ABSTRACT Facilitation is an important aspect of active learning. This interactive session will focus on how to become a better facilitator. The session will provide an overview of the importance of facilitation and how it relates to various pedagogies, particularly those relating to experiential exercises and computerized simulation. The session participants will gain hands-on experience in learning about and practicing facilitation skills. Basic Objective(s). The Objective of this session is to give the participants practice at learning how to become better facilitators. The participants will gain experience in understanding the skills, traits, and practices of sound facilitation. Theoretical Grounding. Facilitation of groups is an important and valuable pedagogical skill. Most educators have had scant training in the art (and science) of facilitation. Facilitation is a complement to many educational settings. It can be used as part of a debriefing session, group discussion, case discussion or experiential exercise. The authors believe that facilitation falls in the philosophy of active learning and will be presented in that light. Learning how to become a better facilitator also is part of the collaborative learning process. Role-playing, observer feedback and collaboration will be used to enhance the session. Pedagogical Implications. Participants can expect to leave the session with a better understanding and appreciation of facilitation. The session will have all participants learning about and practicing facilitation. Handouts will provide participants with ample material on the subject, as well as the actual experience they receive. Methodology. Participants will be divided up into two groups. The first group (3-4 participants) will serve as the teaching group (T-group) and the second group (or subgroups depending upon the number of participants) will serve as the learning group or groups (L-group). T-group will get the L-group to derive a list of traits and behaviors of a “good” facilitator. The T-group will meet to determine how to get the L-group to do this. The L-group will work on deriving the list of traits and behaviors for “good” facilitators. Some of their information will come from one or more of the handouts, which list many of these traits and behaviors. After the list or lists are generated, the T-group will then “facilitate” the process of putting together a “good” list by actually facilitating the process itself. In other words, part of the T-group’s task will be to model the facilitation process. In order to provide both groups with a valid and exemplary learning experience, both groups will have to establish assessment measures for their respective roles and learning objectives. The assessment measures will also serve to help ground and solidify the practice and skill development of facilitation. So as to maximize the experience, individual members of each group will be assigned (or assign themselves) to various roles. For example, one member will play coach during the facilitation process, another member will play feedback observer while another member will play clarifier. 175 mailto:Markulis@Geneseo.Edu mailto:dmalik@rochester.rr.com mailto:HowardB@Geneseo.Edu mailto:Strang@Geneseo.Edu Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning, Volume 30, 2003 Number of participants. Minimum = 8; maximum = 20 Time. Approximately 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Materials. Several handouts will be provided. They include: ♦ Facilitator responsibilities; ♦ Criteria for measuring quality of a facilitator; ♦ Facilitator strengths; ♦ Facilitation tips; ♦ Discoveries about facilitation; ♦ Constructive interventions; ♦ Key tools to use during a facilitation. 176 Table of Contents Volume 30, 2003 The Optimal Timing For Introducing Business Simulations Can Handicapped Students Access Your Class Web Site? The Competition Game: Decision Making In A Dynamic Environment Pan-Pacific Enterprises: Strategic Decision Making Simulation Study Of Stochastic Channel Redistribution The Impact Of Business War Games: Quantifying Training Effectiveness Experiential Learning: Introducing Faculty And Staff To A University Leadership Development Program The Feasibility Of The Balanced Scorecard For Business Games A Misuse Of Pims For The Validation Of Marketing Management Simulation Games Incorporating Technology Into The 21st Century Classroom: Are We Facilitating Academic Dishonesty? Improving The Effectiveness Of Peer Evaluations The Use Of A Simulation In An Integrated Mba Curriculum Student Portfolios In Business Education Student Portfolios In Business Education At Ashland University Using SAP ERP Technology To Integrate The Undergraduate Business Curriculum Board Games And Teaching Textile Marketing And Finance Blogging: A New Threat To Student Research? The Way We Talk! Take II Strategic Management: An Evaluation Of The Use Of Three Learning Methods In Hong Kong Adoption Of Discussion-Based Teaching And Assessment In Teaching Strategic Management In Hong Kong The Tobin Q As A Company Performance Indicator Using Representative Nominal Group Technique For Course Review And An Interactive Solicitation Of Ways To Enhance Absel's Image Making Teaching Matter: The Art And Science Of Teaching Business Communication Beyond Sex, Age, And Race: Exploring The Deeper Contents Of Diversity Teaching & Learning The Facilitation Process A Brief On Debriefing: What It Is And What It Isn't Changing Perceptions Of The Importance Of Leadership: The Contribution Of Individual Spirit Harmonics In Leadership Knowledge, Skills And Sustainable Values In Learning Organizations: Some Implications From The Multicultural Virtual Classroom Challenges Of Teaching Undergraduate Organizational Behavior In A Nontraditional Time Format Interactive Online Positioning With The Web-Based Product Positioning Map Graphics Package The Longitudinal Effects Of Entrepreneurship Training On Risk Tolerance: A Look At Similarities And Differences Between Male And Female Undergraduate Students Revisiting Strategy Learning In A Total Enterprise Simulation What Are Simulations For?: Learning Objectives As A Simulation Selection Device Gaming Agency Markets Cooperate For Profits Or Compete For Market? Study Of Oligopolistic Pricing With A Business Game The Design Of A Business Simulation Using A System-Dynamics-Based Approach Modeling The Product Development Function For An Entrepreneurial Firm Simulation Performance And Forecast Accuracy? Is That All? Business Manager Identification Of Competitors In Real World And Simulation Settings Monte Carlo Simulation Analysis On The Costs Reduction Argument Of Interest Rate Swaps Ebiz Game: A Scalable Online Business Simulation Game For Entrepreneurship Training A Model For Online Education Delivery And A Look At Online Delivery Effectiveness Incorporating "Company Reputation" into Total Enterprise Simulations The Genesis And Future Of The Absel "Classicos" Initiative