Adventures in Facilitation Part II

Stree ball office party with many oersonalities

One of the things I really enjoy (when the opportunity arises) is talking shop with other training professionals as I am always eager to learn what is new and exciting in the world of facilitation, instructional design and eLearning.   It was during one of these conversations recently that I was asked what led to me getting involved in professional training.   For many when this topic comes up the answer can vary to everything from… being involved in training and education was a childhood dream to …they were plucked from their office cubicle and dropped in front of a classroom when the facilitator was sick one day.  For myself the desire to get in to training was a bit different.  My epiphany came while I was attending what was probably the worst communication course that has ever been facilitated.    How bad was the program?  Here are a few highlights:

• The facilitator gave all of the students a rubber ball at the start of the class and instructed them to toss the ball back to her when they had a question (as opposed to raising their hand) or to each other to acknowledge when there was a good point made.  It took all of 5 minutes for the room full of 20-something males hopped up on caffeine and Red Bull to start their own version of “face only dodge ball”.

• One of the exercises called for us to learn how to handle a call when the customer did not speak English.  The facilitator then proceeded to play the part of the customer and walked around the room pretending to speak what we eventually determined was Chinese to each of the students.  Putting aside the grossly offensive part of this exercise, we were supposed to (a) understand what language she was pretending to speak (b) acknowledge it and (c) tell the customer we would have someone who spoke their native talk call back ASAP.

• A student asked to be excused to use the facilities.  The facilitator agreed on the condition the student stood up and told everyone what he had learned so far.  This did not go well as the poor guy could not get anything out in between ducking rubber balls being fired at him from all directions, so finally he gives up and makes a run for it.   Although he never did answer any of the facilitators questions, considering how fast he bolted from the room I think one thing he did learn was to take it easy with the coffee and Red Bull next time.

I could go on with more examples but I am sure we all get the point…it was a tire fire, so much so that I left the classroom absolutely convinced that I could have done a far better job and thus had my motivation to get in to training.

Thinking about that day also brings up another point, and that is what clues are there to help identify the good training professionals from those that are less than proficient? Understanding that like   most professions, instructional designers and facilitators can come from all walks of life and experiences, there are key behaviors that I personally feel are an excellent indicator as to the quality of the training professional.  Here then are few that I look for.

Organization—A training professional is on time, comes prepared, can adapt quickly and can deal with setbacks without unnecessary drama.

Creativity—A training professional offers solutions when others offer a problem.   They are not shy to share an opinion and do not usually need to be encouraged to “think outside the box”.   A training professional will smile when someone says we need to try something new.

Personable—A training professional gets along with their peers.  They can easily carry on a conversation and are comfortable being called upon.  A training professional can gauge body language effectively, react accordingly and avoids awkward or uncomfortable conversations.

Communication—A training professional has above average writing skills and can easily articulate a point.  A training professional is an excellent listener and speaks in a clear and concise manner.

It is important to note that there are of course times when it is prudent to allow a designer or facilitator who has shown promise to work through the usual bumps in the road that can appear early in one’s career…. however, if you are ever in a classroom and a facilitator walks in carrying an arm load of rubber balls…. leave.

Adventures in Facilitation

Massage therapist standing by bassage tavle with hands crossed and looking outside the window

Growing up I had a cousin who seemed to have a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so much so that whenever he came to visit us my Father would often remark “trouble just seems to follow that kid”.   I feel the same way when it comes to attending an in-class training session…. if there is a bad facilitator out there, I seem to end up as one of their students.

  Now, understanding that with the advancements in eLearning the need to attend a course or info session in person grows more infrequent by the day, these negative situations occur far too often.  Case in point, recently I attended a 2-hour info session designed to provide training professionals the opportunity to hear from programmers and see first hand some new opportunities in e-learning design.   While I was fine with the content of the program and actually thought the material was very well developed, the issue I had was with the person running the session.  Let’s pause for a tip…if you are running a class and want to “warm-up” your audience, there are several ways to accomplish this goal that do not involve asking the class to stand up, turn to their right and massage the shoulders of the person in front of them.  Tip number two…if a person is not comfortable groping the complete stranger they have been sitting beside for all of 5 minutes, do not call them out and ask why they are not participating…that discussion will in most cases be more than just a little awkward.   Anyway…I could go on and provide a few more examples of the above mentioned train wreck but the point is this…I left the room (early) wondering who in their right mind thought this gentleman was qualified to facilitate training?

Consider the scenario above for a moment longer.  Think about the hours, days, weeks and months a team of designers and programmers put in to creating slick pre-course materials and in- class activities that really showcased eLearning opportunities.  Now imagine handing over the finished product to a facilitator who, based on his lack of understanding for the material was not part of the design, and watching in horror as your team’s months of hard work goes up in smoke while this same facilitator spends far too much time on ridiculous “ice-breakers” or fumbles through the agenda as opposed to presenting the material as designed.  In these situations, do we blame the facilitator or the person that put them there in the first place?   In my opinion there is no easy answer to that question as there are too many variables to consider, however I do know this…when a facilitator claims to have years of experience teaching a plethora of subjects my expectation is they should be very good at their job, and thus assume the project leader would feel the same way.  I also know that in situations where the designer is also the facilitator OR the facilitator has instructional design experience, the chances of a successful program are increased drastically.   The reasons for this are straight forward, if not obvious.  A trainer’s familiarity with the materials, concepts, key objectives, timing, etc.  are a given when a facilitator trains a program he/she designed, and as such there are far fewer opportunities for failure.   Also, in situations where a facilitator did not design the program they are training however does have legitimate instructional design experience none the less, they are much more likely to focus on the key program objectives and consequently offer a greater opportunity for success.  To this end I would offer a final tip, that being if you are looking to hire an instructional designer, ensure you select an individual that has experience in facilitation.  The same recommendation would work in reverse.  If you want to hire a professional facilitator, find one that has instructional design experience. 

With regards to my own facilitation techniques I by no means have run a perfect session each and every time, and in fact am often reminded of a few of my “greatest hits” which include accidently slapping a student (a high-five gone horribly wrong) and setting a table on fire in class as part of a demonstration (that one is a story for another day).  Having said that I do however pride myself on ensuring I cover the key objectives, pay attention to my students and do my best to send everyone home happy…and until the day I am hired to work in a Spa, will leave the massages to the professionals. 

Facilitation Tips

Facilitating a training session can sometimes be a daunting task particularly if presenting unfamiliar content. Preparation and the right tools can however help to ensure the smooth rollout of sessions. Below you will find a list of some best practices which can be followed when facilitating a course.

Prepare. Ensure that all logistics are taken care of ahead of the session. Items such as the venue, catering and equipment should be confirmed at least a week before the start of the session. Other items to consider are the printing of facilitator and participant guides, confirmation of attendees, ordering catering and ensuring that all necessary supplies are available on the day of the session.

Know Your Audience. Knowing one’s audience can be key when presenting, regardless of subject matter. Although jokes can be acceptable if used in good context, be aware that humour may not always garner the expected outcome. Steer clear of stereotypical and potentially offensive comments and try to stay focused on subject matter. As well, knowing how familiar participants are with the information presented can help you to gauge the types of questions to ask in order to help lead the discussion along.

State the Objectives of the Session at the Beginning. Adults like to know what they need to know. Having an idea of the agenda and the overall learning objectives can serve to make participants engaged and ready to share experiences on matters they may be familiar.

Provide Expectations of the Session to the Group. In order to maximize the productivity of time within the session setting ground rules can be an effective tool. This can be as simple as suggesting that participants wait till the end of a section to ask questions, and keep question and debrief periods to a fixed time.

To learn more about facilitation solutions offered by Pathways please visit our website at http://www.Pathwaysinc.ca

Tips for Leading a Successful Webinar

Webinars are an effective means for engaging multiple learners remotely over a vast geographical space. They can be developed to instruct learners on tools, processes, strategies, and can even be used as a sales or marketing tool depending on the industry and subject matter being discussed.

While they are delivered in real-time, there is the added benefit of being able to record content so that it is accessible offline to those who are unable to attend a session. As well, recorded webinars may be easily repurposed by organizations to be used as onboarding training for new hires.

When facilitating a remote session, there are some guidelines which can be followed to ensure the success of your webinar. See below for some tips!

1. Sending reminder emails to participants a week before, and on the day of can be a useful tool for making sure that registrants are reminded of the session and that they sign in at the right time.

2. Confirm that you have closed all personal applications and remember to delete any sensitive information and/or files from your desktop.

3. Call into the webinar number early in order to welcome guests. You may be able to answer any general questions participants may have at this time and troubleshoot any potential technology issues which may arise.

4. Introduce yourself to the group, making sure to speak about your role and how it relates to the information you will be presenting. Learners are more likely to be attentive if they understand your experience and how your expertise can help them better understand the subject matter.

5. Set up housekeeping rules at the beginning of the presentation. For instance, if there is a chat function through which learners can interact, let them know about this at the onset. Also, inform learners when throughout the session questions will be answered.

6. If using a PowerPoint presentation, design it in a way that it is not too wordy and provide as many visuals as you can to support the content delivered. Because learners will not be able to interact with you face-to-face, it is important that what you say is not identical to what is on screen. Visuals and interactivity help to make a presentation more engaging.

7. Be clear in the way that you present information. Less is more when presenting in a webinar. For describing procedures, be sure to carefully outline steps in a manner that is easy to follow.

8. Provide participants with your, or your organization’s contact information in case they have questions following the session. This is also a great way to receive feedback from participants who may have input into what worked and what could be improved upon in subsequent sessions.

For more information about the learning solutions that we can provide for your organization please visit our website at http://www.pathwaysinc.ca

Project Management – Common Communication Problems and Solutions

The success of projects, regardless of scope relies heavily on effective communication channels among all parties involved. With divergent opinions, interests and ideas at play, it is not difficult to envision why communication clashes can routinely occur.

Below you will find some common communication issues that may arise on projects as well as proven techniques on how to remedy them.

1. Assumptions – Forming negative assumptions can often lead to unnecessary conflict between parties. Taking the time to understand others’ perspectives, and their role within a project can assist with ensuring that knowledge transfer is a smooth process. It is believed that effective communicators clarify assumptions to avoid conflict.
2. Lack of Clarity – Although information may be clear to us, it is important to remember that others may not have the correct context and information necessary to fully understand what is being communicated. Breaking ideas and processes down so that others may understand can truly help to improve communication with project members.
3. Not Actively Listening – Active listening is a skill which if honed can increase one’s ability to understand and be understood. Work on improving active listening skills and being cognizant of your own body language as well as the body language of others can go a long way to improving your own communication skills.
4. Dictation – Dictation essentially refers to the act of giving orders without listening to the concerns of other parties. Including other team members in decision making will lead to more engaged members who have a vested interest in the project.
5. Problem Mismatch- Parties involved may not be on par with the problem at hand. Attempt to separate and specify what actual problems are in situations where parties are not on the same page.
6. Personal attacks- Issues sometimes arise where the discussion is taken away from the issue and made personal. Separate issues from people – making issues personal serve only to create a toxic environment.
7. Derision – Individuals may be less likely to share their thoughts in a non-inviting environment. Encourage an open atmosphere where project members feel at ease to share their views.

To learn about Project Management training and resources available at Pathways, please visit our website at www.Pathwaysinc.ca

Common Project Management Problems and Solutions

Regardless of one’s role within an organization, it is not uncommon to be involved in multiple projects at a time. Because projects can differ in complexity, scope and in its demands, understandably problems can arise along the project cycle. Knowing how to deal with these issues at the onset, is a great strategy to maintain momentum on achieving project goals within the assigned timelines. Below you will find a list of project management problems that commonly occur, as well as some tips on how to tackle them.

Assigning the wrong person to manage the project

Before a project begins, a Project Manager will be tasked with the job of managing the goals and expectations of the project. The person who occupies this role will be accountable for ensuring the overall success of the project. Thus, it is important to consider someone whose skill set corresponds with the requirements of the project.

Insufficient buy-in from project members

If project members are not on board with the project requirements, the rate of overall success inevitably declines. To increase buy-in from project members it is imperative that reasons for, benefits and risks of the project are clearly communicated. As well, when people have a clear understanding of their roles within the larger picture, they are more likely to want to actively participate in the process. Facilitate communication channels with project members at all steps of the project. Set up regular meetings; they can be effective to keep the project on track. Encourage project members to voice any concerns or potential issues ahead of scheduled meetings.

Taking on multiple projects at the same time

Everything cannot be done at the same time and some tasks will almost always have to take priority over others. The same rule applies to projects. If there are one or two major projects for which you require some of the same project members, be cognizant of their capacity and the roles that they play within various projects. Overloading members with tasks can lead to work that is of sub-par quality. As well members may become disengaged from the project which works against the buy-in principle.

Not being specific with the scope of the project

Too much or too little flexibility can negatively affect the realization of a project. As much as possible, define the scope of your project from the outset and monitor the project regularly to make sure your team is within the scope.

Not having a clear standard for defining success

From the inception of a project it is important to clearly define the expected end goals. Outlining expectations will assist with setting up timelines and with the general planning around resources. For the project manager as well as members, having a well outlined plan truly makes the execution process on projects flow smoothly.

To learn about Project Management training and resources available at Pathways, please visit our website at www.Pathwaysinc.ca

Adding Depth to Your Graphics in ELearning or Mobile Learning

When making graphics for your elearning or mobile learning module, adding 3-dimensional effects to your graphics can really help things pop off the page. This sort of design aesthetic can be found everywhere, even if it doesn’t call attention to itself right away. Drop shadows, gradient shading and textures all add an element of realism that will help your learner feel like there is physically a photo, a button or some other object in front of them, or that they are part of a real vignette. You can also use these techniques to call attention to specific parts of your image.

Drop Shadows

Adding drop shadows to objects in Illustrator is a pre-set effect you can apply to any shape. This gives the impression that your picture has a ‘thickness’ to it and is floating just a little above your page, depending on how far away you set the shadow.

Simply select the object you want to apply a drop shadow to, then select Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and it will give you a pop-up that lets you adjust and customize the direction, size, blur and colour of the drop shadow. However, if you are starting with a raster image, you’ll have to make an identically shaped vector object underneath the layer your raster image is on to apply the drop shadow to.

Another way to make a drop shadow is to use the above method of making a similar shaped object and giving it a stroke with a gradient fill across the stroke. In the Swatches panel, select the Stroke, and then select the White, Black gradient from the Gradient panel. Set the white option to 0% opacity. Also in the Gradient panel, select the Apply Gradient Across Stroke option. This gives your shape a soft edge.

Cast Shadows

If you use the last option to create a shadow, you can take the spatial illusion a step farther by making the separate shadow object look like a shadow cast on the ‘ground’ away from the object.

Select the shadow object and select Free Transform from the Tools menu. Click and hold on the handle in the middle of the top of the shape to drag it around. On the left side you can also select the Perspective Distort, which will give you the option to shrink parts of the object that are ‘farther’ away from you. Then add the original object back in on top of the shadow.

If you’re not familiar with Illustrator, you can get started with our previous post on using the program – A Beginner’s Guide to Working With Vector Graphics for eLearning Modules

INCENTIVIZATION

WHAT IS IT?

Whenever you’re engaged in an activity, there’s always that one factor that brought you there and the one(s) that bring you back may be the same, or things that came out of the activity after you did it. What we aim for in any learning module or gamified example, is to balance those factors to create the ideal incentives for users. Those little things that capture their interest, cause them to learn something new, or even build on the knowledge they’ve gained from doing the lesson. There is a threshold, however, that we need to be mindful of.

WHY NOT?

Whenever there’s an incentive applied to something, it’s worth investigating the outcome of that to see whether the users are getting too much of a good thing. A popular incentive, in the context of games, is leaderboards. A place where the highest scores are put on display.

Looking to the positive side of this incentive is that users are encouraged to do their best to be at the top for bragging rights amongst their peers. This is something that can also produce the unintended effects of cheating, or focusing more on the performance of that particular session as opposed to learning any lessons.

WRAPPING UP

In most cases, however, users are presented with proper incentives because they’ve been proven to be effective. There are also many other examples of how you can give incentives that you can explore on your own and see their impacts.

If you would like to explore more about gamification, mobile learning and eLearning, take a peek at our company website: Pathways Training and eLearning, at http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.com/ . We always look for fresh ways to engage learners and to make the learning experience as fun as possible!

The argument for Blended Learning

The eLearning vs. in-class training debate

The benefits of eLearning include a reduction in learning costs for organizations, a more efficient way to deliver information to a wide range of employees, and it can be an effective way to appeal to highly visual learners.

On the other hand, eLearning can be viewed as being limiting in its ability to truly engage learners’ critical thinking skills. In-class training has the benefit of having participants interact with each other and the teacher or facilitator, which leads to the sharing of ideas. By extension this can result in an increase in higher order thinking among learners.

eLearning + in-class training?

So how can we leverage the advantages of both training mediums to better support learners and increase critical thinking? Blended learning models can offer a solution to the gaps experienced through the use of either model previously discussed.

In a blended model, learners profit from having the freedom to consume content at their own pace while still being able to work with colleagues on course material. The added advantage of the face-to-face aspect of this model is that learners tend to be more interested and engaged when they are collaborating with others.

Thus, this can lead to higher retention of information for the learner. In addition, it has been proven that individuals are more trusting once they have met someone in person. This added trust can lead to better collaboration amongst learners if they are working together remotely on a project for instance.

Is Blended always best?

Blended learning models may not always be the most logical or effective medium to deliver learning. Depending on the content and scope of the training, eLearning or in-class training can prove to be better options.

That being said, in instances where context and content allow for a blended learning approach, if executed well, learning can be made more efficacious to allow for a greater degree of critical thinking. To learn more about how you can implement a blended model approach for your training needs, visit our website at www.pathwaysinc.ca

 

Mobile Learning – What Works and What Doesn’t!

3 Tips for Designing it Right and 3 Traps to Avoid

Mobile learning is the new buzz-word and although there seems to be a lot of talk about this new trend, few companies are actually doing it. As mobile learning is so new, there are a few things you need to consider in order to effectively instructional design for a mobile learning experience.  For those of you who are considering this new medium, here are some tips you need to consider when designing learning for mobile.

1. Design for touch and forget about the mouse – When you are designing for mobile devices, there can be no more hovering mouse overs for your learning activity. Design your learning activities with “tap” and “swipe” in mind and ensure your instructions for activities reflect this language also.
2. Think about finger size – Learning activities must consider finger size and activities must be designed accordingly (e.g. if you are doing a drag and drop activity, are the boxes big enough for a learner to actually touch and drag? If not, the activity won’t work).
3. Think about screen size – Less text is definitely better when you are creating learning for mobile. Due to the small screen, it is just not possible to have heavy text on the screen, like in some eLearning courses. Things that look great on a desktop eLearning course can look terrible when shrunk down on a mobile device.

Traps to Avoid

Here are some common traps you should avoid when designing for mobile learning.

1. Don’t use the same font for all devices! – Our experience has been that 4-5 point font works well on small phones, 5-6 on a large mobile device and 7-8 point font for a tablet works best.
2. Don’t publish for a universal experience. Publish eLearning courses to work with specific mobile operating systems. Publish specifically for the device the learner is on (e.g. iOS, Android, Windows, etc.) If you are not publishing the learning specifically for the device, it becomes very confusing to the learner as they are expecting to be able to use the same navigation as they normally would on their own mobile. A course that works the same on all platforms can often be very confusing for the learner as it may require different interactions and navigation then what the learner is use to doing on their own mobile device.
3. Use standard navigation that is intuitive when designing eLearning for mobile devices – You know how most eLearning has the language “click the next button to advance the screen or click the previous button to go back. Remember to change the language for advancing the course such as “Swipe your mobile device from right to left to advance the course”. Make the language match the medium.

Mobile learning is an innovative way of increasing learner’s access to training.  Keep these tips in mind and avoid the common traps to ensure a successful mobile learning launch!

If you want to know more about Mobile Learning, please visit us at http://www.pathwaystrainingandelearning.ca or contact us at info@pathwaysinc.ca.