EFFECTIVE

FACILITATORS
SHAMARA KALLIE
CUR 532
APRIL 25, 2016
MELINDA MEDINA

EFFECTIVE FACILITATORS

TEACHING ONLINE CLASSES IS NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY JOB, BUT ANY

TEACHER WHO TEACHES FACE TO FACE IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOL
SETTINGS WILL HAVE NO PROBLEM TEACHING ONLINE CLASSES ARE AN
ILLUSION (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 3). THERE IS NOT ENOUGH OR NO
ATTENTION PAID AT ALL TO THE SKILLS THAT ARE CRITICAL IN BEING AN
EXCELLENT, EFFECTIVE ONLINE/DISTANCE LEARNING INSTRUCTOR. TWO
VERY CRITICAL SKILLS THAT ARE OFTEN TIMES NEGLECTED ARE
PRODUCTIVE COMMUNICATION AND ESTABLISHING PRESENCE IN THE
ONLINE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
AN EFFECTIVE FACILITATOR MUST DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO MANAGE
AND LEAD A GROUP AND EASILY RESOLVE CONFLICTS AND
COMMUNICATE MISUNDERSTANDING OR AGREEMENTS
WITH A GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILLS THE FACILITATOR WILL BE ABLE
TO CREATE POSITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE STUDENTS.
IT HELPS FACILITATORS TO FOSTER CONSTANT COMMUNICATION
PROVIDING SUBSTANTIVE FEEDBACK EMPOWER THEIR BEST RESPONSES
WHEN IT COMES TO REFLECT ON SITUATIONS EXPOSED BY THE
STUDENTS.

DEVELOPMENT PHASES TO BE A PRODUCTIVE

COMMUNICATION MASTER
IN THIS PHASE THE MASTER INSTRUCTOR HAVE MASTERED ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO INSTRUCT AN ONLINE CLASS
WITH CONFIDENCE. THE INSTRUCTOR IN THIS PHASE UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF A COLLABORATIVE
LEARNING COMMUNITY(BURNS, 2014), AND ENCOURAGES COMMUNICATION THROUGH ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
DISCUSSIONS/CONVERSATIONS. APPRENTICE- THE INSTRUCTOR IN THIS PHASE HAS GRADUATED FROM THE NOVICE
PHASE. SHE NO LONGER HAS THE FEARS OF THOSE IN THE NOVICE PHASE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE AND HOW TO
START FACILITATING ONLINE LEARNING AND USING THE TECHNOLOGICAL METHODS TO COMMUNICATE WITH
LEARNERS. IN THIS PHASE THERE IS A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE INSTRUCTORS COMMUNICATION SKILLS, FOR
EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF JUST USING EMAIL, NOW SHE USES THE DISCUSSION BOARDS, CHAT ROOMS, PRIVATE
MESSAGING, ETC. (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 25). NOVICE- THE INSTRUCTOR IN THIS PHASE HAVE NEVER TAUGHT
ONLINE AS WELL AS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN AN ONLINE CLASS BEFORE AS A LEARNER AND THEREFORE HAVE
FEARS OF ONLINE TEACHING. SHE MAY USE SOME OR NONE OF THE DISCUSSION BOARDS OR OTHER TOOLS TO
COMMUNICATE WITH HER LEARNERS (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 20, 24), LEAVING THEM TO FEEL LEFT ALONE TO
TEACH AND LEARN ALL THE MATERIAL THEMSELVES. INSIDER- THE INSTRUCTOR IN THIS PHASE IS MORE CONFIDENT
IN COMMUNICATING, PRESENTING, AND FACILITATING HER ONLINE CLASS. SHE IS COMFORTABLE WITH USING
TECHNOLOGY TO COMMUNICATE PROVIDING SUBSTANTIVE FEEDBACK/COMMENTS IN HER ONLINE CLASS(ES).

ESTABLISHING PRESENCE
IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THE INSTRUCTOR IS NOT ONLY PAYING
ATTENTION TO THE LEARNERS INPUT, BUT TO THEIR LEARNING NEEDS
IT PREVENTS THE LEARNERS FROM ACQUIRING THE FEELING BEING LEFT
ALONE/IN THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE BY THEMSELVES, AND HAVING NO
CONTACT AND OR CONNECTION (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 8)
IT ALLOWS FOR A SAFE AND WELCOMED ENVIRONMENT WHERE
LEARNERS COULD BE COMFORTABLE IN FREELY SHARING OPINIONS AND
KNOWLEDGE, AND ASK QUESTIONS WITHOUT RETRIBUTION (PALLOFF
& PRATT, 2011, P. 29).

TRAINING
TRAINING OPTIONS INCLUDE:
INDEPENDENT COMPUTER-BASED TRAINING
TRADITIONAL SEMINARS
ONLINE TRAINING
WEB CASTING
INFORMAL/LAID BACK DISCUSSION OPPORTUNITIES OVER LUNCH/SNACKS, WHICH ENHANCE PRESENCE
AND COMMUNICATION (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 42)
MENTORING ONLINE INSTRUCTORS FORMALLY OR INFORMALLY MORE EXPERIENCED (PALLOFF & PRATT,
2011, P. 29)
HELP TRAIN THE NEW INSTRUCTOR TO DESIGN AND OR TEACH HER FIRST ONLINE CLASS(ES). THE
MENTOR IS THERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND HELP OUT WITH ANY PROBLEMS, WHICH WILL HELP
ENHANCE THE PERFORMANCE OF NEW ONLINE INSTRUCTORS (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 29)

DEVELOPMENT PHASES TO ESTABLISH

PRESENCE MASTER
IN THIS PHASE THE MASTER INSTRUCTOR HAVE MASTERED ALL THAT IS NEEDED TO INSTRUCT AN ONLINE CLASS WITH
CONFIDENCE. INSTRUCTORS IN THIS PHASE UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF A COLLABORATIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY
(BURNS, 2014), AND ENCOURAGES COMMUNICATION THROUGH ONLINE DISCUSSIONS/CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS
PARTICIPATE IN THEM BY ASKING CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS AND GIVING HER COMMENTS/RESPONSES TO DISCUSSION
BOARDS. IN ADDITION, THE ONLINE INSTRUCTOR SHARES HER PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION, PROVIDES
ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IS COMFORTABLE USING AUDIO AND VIDEO CLIPS, WHICH ESTABLISHES HER PRESENCE ONLINE IN
THE CLASSROOM(S) (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 7, 8).
APPRENTICE- THE INSTRUCTOR IN THIS PHASE HAS GRADUATED FROM THE NOVICE PHASE. SHE NO LONGER HAS THE FEARS
OF THOSE IN THE NOVICE PHASE, FOR EXAMPLE WHERE AND HOW TO ESTABLISH PRESENCE IN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM
AND USING THE MANY METHODS TO COMMUNICATE WITH LEARNERS. IN THIS PHASE, THERE IS A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE
INSTRUCTORS COMMUNICATION SKILLS, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF JUST USING EMAIL, NOW SHE USES THE DISCUSSION
BOARDS, CHAT ROOMS, PRIVATE MESSAGING, ETC., WHICH ESTABLISHES HER PRESENCE ONLINE IN CLASS (PALLOFF & PRATT,
2011, P. 25). NOVICE- THE INSTRUCTOR HAVE NEVER TAUGHT ONLINE AS WELL AS MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN AN ONLINE
CLASS BEFORE AS A LEARNER AND THEREFORE HAVE FEARS OF ONLINE TEACHING. SHE IS NOT CONFIDENT AND FEARFUL IN
USING THE DISCUSSION BOARDS NOR OTHER COMMUNICATION TOOLS; THEREFORE, HER PRESENCE IS NOT ESTABLISHED
ONLINE (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 7, 20, 24).

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS ARE V.O.C.A.L

THE V.O.C.A.L ACRONYM DESCRIBES THE EFFECTIVE ONLINE

INSTRUCTORS (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 7). EFFECTIVE ONLINE
INSTRUCTORS, ARE VISIBLE, ORGANIZED, COMPASSIONATE, ANALYTICAL,
AND LEADER, AND THEY LEAD THEIR ONLINE/DISTANT LEARNERS BY
EXAMPLE (PALLOFF & PRATT, 2011, P. 7).

REFERENCES BURNS

BURNS, M. (2014, SEPTEMBER). TOP 5 ONLINE LEARNING SKILLS THAT

ONLINE INSTRUCTORS SHOULD HAVE. RETRIEVED FROM
HTTP://ELEARNINGINDUSTRY.COM/TOP-5-ONLINE-LEARNING-SKILLSONLINE- INSTRUCTORS
PALLOFF, R. M., & PRATT, K. (2011). THE EXCELLENT ONLINE
INSTRUCTOR. RETRIEVED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX EBOOK
COLLECTION DATABASE