JAMIE M. TRAINCUR/532

NOVEMBER 9 , 2015DR. MELINDA MEDINA

Facilitator Training Program

SPECIFICALLY GEARED TOWARD MILITARY TRAINERS, LEADERS, AND SUPERVISORS WITH

NO EXPERIENCE FACILITATING ONLINE TRAINING.

Audience

THIS IS A 3 DAY ASYNCHRONOUS ONLINE TRAINING COURSE TO EMPOWER YOU TO BECOME EFFECTIVE DISTANCE LEARNING

FACILITATORS.

Overview

YuJa, 2015)

“ASYNCHRONOUS TRAINING—ALSO KNOWN AS SELF-PACED TRAINING—DOES NOT REQUIRE STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTORS TO BE ONLINE OR IN PERSON AT THE SAME TIME FOR INSTRUCTION. THIS TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNERS TO CREATE COURSES THAT PARTICIPANTS CAN GO THROUGH ON THEIR OWN WITH LITTLE OR NO HELP FROM AN INSTRUCTOR.

SYNCHRONOUS TRAINING, OR INSTRUCTOR-LED TRAINING, AND IT REQUIRES THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENTS TO BE PRESENT AT SCHEDULED TIMES—EITHER IN PERSON OR ONLINE—FOR INSTRUCTION, DISCUSSIONS, AND ACTIVITIES.”(SLATINSKY, 2013)

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous

• AUDIENCEi. The audience will be 40 new asynchronous

instructors• CURRENT (ASSUMED) SKILL SET

i. Participants are skilled with computers• CURRENT (ASSUMED) EXPERIENCE

i. Most participants have taken an online course at some time

• CURRENT (ASSUMED) KNOWLEDGEi. Most participants are subject matter experts in

their specific field of study

PART 1

THE FOLLOWING KEY SKILLS WILL BE USED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL DISTANCE ONLINE FACILITATOR FOR ASYNCHRONOUS TRAINING

1. CREATING AND MAINTAINING ONLINE PRESENCE

2. CREATE FORUMS FOR INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT INTERACTION

3. USE AUDIO NARRATION, SCENARIOS, IMAGES, AND MORE TO ENGAGE LEARNERS. (SLATINSKY, 2013)

Training Program Goals

• GETTING TO KNOW STUDENTS

• CHECKING PROGRESS OF STUDENT LEARNING CONSISTENTLY

• PROVIDES FEEDBACK BOTH IN FORUMS AND INDIVIDUALLY TO STUDENTS

• GIVES STUDENTS ADDITIONAL WAYS TO COMMUNICATE IF NECESSARY (TO ALWAYS BE AVAILABLE)

Additional Goals

• STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY 5 IMPORTANT POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF ONLINE LEARNING

• STUDENTS WILL DESIGN BASIC TRAINING CURRICULUM FOR ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING WITH 80% PASS RATE

• STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY 3 WAYS EFFECTIVE WAYS TO FACILITATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN THE ONLINE CLASSROOM

Training Program Objectives Module 1

• STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY AT LEAST 10 ONLINE TOOLS THAT CAN BE UTILIZED DURING ONLINE COURSES

• STUDENTS AT LEAST 2 STRATEGIES THAT HELP IDENTIFY HOW TO FACILITATE A MENTOR/LEARNER RELATIONSHIP

Objectives – Module 2

• STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THEIR MANAGEMENT OF A ONLINE CLASSROOM WITH AN 80% PASS RATE

• STUDENTS WILL WRITE A 3 -5 PAGE PAPER DEPICTING HOW TO MANAGE AN ONLINE CLASSROOM TO INCLUDE CYBER-BULLYING, LACK OF PARTICIPATION, BEHAVIORS, DISRESPECTFUL OR INAPPROPRIATE POSTING.

Objectives – Module 3

• THROUGHOUT THE 3 DAYS TRAINING STUDENTS WILL PARTICIPATE IN INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS

• AT THE END OF THE TRAINING, STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE A MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST

• STUDENTS WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED THROUGH ONLINE FORMAT (SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS TO INCLUDE: GROUP FORUMS, POSTS, MEETING OBJECTIVES, ETC.)

• STUDENTS WILL ALSO COMPLETE A COURSE EVALUATION/SURVEY

Summative Assessment

SKILLS

•COMMUNICATION

• MANAGEMENT

• ACTIVE LISTENING

• ASK INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS

• RECOGNIZING ISSUES (EXFORSYS, 2010)

Part II – Facilitator Skills and Instructional Materials

• ENCOURAGE COLLAB ORATION

• INCLUDE REAL L IFE S ITUATIONS

• SET AND MAINTAIN EXPECTATIONS (PROVIDE RUBRICS AND SYLLABUS)

• LET STUDENTS F IND INFORMATION RATHER THAN HAND IT OUT (GIVE RESOURCES)

• G IVE T IMELY FEEDBACK

• HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE AND BE FLEXIBLE

Skills Continued

• TEACH THE STUDENTS HOW THEY WILL BE TEACHING.

LEARN-APPLY-REFLECT

Strategies

(HIGH ACHIEVERS, N.D)

A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (CMS) - IS S IMPLY AN APPLICATION THAT ALLOWS A METHOD FOR MANAGING CONTENT FROM A CENTRAL LOCATION.

A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS) - I S ANOTHER TYPE OF SOFTWARE APPLICATION, BUT IT IS MUCH MORE ROBUST THAN A CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

(L ITMOS, N. D. )

- Learning Platform – Content Management Systems

vs. Learning Management Systems

• THE LEARNING PLATFORM USED IN THIS TRAINING WILL BE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

-With an LMS, learners have the ability to view, listen, and interact with the data. They have the options to try examples, complete assessments, and give evaluation or feedback on courses. (Litmos, n.d.)

As Palloff and Pratt mentioned, most virtual schools rely on asynchronous school schedules because of the flexibility for their students.

Learning Platform

• GROUP FORUMS

• CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS

• SHORT VIDEO LESSONS

• READING MATERIAL

• PODCASTS

• MOCK ASSIGNMENTS

Processes of Facilitation

• YOUTUBE – CAN BE USED TO PROVIDE RELATED VIDEOS OR VIDEOS FROM COURSE FACILITATORS

• MILITARY AFFILIATED VIDEOS – PROVIDING REAL LIKE SITUATIONS TO FACILITATE OPERATIONAL THINKING IN REGARDS TO MILITARY TRAINING

• PODCASTS ( ITUNES, VOICETHREAD, AUDIOBOOM, ETC) – FACILITATORS CAN PROVIDE AUDIO CASTS THAT CAN FACILITATE TOWARD AUDITORY LEARNERS

Technology

• ONLINE MILITARY LIBRARY OF TRAINING DOCUMENTS – PROVIDING TRAINING DOCUMENTS ENCOURAGES LEARNERS TO PUT READING TO VISUAL AND INTERACTIVE LEARNING

• P IKTOCHARTS – PROVIDING VISUALS CAN ENHANCE THE LEARNING WITH AUDIO, AND READING DOCUMENTS

Technology Continued

• TECHNOLOGIES FOR STUDENT COLLABORATION

• DIFFERENT DISTANT LEARNERS

• SYNCHRONOUS VS. ASYNCHRONOUS FACILITATION SKILLS

• TECHNOLOGY ISSUES AND RESOLUTIONS

• CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ISSUES (LEARNER FEEDBACK, CHALLENGING BEHAVIORS, ADA LEARNERS, ETC)

Part IV – Issues and Classroom Management

• GLOGSTER (BUILDING GROUP POSTERS)

• SKYPE (FOR GROUP COLLABORATION)

• GROUP FORUMS (FOR COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GROUP MEMBERS THAT CAN BE MONITORED BY FACILITATOR)

• VIDEO SHARING

• TEXTING

• ONLINE CHAT FEATURE

Technologies to Enhance Student Collaboration

• AGE

• GENDER

• L IFE EXPERIENCES (TRAUMA, LACK OF EXPERIENCE, TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE, FAMILIES, ETC)

• CULTURAL DIFFERENCES (LANGUAGE BARRIERS, STEREOTYPES, RURAL VS. SUBURBAN, ETC)

• LEARNING ABILITY

Different Distant Learners

SYNCHRONOUS

• INSTRUCTORS CAN GROUP A NUMBER OF STUDENTS TOGETHER FOR ACTIVITIES AND EXERCISES

• QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED IMMEDIATELY

• CONFUSION CAN BE EASILY IDENTIFIED

ASYNCHRONOUS

• FLEXIBLE TO MEET STUDENTS SCHEDULE NEEDS (WORK, FAMILIES, ETC)

• COST IS LOWER, NO TRAVEL IS REQUIRED

• STUDENT WORK IS MORE INDIVIDUALIZED AND PRODUCES A BETTER PRODUCT

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous

(Slatinsky, 2013)

• I N A B I L I T Y T O L O G O N ( T E C H S U P P O R T )

• S O F T WA R E I N C O M PAT I B I L I T Y ( T E C H S U P P O R T )

• T I M E Z O N E S ( C O L L A B O R AT I O N B E T W E E N S T U D E N T S A N D I N S T R U C T O R )

• I N E X P E R I E N C E D U S E R S ( O N L I N E R E S O U R C E S P R O V I D E D B Y S C H O O L / C O M PA N Y )

• S Y S T E M U P G R A D E S ( T E C H S U P P O R T )

• I N T E R N E T O U TA G E ( T I M E O R C A L L I N T E R N E T C O M PA N Y, C O M M U N I C AT I O N W I T H I N S T R U C T O R )

Technology Issues

• SETTING CLEAR AND OBTAINABLE EXPECTATIONS

• KEEP COMMUNICATION OPEN

• HANDLE CLASSMATE DISPUTES

• PROVIDE TIMELY FEEDBACK (BOTH TO CLASS AND INDIVIDUALS)

• ESTABLISH A CLASSROOM PRESENCE

• ASK QUESTIONS TO OBTAIN INFORMATION OF KNOWLEDGE

Classroom Management

WAYS THAT STUDENTS CAN LEAVE FEEDBACK

• MESSAGES DIRECTLY TO INSTRUCTOR

• SURVEYS

• COURSE EVALUATION

• AUDIO TO INSTRUCTOR (VIA COMPUTER OR PHONE)

Learner Feedback

• CYBER-BULLYING

• INAPPROPRIATE POSTING

• LACK OF PARTICIPATION AND/OR ENGAGEMENT

IT IS IMPORTANT TO SET UP A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. REACHING OUT TO THE STUDENT(S) TO OPEN COMMUNICATION AND POSSIBLY ESTABLISH EMPATHY TO SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS. ESTABLISH A RAPPORT AND DEAL WITH THE SITUATION APPROPRIATELY.

Challenging Behaviors

"Title 5, section 55200. Definition and application. Distance education means instruction in which the instructor and student are separated by distance and interact through the assistance of communication technology. All distance education is subject to the general requirements of this chapter as well as the specific requirements of this article. In addition, instruction provided as distance education is subject to the requirements that may be imposed by the American with disabilities act (42 U.S.C. §12100 et seq.) And section 508 of the rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended.” (San Bernardino valley college, 2015)

It is important to follow this, because it is law. Offering students additional resources is imperative to providing a student friendly and legal atmosphere.

ADA Learners and Associated Strategies

Exforsys. (2010, April 2). Characteristics of an excellent facilitator. Retrieved from http://www.Exforsys.Com/career-center/facilitator/characteristics-of-excellent- facilitator.Html

High achievers. (N.D). Programme overview. Retrieved from http://www.Exforsys.Com/career-center/facilitator/characteristics-of-excellent-facilitator.Html

Litmos. (N.D.) Learn more about content management systems (CMS) vs learning management systems (LMS). Retrieved from with an LMS, learners have the ability to view, listen, and interact with the data. They have the options to try examples, complete assessments, and give evaluation

or feedback on courses.

Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (2011). The excellent online instructor: strategies for professional development. Retrieved from the university of phoenix ebook collection database.

References

San Bernardino Valley College. (2015) Students with disabilities and online classes. Retrieved from http://www.Valleycollege.Edu/online-classes/faculty-resources-online-classes/ada-508

Slatinsky, D. (2013, June 26). Synchronous or asynchronous? How to pick your training delivery method. Retrieved from http://www.Learningsolutionsmag.Com/articles/1197/sync

Yuja Team. (2015, October 6). [Online Image]. Yuja bridges the education gap for active-duty military. Retrieved from http://blog.Yuja.Com/yuja-bridges-the-education-gap-for-active-duty- military/#.Vln44tzdfpy

References