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The Art of Facilitation

- Pritom Phookun
India

'The novice teacher shows & tell incessantly;

The wise teacher listens, prods, challenges

and refuses to give away the right answer.

Ideally, students remember what they have learned

Not what the teacher told them."

As trainers, you are aware that the learning process is as important as the content of learning. This perhaps is more so in an adult training environment. Often, unskilled trainers put overwhelming importance on the content/topics of the training programme and ignore the learning process, thereby hindering the creation of an appropriate learning environment. As a result, not only do the trainees go away dissatisfied, but the learning also remains largely ineffective.

The art of instruction that strikes a balance between learning content and learning process is also referred to as the art of facilitation. "To facilitate" means "to make easy". The effective adult instructor has to be an effective facilitator. In other words, he/she has to be able to make the learning process easy; "easy" not in the sense of being simplistic, but rather in the sense of getting the trainees actively involved in the learning process. Training is value added only if the entire group of learners (including the instructor) form an inter-active learning community wherein everyone shares responsibility in the learning process. The trainees should feel that they own the training and not that the training is imposed on them by the instructor. The trainees should feel that they can, and have, contributed significantly to the learning process and not simply absorbed passively what the instructor has to offer. The learning process should challenge the trainees to think and explore. The learning process should boost the confidence of the learners. In short, the learning process should be geared to help the learners "learn to learn" rather than to spoon feed them and, thereby, leave them dependant on the instructor. By the end of a course, the learners should feel confident that, not only have they learned important things during the course, but also that they have the ability to learn on their own and to contribute meaningfully to any learning process. If this happens, then the effects of learning will spread far beyond the confines of the classroom. There are numerous benefits to such an adult learning process. These include:-

1. The active involvement of the trainees in a participatory environment keeps them motivated and energetic. Without adequate motivation and energy, learning is unlikely to be high.
2. Trainees learn better by listening and doing rather than by simply listening to the instructor.
3. In a participatory environment, the trainees learn not only from the instructor but also from each other. This adds much more value to the learning process.
4. The trainees get ample opportunity to share their valid experiences during the learning process. This process of sharing helps to crystallise their ideas- on the subject at hand as well get valuable feedback from other trainees on their personal understanding.
5. This approach makes the learning process more challenging for the trainees since they cannot simply lay back and only listen. They realise that their active contribution is vital to the success of the learning process. This helps the trainees to "learn to learn" rather than just learn the subject at hand. Thereby the benefits of learning extend far beyond the confines of the classroom and the duration of the concerned training course.
6. The participatory approach helps to build up the trainees confidence and encourages them to be inter dependant rather than dependant on the instructor. This helps build a learner-centred approach to learning, which can be more durable and creative than an instructor-centred learning.

It is the primary responsibility of the instructor/facilitator to create and maintain the learning process described above. In this connection, the facilitator of adult training would be well advised to be aware of the conditions that facilitate adult learning and ways to create these conditions.

Seven conditions facilitating adult learning

Listed below are seven conditions which facilitate adult learning. Following each condition are some suggestions for building and maintaining a positive learning environment.

They learn better when:-

• We encourage them to be active;
• We trust them to find other choices and solutions suitable to them;
• We facilitate positive exploration of ideas and their creative expression, with the support of the trainer and the group;
• They have the impression of participating in the process and committing themselves personally;
• They have occasion to experiment directly with ideas and techniques.

• They commit themselves more to a learning project when:-
• The atmosphere facilitates and encourages a discovery of the personal significance of the ideas expressed;
• They have the possibility of expressing their personal needs freely;
• We help them to establish a link between the objective of the training and their personal and professional goals, in a manner that is satisfactory and profitable for them;

They learn better:-

• In an atmosphere where divergent points of view are accepted;
• If we encourage exploration of new ideas rather than insist on "the correct answer";
• If we encourage openness and reason through free expression of different opinions and ideas;
• If we allow open communication and the clash of ideas between members of the group, to enhance the learning process;
• If they can compare their ideas with those of others, and thus test them;

4th condition : The right to make mistakes

They learn more easily if:-

• We recognise that each of them has the right to make mistakes;
• Mistakes are seen as an opportunity to learn, progress and change.
• We present the learning process and an exploration of the unknown by trial and error

They learn better if:-

• The training is given in a warm atmosphere where each person is accepted and exempt from psychological threats;
• We encourage personal openness, free expression of attitudes, ideas, questions, preoccupations and personal feelings;
• We facilitate commitment by encouraging co-operation and interaction-,
• They do not risk feeling humiliated, embarrassed or belittled as persons.

6th condition : Self-esteem and respect

Adult learners learn better if:-

• They feel respected and cared for
• We value their personal contribution to the group's learning process
• They consider themselves and their peers as sources of valuable ideas and solutions contributing to the learning process
• They feel that we recognise the value of their experiences and personal knowledge

They will feel free to choose to learn if:-

• We consider them as unique individuals
• They feel accepted as they are
• They don't feel attacked in their beliefs and characters
• We always leave them room to make their own choices
• We do not attempt to impose a change on them
• They feel free to examine at their own speed their ideas, behaviour and attitudes

Amongst the various skills that an expert facilitator possesses, there are two I may high light here, viz, (i) the art of listening, and (ii) the art of questioning.

The art of listening

It is vital that the adult trainees feel understood and accepted for what they are. Effective listening is a sine qua non to understanding the trainees. One of the main reasons for ineffective communication is poor listening. Good listening helps in many ways. It

• Acknowledges the presence & experience of the learner
• Shows the learner that you appreciate what they have to say
• Encourages a climate of trust and openness
• Encourages the learner to be more involved in the learning process
• Helps the trainer to understand the learner's message, including the learner's feelings

Techniques for effective listening

Paraphrasing:-    This relates to the factual side of the message. This technique is executed by stating back to the speaker what you understand of the speaker's message. This way the other person will have an opportunity to correct your understanding, if necessary. It will also indicate to the other that you have taken the effort to carefully listen to what he/she had to say.

Reflection:-    This involves verbalising the speaker's feelings which may or may not be communicated explicitly. Recognising and helping to express feelings freely is a vital part of the adult learning process and, therefore, an important responsibility of the facilitator.

Use appropriate body language:-    This involves behaviours such as making eye contact with the speaker, leaning slightly towards the speaker, maintaining an open posture, etc..

The art of questioning

"What is more important is asking the right question, rather than giving the right answer" - Cicero

Adult training is not so much about obtaining the right answer as much as to stimulate the trainees to think and explore. In fact, very often there are no clear right and wrong answers in the world of adult experiences. By using appropriate questions, the expert facilitator is able to draw out the adult trainees, encourage them to test their understanding, challenge them to think creatively, provoke them to question set attitudes, help them to interact with fellow members of the learning community. By effective questioning the facilitator can also gain a better understanding of his trainees' knowledge, skills, experiences and feelings. Thus, appropriate questioning can help both the trainees and the facilitator.

Characteristics of good questions

Good questions in a learning environment are:-

• Challenging
• Brief
• Clear
• Relevant
• Focused on major points only

Types of questions

There are four types of questions:

Open question:- Question that does not invite any specific answer but opens up a discussion, e.g.: "What are your views on the utility of training? Such questions are useful for initiating & generating discussion.

Closed question-.- Question that invites a specific answer like "yes" or "no" or brief appropriate details, e.g.: "Do you play cricket ?" or "What is your name ?" They are useful for controlling discussion & obtaining specific information.

Overhead question:- Question asked to the whole group, not directed at any specific member. They are less threatening than direct questions and useful for starting discussion.

Direct question:- Directed at a specific individual. Best used after participants have settled down. More threatening and, therefore, to be used cautiously. Useful for controlling distractive behaviours (like side discussions between a few members when a group discussion is in progress).

Summary

The role of an adult facilitator is a challenging one. Very few are perhaps born to be good facilitators, More often than not, good facilitation is the result of learning the appropriate skills, dedication and practice. A good facilitator will not only find his role most satisfying, he can also contribute very meaningfully to the growth and development of the adults whose learning he facilitates.