4 Tips For Successful Facilitation

I recently came across an article written by Walter C. Parker titled Public Discourses in Schools: Purposes, Problems, Possibilities which highlighted some key strategies for running effective discussions. As many of us facilitators out there are always looking on how to improve our facilitation skills, I thought I would summarize his work into 4 keys points for a successful facilitation.

1. Establish Your Objectives

Reveal the World or Change the world

In choosing the format for your discussion, it is important to identify the objectives of your discussion. Do you wish for your participants to learn about the world through discussion OR do you wish for them to learn about and change the world through discussion? To answer this question, Parker (2006) suggests two classroom discourse structures: seminar and deliberation. Seminars aim to build understanding through discussion. Deliberation also aims to foster learning but places the emphasis on decision making.

In both instances a topic and readings are selected, and participants will be presented with a central question.

If a seminar format is selected, dialogue could begin with “What does this mean?” or “what is happening?” and subject matter of the discussion will focus on ideas, issues, and values associated with the text. An example presented by Parker (2006) for this format could be a discussion on the Pledge of Allegiance prompting participants to question who are they pledging to.

If a deliberation format is selected, dialogue could begin with “what should we do?” or “what is the best alternative?” and subject matter of the discussion will focus on alternatives related to the problem. The example presented by Parker (2006) for this format could be a discussion on what the schools should be teaching about the Pledge of Allegiance.

When selecting a format for discussion, it is important to note the interplay between the two. Using the Pledge of Allegiance example provided by Parker (2006) for example, one could see that the question addressed in the seminar discussion had to be addressed in the deliberation discussion as a means to facilitate making a decision. Thus, when setting your objectives it may be valuable to establish if one format or a combination of the two will help you meet your objectives.


2. Avoid Recitation
Promote Diffusion Not Osmotic Discussion

When we think of the concept of discussion, we typically envision a balanced exchange of ideas between two or more parties. However, you might be surprised to hear that often times, discussion is confused with recitation. According to Parker (2006), teachers claiming to use discussion regularly are, in fact, leading recitations. Nystrand, Gamoran, and Carbonaro (2001), proved this claim in a study using 48 high school social studies classrooms. In a context where discussion should, in theory, be rampant, they found that approximately 90% of instruction involved zero discussion, and the remaining 10% lasted for an average of 31 seconds. Surprising? Most definitely! Discussion as recitation diminishes many of the educational benefits to facilitation, stripping participants from opportunity to learn from the opinions from others and develop their own ideas through debate. Thus, when planning facilitation, pre-establish the proportion of time you’d like to allocate to presentation versus the exchange of ideas. As an example, set a 50:50 rule. During the facilitation, try to stick to this ratio. Post facilitation, take the time to evaluate your participants on how closely you were able to stick to this ratio.


3. Ensure Effective Listening

Be Humble! Be Patient! Be Empathetic!

When we think of discussion, we often think about what we would like to say but rarely on what we would like to hear. As listening plays a role equally as important as speaking, it’s important to exercise effective learning skills to fully realize the benefits of discussion. As such, Parker (2006) provides three strategies to promote effective listening that can be exercised both by the facilitator and the participants:

Humility – Admit there is always more for me to learn; I am not the expert.

Caution – Take time in listening, reserve expressing thoughts to give speaker space to express their thoughts

Reciprocity – Adopt the perspective of the other by acknowledging they understand their social position better than I do.

4. Establish a Purpose

The Lefts and Rights Both Have Good Points

It may be surprising to hear that debate exists over the value of discussion. The critics from the cultural Right perceive discussion to be a waste of time explaining that discussion takes time away from curriculum coverage. The critics on the cultural Left perceive discussion to be a charade explaining that it is just another form of domination where discourses that typically emerge from discussion often reinforce the problem. Perhaps you may not agree with these arguments, but maybe you can gain insight from them.  At the end of the day students need knowledge, the your role as a facilitator is to identify which knowledge they need. Thus, in response to the opinion of the Right, avoid discussion that detracts from the larger objectives of the subject matter. Use this argument to ensure rigor and mind the subject matter; do not let discussion overpower the subject matter itself. In response to the opinion of the Left, its apparent that omitting discussion is not an option as it simply compounds the problem, and just marginalizes citizens further. Noting the essence of this argument however, it is fundamental that a facilitator ensures an equal exchange between all participants for a successful facilitation.