New Facilitator Training-Virtual Edition, Part 2

In Part 1 I discussed the similarities and differences between the traditional in-person online facilitator training and last winter’s virtual training sessions. This post continues with themes of educator best practices and discusses why these themes are critical to learner development and CPA PEP design.

Social interaction

When delivering the virtual training for new online facilitators, Kami, Nikki, and I made sure to provide moments where trainees could participate, communicate, share, inquire, and learn, and the formal learning interactions occurred as expected. What was missing were the impromptu social experiences that typically happen naturally when a group of like-minded individuals gathers. My colleague at Dalhousie University, Dr. Colin Conrad, is an interdisciplinary scholar who researches how our brains work with information technology. He discussed evidence that supports why MOOCs (massive open online courses with thousands of participants often without personalized instructor interaction) fail to graduate most learners: A lack of social presence and a failure to manage mind wandering.

While CPA PEP provides online and virtual learning, we differ from MOOCs in our tailored approach to building a professional and social connection between educator and learner. Continue reading here.