Page 90 - International Journal of Process Educaiton (Special Issue)

tation, insights on facilitation, and the factors influencing
the quality of facilitation. That same year, Pacific Crest
held its first Facilitator's Institute, supported with the Fa-
cilitator's Institute Handbook (Apple & Krumsieg, 2001).
This standalone handbook offered a collection of all the fa-
cilitation expertise from the Teaching Institute handbooks
but also included information on creating a facilitation
plan, how to peer coach an individual’s facilitation ses-
sion, and a profile of a quality facilitator.
The scholarship and learning to this point was gathered
and expanded upon during the Faculty Guidebook project,
leading to the publication of numerous modules (all 2007):
 Overview of Facilitation (Smith)
 Profile of a Quality Facilitator (Smith)
 Facilitation Methodology (Smith & Apple)
 Identifying Learner Needs (Minderhout)
 Constructive Intervention (Leise & Smith)
 Constructive Intervention Techniques (Smith & Leise)
 Facilitation Tools (Minderhout & Smith)
 Creating a Facilitation Plan (Minderhout)
 Annotated Bibliography — Facilitation (Smith)
Table 1 Aspects of the Transformation of Education Related to Facilitation
Aspect Traditional Practice
Control Characteristics
Faculty-Centered
Has the mindset of an expert. Is concerned
with instructional efficiency. Asks, “Have I
covered the syllabus?” Values dictation over
facilitation.
Delivery Presentation
Prefers a lecture format and dissemination of
information. Believes that students/learners
are empty vessels or blank slates, and that
they should passively and meekly absorb
knowledge. "Sage on the stage"
Ownership Directed
Believes that learners require prompting
and monitoring in order to initiate and
persist. Assumes extrinsic motivation
is best/necessary. Micro-manages (not
allowing others to demonstrate ownership).
Assumes that students are passive (refuse to
demonstrate ownership).
88 International Journal of Process Education (February 2016, Volume 8 Issue 1)
Shifting and Transforming Practice: Educator to
Facilitator
In Taking the Helm (1996) Klopp elaborates on the
differences in practice and dynamics between a faculty
member as instructor and a faculty member as facilitator.
She also speaks directly to the not inconsiderable risk
faculty may face when shifting practice from educator (as
“sage on the stage”) to facilitator (as “guide on the side”):
It is a risk to change the way we teach because
that implies that how we have taught in the past
needed to be changed for some reason. That,
in turn, challenges the worth of many years,
even decades, of teaching practices. It also
challenges our need for control. Going from a
teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered
classroom means sharing the "power," sometimes
even giving over the power almost completely (as
in collaborative learning), and we may be very
uncomfortable about losing that control.
While the change in practice is something Process
Education has encouraged from the first call to shift
ownership of the learning process to the student (Apple,
1991), the extent to which the change could be viewed
as a risk was not fully appreciated until the work on The
Transformed Practice
Characteristics
Learner-Centered
Believes learner engagement is critical for
learning success. Concerned with instructional
effectiveness. Views self as a facilitator of
learning who creates independent learners.
Asks, “Have I helped my students achieve the
learning objectives?” Designs course/teaching
to respond to student needs. Values facilitation
over dictation.
Active Learning
Believes that curiosity motivates learning and
that discovery is education. Sees the educator
as a facilitator or "guide on the side." Believes
that students should actively learn by doing.
Self-Directed
Knows that students can demonstrate initiative
and persistence without prompting. Believes
students can learn to self-monitor and self-
regulate. Works to help students become self-
growers who are intrinsically motivated to learn.