Elevating Critical Thinking Through Inter-Team Facilitation

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Facilitator(s)

• Will Ofstad, Californial Health Sciences University

Why?

Great classroom facilitation is fun. When the class is engaged, thinking deeply, defending ideas and sharing insights it is wonderful to see learners grow. Part of the transition from lecturer to facilitator is moving away from the 'sage on the stage' to the 'guide on the side' role, focusing on creating significant learning experiences rather than transferring knowledge. Among other responsibilities, facilitators must ensure learning is learner-centered, active, challenging, and elevated to authentic problem solving. As the classroom size grows, less structured methods of facilitation have a greater risk of becoming bogged down by logistics, distraction, confusion, going off topic, overly focusing on one or two learners, or losing the interest of audience.

Unique to team-based learning (TBL), and adaptable to almost any size class, is the use of a structured team-to-team facilitated discussion relying on the “4S” application design technique. Regardless of class size, a team-to-team facilitated discussion offers a systematic approach to elevating critical thinking and empowering learners to discover best answers and approaches through collective discussion, feedback and analysis.

More about TBL

TBL relies on three instructional phases to “flip” the classroom and engage cohorts of almost any size through the use of small groups of 5 to 7 students, typically with a single classroom facilitator. Pre-class individual readiness assignments [readiness phase] and in-class individual and team readiness testing [readiness assurance phase] help to prepare a shared knowledge foundation within the classroom for later discussion of deeper concepts. Rather than lecturing or assigning parallel projects, class time is primarily focused on examining hard problems, problem solving within teams and then sharing findings and deepening the discussion between teams [application and discussion phase]. Instructional design, assessment, facilitation, establishing a quality learning environment, and other process education fundamentals support this learning process. two of the most salient aspects of teaching —  reflection and assessment — can produce incredible efficiency for instructors seeking to improve student learning.

Learning Outcomes

1. Analyze the 4S application design strategy for impact on classroom facilitation.
2.  Create 5 universal questions that promote critical thinking during inter-team discussion.
3. Compare and contrast facilitator-individual, facilitator-team, and team-team interactions in their ability to promote the Transformation of Education..

Tasks

[Pre-workshop]

1. Review the learning outcomes
2. Read the resources assigned
3. Write 5 context-independent questions that promote critical thinking to facilitate inter-team discussion regardless of the application (hint: see reading assignments from Pelley and Whitehorne). (Note that there is a forum on the Member's Site where you can share these: http://www.processeducation.org/moo/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=160.)
4. Consider the critical thinking questions

[IN-workshop]

1. Take a readiness assurance test at the start of the workshop
2. Discuss the application as a team and determine the single best answer. (Be prepared to defend your rationale for selecting your answer!)

Resources

Please read these before the workshop (anticipated at 1 hour of preparation)

• [6 pages] 12 tips for facilitating TBL (Gullo, Ha, Cook)
• [3 pages]  Facilitation Skills (Pelley, McMahon)
• [3 pages]  Framework for TBL Application Activity Reporting Facilitation (Whitehorne, Michaelsen, Sibley)

Based on these reading assignments, write 5 context independent questions that you could pose to the class that promote critical thinking (to facilitate inter-team discussion regardless of the application). Be Prepared to share these during the workshop verbally or via Chat. Example “Could you summarize the best ideas shared so far by other teams?”

If you are unfamiliar with Process Education or the Faculty Guidebook, please also review:

• Overview of Facilitation
• Overview of Quality Learning Environments
• The Transformation of Education from Pacific Crest (focus on the overview slide)

Plan

1. Welcome and overview
2. Discuss any audience special objectives
3. Team formation
4. Readiness assurance testing
5. Team application discussion
6. Class application facilitated discussion
7. Facilitator closure
8. Reflection on outcomes and audience objectives
9. Time for questions

Critical Thinking Questions

Consider these question (for yourself, no requirement to post) prior to the workshop:

1. What questions can a facilitator ask to promote critical thinking?
2. Define the 4S’s for application design. Why is each important for inter-team facilitation?
3. What is good facilitation? Compare and contrast to team or classroom management.
4. What can a good facilitator do to promote the transformation of education?
5. How do facilitation methods need to change as the class size grows?
6. Describe areas for facilitator focus at different points in a 2 hour class meeting: (1) you are starting class; (2) you are starting applications (3) the teams are in process working on an application; (4) the teams are reporting out answers to the class and a class discussion begins; (5) five minutes remain before class is over.
7. What are potential barriers for facilitating large classes? Offer a strategy to help manage or resolve each barriers.

Assessment

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