Overview

Please start by watching the following short video:

This unit focuses on interventions that a tutor may need to take at later stages of a module to attempt to encourage students to engage in more critical discussion and provide feedback to each other to support their development towards the learning outcomes. As we considered in Unit 4, the early stages of a module are likely to involve a need for more frequent tutor posts to provide consistent ‘welcoming encounters’ for new students to help them to get to know each other and develop a sense of social presence. Indeed, in the first activity, the tutor may respond personally to every posting to model expectations and welcome all students. However, in later stages, the tutor may be more likely to intervene only when required and to actively choose to let discussions develop where appropriate/useful. This implies a shift towards greater student ownership and control over the development of the discussions and an increasing focus on 'guiding' rather than 'directing' the discussions.

This section of the resource focuses on the facilitation skills required to focus the discussions and support students towards a more active role.

We estimate that it will take you approximately 30 minutes to read through the content of this unit (and the conclusions page), plus however long it takes you to work through the activities and/or look at the additional resources.

Outcomes

After working through Unit 5, you should be able to:

Identify, describe and apply some facilitation strategies and consider how they may support productive student discussion in your activities, including:
- Summarising and weaving
- Coaching and allocating tutor roles to students
- Encouraging reflection
- Making explicit connections between activities and the module assessment
Explore and apply some practical methods of maximising your efficiency as a tutor and managing time.

What next?

You will have the opportunity to analyse an introductory tutor announcement at the beginning of a module and consider the goals and possible benefits of the approach taken.