Posts tagged facilitator

One way to classify Learning Content …. And The Use of Media

Mar19
2010 2 Comments

Written by Help Desk

Now Monday (that’s P.S.P.D. for anyone who’s counting … and please do it quietly!) we were talking about classifying learning content and so forth.

And we came up with the following classifications by communications:

one way (facilitator to student)
both ways (facilitator to student to facilitator)
Exploratory (facilitator starts discussion and keeps discussion going)
Practice (facilitator starts, students discuss in small teams, students report to all, discussion with all)

One typical terminology for this is:

So what does media have to do with this classification?

Each of the media has different characteristics. Therefore no matter what media you choose to deliver your learning content with, you will have to adjust the content to allow for those characteristics.

Uhh… let me try simplifying this ….

The classification of the learning content limits which media you can use.

The choice of media in it’s turn then affects the learning content.

It’s all a case of the media and the message as it were.

So to illustrate:

If I choose to perform a lecture (one way, teacher to student) … I could use any media. I could perform it using:

Live – Large audience
Live – Intimate audience
Video – Talking Head
Video – Mixed Media
Video – Webinar/Slide Show
Audio
Book

However, if I choose to use Live with an intimate audience, I will be losing several major advantages. For example, a live presentation is not repeatable — at least not without the same amount of work. One of the video, audio or book media would be better for this reason. Similarly by using a live intimate audience for a lecture I’m losing the main advantage of that media — two way communications.

The point is it’s better to match characteristics than to adjust. So for example, a lecture would be much better in video, audio or book format.

On the other hand, if you’re doing a seminar, using video, audio or book makes life difficult. There are very few people who have learned the trick of getting feedback from a disconnected audience. (And trust me “Write this down” doesn’t work)!

So from a media point of view:

Live – Large Audience — Lecture
Live – Intimate Audience — Seminar, tutorial or workshop
Video – all types – Lecture
Audio – Lecture
Books – Lecture, tutorial, workshop

At which point you’re going huh? Books? 3 types????

The answer is in another question … What’s the difference between a “how to” book, a textbook and a workbook or manual?

The answer is a textbook has practice questions (effectively an exam). A manual or workbook are task focused. Essentially they incorporate the questions in their structure.

Which is a hint as to how to translate video and audio into a tutorial or workshop. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to do without looking manipulative.

(By the way PSPD = Post Saint Paddy’s Day )

Posted in Creating Information Products - Tagged book, lecture seminar, presentation, Seminar, Tutorial, two way communications, Workshop

One way to classify Learning Content ….

Mar15
2010 19 Comments

Written by Help Desk

I forget what the other terms were so until I remember I’m going to take off and discuss a related topic … so there! If you won’t suggest topics you get to put up with my eccentricities.

One of the ways that learning content (or more correctly the tactics of delivery) can be classified is by the direction and nature of the communications.

For example, an event’s communications can be either:

one way (facilitator to student)
both ways (facilitator to student to facilitator)
Exploratory (facilitator starts discussion and keeps discussion going)
Practice (facilitator starts, students discuss in small teams, students report to all, discussion with all)

One typical terminology for this is:

A lecture is what we traditionally think of when we think of teaching. One person stands at the front of a group and spouts their knowledge.

A seminar is closer to the Socratic ideal of mutual exploration. It is characterized by feedback and development of the information by the “student”. However, it is still very much a case of the facilitator dispensing information out to the student. In fact, there is a saying that until someone asks a question, a seminar is just a lecture.

A tutorial on the other hand is the Socratic method. By this point the information should have already been disseminated. Although the facilitator may spark discussion by repeating the information the focus is on the group expanding and questioning the information.

A workshop is a practice session. The facilitator may start the process but the process occurs primarily inside the student. Break out sessions are a great example of this tactic. In this tactic, students break apart for the practice then return to discuss and explore the results. The individual versions of this may include homework or software practice which may be discussed, may be self-evident or may be self-evaluated.

Now I have no idea why all this is important … but it seems to be and I’m short of something to talk about. So Friday, I’ll continue the discussion by looking at training media and it’s relationship to these tactics.