Adult Learning Basics

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Using Proven Facilitation Techniques to Drive Learning

What Is a Facilitator, and How Is a Facilitator Different From an Instructor?

The word facilitation comes from the Latin word facile, which means “to make easy.” A facilitator’s job is to make it easy for group members to work together to surface challenges or opportunities and reach some level of agreement about the nature of the challenge, the causes of the challenge, the solutions appropriate to meet the challenge, the action plans to implement solutions, and the appropriate ways to evaluate results.

In most cases, a facilitator focuses on group dynamics or group process—that is, what is happening in the group—rather than focusing on content or solutions. For that reason, a facilitator ...