Becoming an Effective Facilitator

In this blog post, I will answer some questions that examine what it means to be a facilitator in PBL instruction.

Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?
The teacher's role will change many times throughout the completion of a PBL project. There will be times when direct instruction is required. There will be other times that require the teacher to facilitate learning by helping students acquire information on their own. Finding the right balance is a challenge that must be negotiated carefully for a PBL project to be successful.

What are the skills of effective facilitation?

An effective facilitator manages and oversees the project while still allowing the students to find information on their own. As outlined by BIE, a good facilitator helps to create a culture of inquiry in the classroom. This can be accomplished through a number of different techniques including but not limited to: providing resources, modeling, conducting workshops, and providing additional learning experiences.

Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?

If the project is well designed and managed, the students should be able to develop the skills they need to be successful. Assessments throughout the project as well as informal evaluation will allow the teacher to gauge how well the students are doing. The flexible nature of PBL allows the teacher to make changes if necessary.

What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL unit?

In order to become an effective facilitator, I will first need to keep in mind that the project should be student-centered and allow the students to make significant decisions in shaping the project. I will also need to do a good job of managing inquiry by continuing to spur the students toward accomplishing the goals and mastering the skills and standards set forth.