Facilitation Tips Part 2 Process Tips

Process tips

• Develop clear expectations/norms around the level of participation and quality of contributions. Guide participants on what makes a good post.
• Be consistent and clear, include timelines and reminders.
• Provide support to new members, give that little extra attention.
• Provide guidance on where posts belong.
• Acknowledge and reciprocate participation.
• Reply to posts that get no other recognition, draw out the quiet members (and the lurkers)
• Do not pile too much into the one post. Break it up into small paragraphs or multiple posts if dealing with more than one point.
• Use open ended questions to encourage participation.
• Notice if someone is missing, make contact (email, text, call) and invite them back.
• Let the community know when you will be offline for extended periods of time.
• Use participants names and during live sessions, endeavour to hear from everyone.
• In the community forming phase, demonstrate your presence with a few extra post’s even if it is just a comment about the weather.
• Always proof your comments and/or tasks before posting.
• When activity drops, evaluate and respond as needed.
• Content that is debatable is best for use in forums.
• Content that is complex is best saved for live sessions.