Towards online facilitator competencies in collaborative higher learning programmes

Thorpe, SJ

Abstract

Collaborative programmes typically involve a combination of face-to-face and online collaborative engagement between organisations. Individuals and groups within those organisations need to effectively work together across distance, time and cultural norms. The core competencies needed by group leaders to effectively facilitate the online aspects of these communication activities is an emerging area within our expanding knowledge of intercultural collaborative exchange between institutions. Drawing on a number of facilitated online discussions, involving 65 practicing group facilitators from 18 countries, this paper presents an initial series of Online Facilitator Competencies that were synthesised from conversations within a series of online facilitation skills training programmes held over five years. These competencies provide a new framework for an expanding awareness of the complexity and skills required of group leaders in intercultural collaborative programmes. The framework presents six areas of online facilitator competencies and the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to demonstrate those competencies.

Keywords

Inter-cultural collaborative programmes; Collaborative computing; Virtual teams; Facilitator competencies; Group facilitation

Date

August 1, 2013

Source

First Forum on International Academic Collaborative Programmes held at Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2012-08-08to 2012-08-09, published in: FICAP-1 Proceedings: Collaborative Academic Programs as a Contribution to Developing Nations, pp.68 - 78 (117)

Item Type

Conference Contribution

Publisher

BrownWalker Press

Publisher's Version

http://www.universal-publishers.com/book.php?method=ISBN&book=161233704X

Rights Statement

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in (see Citation). The original publication is available at (see Publisher's Version).
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in (see Citation). The original publication is available at (see Publisher's Version).