Chapter 6: FLO Synchronous

FLO Synchronous Task List

Course Date:

Facilitators: ______________________________ and _______________________________

Course set-up may be done by LMS Administrator and/or IT Support.

Several weeks before the course begins
When (by) Task Who? Status ✔ Notes
Create this task list and put it somewhere (e.g. a Google Doc) where all facilitators can access it and update it
Set up two web-conferencing rooms on the webinar/synchronous platform of your choice)
Update the Course Schedule
Create a Booking Calendar and put a link to it in the Hub.
Schedule the three synchronous online sessions that facilitators will lead into your calendar (e.g. Tuesday of Week 1, Monday of Week 2 and Friday of Week 3). Make sure this information is sent out to registering participants and/or included in public course description
Create/update the lesson plan and slide deck for the first synchronous session (a sample is in the Facilitator Resources folder in OER)
Create/update the lesson plan and slide deck for the second synchronous session
Create a very short (2-3 questions max) feedback survey to send to participants after the first synchro session (modelling Week 3 content). (a sample is in the Facilitator Resources folder in OER)
Choose and set up the tool for the Video Introductions activity in Week 1. Put a video/text or text prompt in there for participants to respond to
Create your own responses to the Video Introductions activity before the course opens
Open the course on Friday afternoon before Week 1. Hide Weeks 2 and 3 (if desired) until the course opens on Monday
Decide on tech times sessions (one in Week 1 and one in Week 2) and put them into the course schedule
Block time in personal calendars to be able to attend practicing facilitator sessions in late Week 2/early Week 3. Try to attend as many as possible
Week 1
When (by) Task Who? Status ✔ Notes
Mon Unhide Weeks 2 and 3 (if relevant)
Mon Write a welcome post in the Open Forum to launch the course early in the day:

  • Highlight the date and time of the first synchro session hosted by facilitators
  • Introduce the Video Introductions activity
  • Highlight the date of the tech time this week

Note that participants should choose which track they are on in the course (Reviewing Participant or Practicing Facilitator) by the end of the week or earlier (you can start a separate thread in the Open Forum for this purpose)
Mon Begin to submit video responses to participants’ Video Introductions
Tue Write an Open Forum post to remind participants about synchronous session and tell them how to get into it, which recommended browser to use
Tue Host the first synchronous online session
Wed Write an Open Forum post to:

  • Send out the recording link and slide deck from the first synchronous session (give participants a list of key highlights from the session and where they happened timewise in the recording, if possible)
  • Send out the short feedback survey and ask participants to give their feedback about the first synchronous session
  • Remind people to declare which track they are on by the end of the week
  • Highlight the informal tech time this week to help people explore the web conferencing platform
Thu (or another day) Host the first informal tech time
All week Remember to keep looking at Video Introductions; make sure that a facilitator replies to everyone to welcome them
All week Facilitate the discussion in the Week 1 Discussion Forum
All week Be in touch with participants who haven’t logged in/aren’t participating/aren’t regularly visiting the course to see if they need help and invite them to engage. Counsel out, if appropriate
All week Help participants choose which track they want to be on for the course
Sat-Sun End post on Saturday or Sunday in Open Forum:

  • Talk about the results of the Week 1 poll
  • Highlight Booking Calendar and what it’s for
  • Remind participants about the Week 2 synchronous session
Week 2
When (by) Task Who Status ✔ Notes
Mon Write a post in Open Forum (or leave this if you did one on Sunday and can combine the end of Week 1/start of Week 2 in that post)

  • Remind participants about the synchronous session this week facilitated by course facilitators
  • Thank participants for giving feedback on last week’s session
  • Highlight what’s coming up this week
Mon/Tue Host a synchronous online session on one of the early days of this week; potentially include a guest to either interview or guest host

  • Use Liberating Structure (or something else) to demonstrate synchronous process facilitation. End with User Experience Fishbowl so this IS the evaluation portion of this session (again, modelling here)
  • Consider opening up the practice session for this (if you have one) to the participants of the course to watch; put in the Booking Calendar
Mon/Tue Connect with Practicing Facilitators to outline for them the steps required for their facilitation, including using the Facilitation Session Guide or another evaluation, and posting the 3-2-1 structure for feedback
Mon/Tue Connect with Reviewing Participants to outline for them the expectations around giving feedback to Practicing Facilitators (if they ask for it) while they plan their facilitation, and attending PF sessions
Wed Mid-Week post

  • Remind participants about watching the Booking Calendar and putting the times in their schedules
  • Note that Synchro Samples activity posts should go in by Wednesday
  • Include any follow-up from the synchronous session, including posting the recording link, lesson plan and slide deck from the session
  • Talk about the answers to the Week 2 poll
  • Mention the self-assessment rubric as a reminder to people to check their participation
  • Highlight any Practicing Facilitator sessions that may be coming up in the remainder of this week
Thu (or another day) Host the second tech time
All week Facilitate the discussion in the Week 2 Discussion Forum
By Sun Make any updates needed to the course feedback form and make them visible
Sat/Sun End post on Saturday or Sunday in Open Forum
Week 3
When (by) Task Who Status ✔ Notes
Mon Write a post in the Open Forum

  • Remind participants about the last synchro session this week. Ask if anyone would be interested in co-facilitating the session and potentially plan it in the open in a Google Doc
  • Highlight any Practicing Facilitator sessions coming up
  • Post any extra examples of facilitation of synchronous sessions that you may have from your contexts if you feel the group would be interested in seeing more
Mon-Wed Attend as many synchronous online sessions of Practicing Facilitators as your schedule allows
All week Facilitate the discussion in the Week 3 Discussion Forum
Wed Mid-week post to:

  • Remind participants to attend any final Practicing Facilitator sessions that remain this week
  • Remind participants to complete the self-assessment rubric and submit it to one of the facilitators by Sunday
  • Ask participants to fill out the course feedback form
  • Post about results of Week 3
  • Note any pertinent discussion happening in the forum
Fri Host a synchronous online session to wrap up the course
Fri/Sat Write a closing post in Open Forum

  • Include the recording link from the last synchronous online session
  • Ask participants to complete the course feedback and give a due date
After the course
When (by) Task Who Status ✔ Notes
Respond to all participants regarding self-assessment rubrics
Read course feedback forms and reflect on your own facilitation

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FLO Facilitation Guide Copyright © 2019 by Sylvia Currie; Sylvia Riessner; Gina Bennett; and Beth Cougler Blom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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