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Communities and Networks

‘Online’, ‘community’ and ‘network’ have become common terms especially in relation to the internet and wireless communication. Communities have traditionally been defined as social a group bound by a common purpose or characteristic and usually within a geographical location. With better communication over distances, online communities are not defined restricted by location, culture, race, etc. 

A network, on the other hand, is more like the structure that keeps people in touch. Networks are much looser and people don’t necessarily have to interact with each other. On the internet, it can be a tool used to connect people whether they have anything in common or not; so a community may be more homogeneous than a network of people.

I’ve been invited to a group on Yahoo! for the purpose of updating each other and sharing our ideas. There was an administrator for the group but did not really function as a facilitator. Eventually, posts have dwindled and the group members have signed up in other networks.

The Salmon model has given me a good idea about the process individuals and groups go through when communicating online. It wouldn’t have occurred to me and this can help me plan and organize the online courses that I want to develop. Most of our partners may have to be guided, too, with communicating online beyond using e-mail, Skype or Facebook. This is a relatively new concept of learning here because we’re used to the traditional seminar lectures and I realize the relevance of having activities prior to the actual online facilitation to get the participants acquainted with the process. So a lot of my work would be to introduce this system to our partners and guide them through it.

While I’m still learning about online facilitation and trying to develop an online acupuncture curriculum, I’m donning all four “shoes.” It’s good to know and be part of the entire process to have a complete perspective of what’s involved and I can troubleshoot where participants are having difficulties. Eventually, I would like to focus on being an instructor, a role that I started out with.

My Take on Online Facilitation

 

What is Online Facilitation?

Online facilitation, to me, is similar to managing a group of people who are connected via the internet or other medium such as the telephone. It brings together people who have a common interest and goal. Participants may be of diverse background, age, location, personalities, and skill level concerning technology. The facilitator assumes multiple roles and responsibilities:

• keeping the group together
• maintaining lively interaction among members
• formulating and upholding rules of interaction
• allowing the participants to learn for themselves and at their own pace
• easing the process of online conferencing

How do these skills differ from face-to-face facilitation?

I’ve made a table that shows the differences in the dynamics between face-to-face and online facilitation.

Face-to-face facilitation	Online facilitation
-   group comes together at a common venue and time	-   group participants can be widely dispersed in location and can participate at different times when it is convenient for them
-   encourages interaction and sharing with the group	-   may have “private” conversations with a subset of members (via e-mail, etc.)
-   sessions have a limited duration; but the group may persist with reconvening sessions	-   ongoing and may persist as long as participants are interested and continue to interact
-   discussion is usually linear, following an outline and each person discusses and comments as a topic is discussed	-   participants may comment immediately or at a later time/date or return to an earlier topic -   several topics may spring up simultaneously
-   observable non-verbal cues; facilitator knows how a participant is feeling (engaged, bored, interested, irate, etc.)	-   facilitator has to interpret the tone of written messages
-   facilitator can monitor participants activities during the session	-   facilitator usually assesses after the activity is done

The online facilitator then, should have the skills to

• adjust to different learning preferences, needs, and speed
• encourage participation
• detect problems with participants/trainees (especially when they do not voice out any difficulties or are too timid to ask for help)
• allow participants to learn on their own
• address technical issues: troubleshooting the computer, internet connection, how to use the applications/software and online tools, etc.

What experiences do I have of online facilitation both as a facilitator, and as a participant in a community, network or event? 

My experience with online sessions is limited to talking with friends over Skype and Yahoo! Messenger. Our group tried to hold a meeting using Skype while I was away but we had problems with the quality of sound reaching me. The recent experience with FO2011 has been enriching and I now can see greater possibilities with online communication.

What have you seen work well, and what has worked less well?

So far, on Elluminate, the meetings have gone well and are very successful at achieving their goals. It gives each participant the chance to interact while the Staff Member still maintains certain control. The downside is the audio quality at times, which tends to break up. Luckily, there’s a backup text message board. On my end, I have to struggle with focusing on the discussion because I can’t see the speaker and my eyes tend to wander about and I may get distracted J I’ve tried taking down notes to keep me focused.

Late Introduction

This intro should have come at the beginning :) but I'm new to blogging and still learning. I've been having problems with my audio at the live meetings and I haven't properly introduced myself to the group.

I’m an acupuncturist in the Philippines. For 3 years, I’ve practiced in Manila, the capital city, and formed partnerships with patients, organizations and institutions. I work with a group (Yarrow, Inc.) that promotes integrative health therapies and practices. Aside from offering health services, we provide self-care tips to patients. Occasionally, I’m invited to lecture on acupuncture and Chinese nutrition.

Recently, I’ve moved outside of Manila but would like to maintain contact with Yarrow and our partners in Manila. Yarrow has started a nutrition program and has several other projects on the drawing board. While these are still being developed, I would need to frequently contact Yarrow members. One of the projects we are planning is an acupuncture course and we expect participants to come from different parts of the country.   I’m searching for non-traditional ways of communicating and the internet appears to be the most practical solution. Being an archipelago, traveling back and forth is expensive and time-consuming (Some of our partner organizations are outside of Manila). Communicating via internet is a cheaper alternative and we can access more people all at once.

I searched the internet and found the Facilitating Online course, which fit my needs. This will help me learn how to get online and keep in touch with others. Blogging is new to me and going through this course will help me practice. So far, I have learned the different applications used for online communications.

Expectations to Online Facilitation

New technologies have opened up alternatives to the traditional forms of teaching. In our situation, participation in classes was limited because of conflicts in schedule, distance of the learning center and cost. I live in an area made up of islands and travelling can be daunting. In addition, participants would have to spend a lot for board and lodging. Computers and the internet have made it possible for people to connect despite the distances. Using computers and the internet has these advantages:

• ·        Schedule can be flexible
• ·        People can be available even if they’re not there physically
• ·        Saves people time from having to commute or travel to distance areas

In this online course, I’d like to learn the different techniques and software applications needed to connect people online. I need to choose one that is simple to use especially for participants that have little exposure to computers. In line with this, I would like to learn how to develop teaching materials appropriate for online lessons. At present, I use Skype, Yahoo Messenger to connect with people on an individual basis. The most I’ve done for group interaction is group chatting on Yahoo Messenger. I now realize there’s much more out there that I haven’t tapped. Finally, I would like to practice using these other applications during this course.

In order to achieve these goals, I would have to get more exposure to the different platforms used for online learning. This course has already introduced me to several which I plan to test and evaluate. In order to get participants to my own online course, I need to encourage others to try this system of learning and learn more about the technology.

Learning Online

I signed up for the course Facilitating Online 2011 to learn how to use internet facilities to teach acupuncture to our partners in rural areas. I would also like to explore ways to keep in touch with patients outside of the clinic.