3.1 Getting learners talking
The first task of a facilitator is to motivate learners to join the conversation.
Your first job, therefore, will be to post messages to encourage learners to introduce themselves and foster a sense of community rather than of competition.
You could ask learners:
- where they are from
- what their interests are
- about their experiences of education.
Your messages should provide basic information about the purpose of the comments and should encourage people to join in. They should be:
- well-placed and easily seen
- friendly and concise, encouraging people to join in.
Profiles
Profiles offer the opportunity to find out a little about each person and get a sense of who they are. In your profile you will need a brief note about yourself, your specialisms, the area you live in, your hobbies, etc.
It is not a CV, so it is best to keep it short and sweet. Providing a photo isn’t obligatory, but it can help people feel that they are communicating with a real person and so create a friendly atmosphere online. You should not, however, provide any personal information such as your address or telephone number.
Tone and standards
Throughout your conversations with students your tone should be friendly and welcoming. Be clear about the standards you expect in the conversation, such as respect of other learners opinions and no bad language. There may be a code of conduct for the platform you are working on that you could refer to.
3 Moderating an online conversation