Top Ten Tips: Group Facilitation

Description

This session provided staff with practical guidance on facilitating effective group learning activities in online and blended contexts. Delivered by Dr Matt Birch, it focused on strengthening staff confidence in planning, managing, and supporting collaborative learning, particularly where group work was being used to promote interaction, peer learning, and skills development.

This session formed part of the QUBSONM Summer Digital Education Training Programme 2021, a coordinated series of professional development activities supporting staff capability building in digital education.

Participants were introduced to ten actionable strategies covering the full facilitation cycle, including setting clear expectations, establishing group roles, promoting equitable participation, supporting psychologically safe discussion, and managing common challenges such as uneven contribution and disengagement. The session also highlighted how digital tools (for example, Canvas Groups and Microsoft Teams channels) could be used to structure activity, maintain momentum, and enable staff oversight while encouraging student autonomy.

The training supported QUB Strategy 2030 by strengthening staff capability in innovative teaching practice and enhancing the conditions for a transformative student experience, particularly through collaborative and inclusive learning design. It aligned with SDG 4 (Quality Education) by supporting effective active learning approaches, and with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by emphasising inclusive facilitation methods that improved participation and access for diverse learners

Period	29 Sept 2021
Event type	Workshop
Location	Belfast, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	Local