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Assignment 2 | Design and facilitate a learning experience (Team)

Overview & Purpose:

In this assignment, you and your team will design, and facilitate a one-week online learning module for your peers. This experiential activity provides an opportunity to practice facilitation strategies, observe how they impact learners, and reflect on your facilitation choices.

Assignment Structure:

1. Facilitation Plan (5%): Draft due at the end of Week 3; Final due at the end of Week 4

2. Facilitation Week (20%): One week of facilitation between Weeks 5–8

Assignment Components:

Facilitation Plan (5%):

  • Format: Blog post, PDF, Google Doc or other format of your choosing
  • Submit URL or file in Moodle
  • Include:
    • Learning objective(s)
    • Selected resource(s) (e.g., reading, video)
    • Asynchronous activity description
    • Synchronous session plan including format and tools
    • Timeline of week, including communication plan
    • Inclusion of Teaching, Social, and Cognitive Presence

Option to use provided templates or create a custom structure

Suggested Topics:

Each team will choose a facilitation topic from the list below, or propose one of your own. These topics are intentionally broad—your role is not to be a subject matter expert but to design a meaningful introductory learning experience. You’ll be assessed on your facilitation design and approach, not the depth of your content knowledge.

  • How might emerging education technologies such as AI or bots change the role of a facilitator?
  • Exploring the relationship between digital literacies and facilitation
  • Can Open Educational Practices (OEP), including open pedagogy and OER, change the facilitator’s role?
  • The facilitator’s role in creating inclusive learning environments
  • Examining digital facilitation through an Indigenous knowledge lens: How can Indigenous epistemologies and worldviews shape online learning?
  • A critical inquiry of the Community of Inquiry model: At 25 years old, is it still relevant?
  • Another topic of your choosing (with instructor approval)

You’ll select your topic and facilitation week in this shared Google Doc: Facilitation Week Sign-Up Sheet

Scheduling Your Synchronous Session

As part of your planning, your team will poll the rest of the class to identify a time that works for the majority of participants. Use this input to set your synchronous session time and communicate it clearly to the class.

Opening Your Synchronous Session

You are encouraged to begin your synchronous session facilitation with a short welcome to help your peers feel present and grounded. This could include a greeting, a shared intention, a moment of reflection, or an invitation to consider place.

In our first synchronous session, I’ll share a territory acknowledgment and explain how this connects to my own facilitation values. You are not required to include a territory acknowledgment, but you are welcome to do so if it feels meaningful. The Transformative Territory Acknowledgment Guide, by Len Pierre of the Katzie (kate-zee) First Nation, offers ways to move beyond scripts and connect more personally to land and responsibility.

Facilitation Week (20%):

  • Facilitate for one week using both asynchronous and synchronous activities
  • Synchronous session: 30–60 minutes
  • Teams may choose to:
    • Assign facilitation roles to reduce cognitive load (e.g., tech host, discussion lead, content curator)
    • Offer alternative participation formats (e.g., video, audio, text summary)
    • Provide multiple ways for participants to engage (e.g., live or recorded sessions, visual or written responses)

Assessment Criteria:

CriterionExcellentSatisfactoryUnsatisfactory
Teaching, Social & Cognitive PresenceStrong evidence of all three presencesEvidence of all three, but unevenLittle or no evidence of presence
CommunicationClear, timely, accessible communicationMostly clear and timelyUnclear or late communication
Synchronous SessionEngaging, inclusive, structured, interactiveAdequately structuredDisorganized or lacking interaction
Alignment with PlanClear alignment with facilitation planMinor deviations communicatedMajor deviations without rationale
Technology & SupportTechnology effectively supports learningTechnology adequately supports learningTechnology becomes a barrier
Learning ResourcesHigh-quality, accessible, well-integratedAdequate and somewhat integratedPoor quality or not referenced
Asynchronous ActivityDeep engagement, reflective responsesAdequate engagement, basic responsesLimited or shallow engagement

Learner Feedback Form (Participation Weeks):

During the weeks you are in the learner role, you will:

  • Participate in assigned learning experiences
  • Complete a brief Google Form to provide anonymous feedback to the facilitation team (due each Tuesday)
  • Focus on content clarity, engagement, and CoI presence

Resources and Support:

Next Steps:

  • Review the assignment expectations and assessment criteria rubric
  • Decide on a topic and team roles
  • Draft the facilitation plan using the template or your own format
  • Reach out with any questions or requests for alternative formats or accommodations