Module Three: Introduction Good facilitation is part art and part science. In this module we will explore both the art and the science. The science of facilitation includes a discussion of the types of dialogue and the types of messages that make up an online course. The first question that may come to mind is ‘what is the difference between dialogue and messages?’ In simplest terms, dialogue involves more than one person, while a message is written by a single person. The art of facilitation will be included as we begin a discussion about finding your voice in the online environment. Face-to-face communication includes voice inflection, tone, volume, and other nuances that help convey the speaker’s message. In online communication, which is almost exclusively text-based, finding a voice that conveys the appropriate social nuances along with the message is very important. To that end we will begin to practice finding and evaluating “voice” by responding to real-life scenarios encountered by online instructors. Module 3 Objectives Course participants will:

• understand the role of the facilitator
• be able to recognize characteristics of strong and weak facilitation
• practice the newly learned facilitation skills in a small group environment
• understand the role collaboration plays in the online environment.

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