Facilitating Group Learning

Facilitating Group Learning is an essential resource designed to help eduactors, trainers, workshop leaders, and anyone who assists groups to learn. George Lakey presents the core principals and proven techniques of direct education, an approach he developed for effectively teaching adults in groups. To illustrate how it works in action, Lakey includes a wealth of compelling stories from his vast experience facilitating groups in a variety of situations.

Direct education cuts through the pretense and needless complications that can distance learners from subjects that matter. It removes false expectations (for example, that kinesthetic learners will strongly benefit from slide presentations) and false assumptions (for example, that the group is simply the sum of the individuals). This approach focuses the encounter between teacher and group; it replaces scattered attention - of a teacher preoccupied with curriculum and participants preoccupied with distractions - with gathered attention.

Unlike other books on group facilitation, the author emphasizes critical issues related to diversity, as well as authenticity and emotions. Step by step this book describes how to design effective learning experiences and shows what it takes to facilitate them. Ultimately, it brings all the elements of the author's direct education approach together.