Over the years, individuals from institutions and organizations across British Columbia have taken Facilitating Learning Online (FLO) to the next level by participating in the Facilitator Development/Mentorship program and co-facilitating one or more of the FLO courses. If you are thinking about adopting FLO courses at your institution, these are the people who can help!
Post by BCcampus’ editorial team
What got you started on this path to becoming a FLO facilitator and mentor?
When I was doing freelance learning design in 2015, I joined a BCcampus FLO – Fundamentals course to keep my facilitation skills in tune and also connect with a community of practice. I had such good learning and networking experiences that I have also participated in the FLO Facilitator Development Online, FLO – Synchronous, and FLO – Design pilot courses, and a couple of FLO MicroCourses since then. Great learning and networking experiences continue!
What experience and expertise do you bring to this new support role of helping others adopt and/or facilitate FLO courses?
As I reflect on my journey in adult education, learning design, facilitation, and writing, I feel so privileged to do work that I love and to collaborate with such creative and caring colleagues. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
I got my start in online learning when designing and facilitating courses on collaborative team learning and diversity in adult learning for the University of Calgary in the early 2000s. I also worked as a learning designer with the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, Thompson Rivers University, and independently before joining the CTET team at Royal Roads University (RRU) in 2016. One of my favourite consultancy projects in 2015 led to an article on culturally responsive online design (“Culturally responsive online design: learning at intercultural intersections,” Intercultural Education, Vol 27, Issue 5, 2016).
At RRU, in addition to designing and facilitating an online course on intercultural foundations for education and providing learning design services to the School of Leadership Studies and the International Study Centre, I have co-facilitated several sessions of FLO for RRU faculty and external professionals from across Canada. It was also my pleasure to collaborate with Dianne Biin in the spring of 2019 in creating and co-facilitating a FLO MicroCourse on acknowledging traditional Indigenous lands.
I look forward to meeting you in FLO!
How can people contact you?
They can email me at donna.desbiens@royalroads.ca