Resources on Facilitating Networks
Help! I'm updating some of my materials on online facilitation. One of the newer forms of facilitation is facilitating within networks. In this case, by networks a mean unbounded, open networks where you never know all the members and there is never a clear boundary of where the network begins and ends. I tried a Google search on facilitating online networks but I really didn't find anything that was about networks in this sense.
For me, the skills include things like Maven and connector skills from the Tipping Point. The ability to scan, see patterns, connect people, information and groups, notice where a group is forming within a network and, if appropriate, nuture that formation.
What do you think of when you hear "network facilitation?"
posted by Nancy White at 6:29 AM
1 Comments:
what do I think of?
I see a fancy way of aggregating the voices in the network: see PlanetTALO for an example. PlanetTALO is facilitated by Chris Harvey. He maintains the PlanetTALO but keeps his facilitation purely technical, in the background. Contributors never hear from him, unless he is contributing like everyone else. So while I think the technical, almost anonymous status of the facilitator in this case is something worth noting, I'd acknowledge that it is pretty minimal in terms of a fully facilitated dialogue of a network.
Perhaps it needs further aggregation of other sources. A filtered down feed from the TALO email list perhaps... and it needs promotion to achieve a critical mass of communication before dialogue has a chance to occur...
One thing here - I think you are right to identify that there is a big difference in thinking about facilitation in terms of network facilitation. I think the opportunity lies in the space between the web2 networks like Planet TALO and the web1 portal type networks like EdNA groups. Who can draw the dialogue that goes on in those two areas and facilitate dialogue without asking either to change the way they communicate? Are they too different - one preferencing dialogue through linked monologues, and the other preferencing disembodied threaded discussion
Perhaps my bookmarks under networked learning will turn up some info for you? I hope you'll add what you find to the development of the wikiversity page on facilitate online ;)
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