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Train the Trainer Manual Section 1: Facilitator Resources
The Role of the Facilitator You are the facilitator, you are not expected to be an expert on all aspects of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act). If you are unable to answer a question that arises, do not be afraid to tell the participants that you will get back to them. You are not responsible for each person’s learning, individuals are responsible for their own learning and their own behavior. Your role as the facilitator is to present the facts as you know them and to allow the participants to make their own judgments. Your role is not to sway the participants to your point of view by offering your personal opinions or by lecturing on a specific topic. As the facilitator, it is your responsibility to share your knowledge of the Act and to provide examples of real life experiences as you see necessary. You are the change agent. It is important to present the information in an environment that will allow a change to occur. It is your responsibility to implement the spirit and legislative requirements of the Act. In your role as the facilitator, you are acting on behalf of your program area to inform employees of the legislation and related procedures and practices. Adults learn more when they are actively involved in the training process. Provide many opportunities for questions and examples. Adults learn better when they are motivated by the topic, the facilitator and/or the training tools used. Relate the topics to the duties of the participants, and to their personal experiences. Use examples whenever possible. Participants generally like to have fun when learning, use pop-quizzes or other fun tools that will get and hold the participants attention. Adults, like children, have a tendency to mask how much they don’t know about a subject. Do not assume the topic is understood because there are no questions; ask questions of the participants when they do not offer their own. Adults learn better if they are neither criticized nor judged by the facilitator. In the business of Information and Privacy it is important to keep a positive attitude. Adults will learn better in an atmosphere of support, trust and empathy. The learning process has an affective (emotional) as well as cognitive (thinking) process. Allow participants to express how they feel about the topic. Informal environments work well for any learner. An intimidating environment causes resentment and tension, and these inhibit learning. Dealing with Participants Reactions The following suggestions are provided to assist
facilitators when dealing with participants who may experience difficulties with the
changes required by the introduction of new knowledge and responsibilities:
Additional Presentation Training Courses/Resources You may wish to seek out additional training opportunities and other resources to augment or update the skills you have, and to follow up those provided in this package. The following are some suggestions:
For those of you who may be interested, the Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) program is an excellent opportunity to explore facilitation/training as a full time career. Even if one does not wish to pursue the certificate program, the sessions offered are all excellent. In addition, the video and book resources listed can be borrowed, depending on availability, from the CACE program.
For all the courses/programs listed please contact the organizations offering the courses directly.
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