High Impact Learning for Facilitator Training and Development

Abstract

Research shows that cascade training models are common approaches to improving teaching in many developing countries. Cascade models are popular for reaching large cohorts of teachers in a short time and often at a low cost. However, they have been criticized because training efforts can get diluted and transmission modes of instruction tend to prevail across all tiers of the cascade. In this essay, we discuss the development and implementation of the Facilitator Training Program (FTP) at a university in Pakistan. The FTP supports high impact learning for new facilitators to develop pedagogical knowledge and instructional and facilitation skills needed to sustain an experiential faculty development program. We define high impact learning as experiential, reflective, emphasizing feedback, and involving learning with and from others. We believe the FTP design can be useful for facilitator training in other institutions outside of Pakistan where cascade training models may also be prevalent.