Facilitation: A Novel Way to Improve Students' Well-being

Abstract

In this article we analyze a project that used facilitation techniques, which are known from training in industry, to improve the study environment at a public research university in Denmark. In 2009, the project was initiated in one graduate program; and it has subsequently been modified and institutionalized. The project did not change the teaching format, but introduced facilitated study-groups using peer learning. It was successful in increasing students' well-being. While peer learning and study groups are well-known in higher education, facilitation is a different and novel tool. We argue that facilitation makes study groups more inclusive, and they provide the potential for deep learning by structuring the learning situation. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York.