Facilitation.
 

I understand that a number of UK airlines are now using this method of teaching, instructing, checking and examining their pilots.
Does anyone have any information on it, experience of it or views about it? Also, where does it come from? Is it being used elsewhere in education, and if so, what evidence is there that it is "better" than conventional procedures?
Are their any "official" sources of information on the subject, or textbooks of value? Thanks.

As a bog standard line pilot, to me, facilitation just means the TRE asks how it was for you !

Here is a link to the UK CAA info on CRM
http://www.caa.co.uk/CAP737

there is a book called facilitatation and Debriefing in Aviation training and operations. Never read it but I believe it's all about the facilitator (instructor to you and me) extracting info by effective questions. I have an instuctor manual that says " by using interactive styles that maximise student participation." PC gobbldy gook if you ask me!:ugh:

Facilitation should be seen as just another instructional tool. Like lecturing, demonstrating, discussing, questioning. It is up to the instructor to choose the most effective method of getting his point across. Facilitation "goes with" CRM because it allows the participants to draw the lessons from the learning experience for themselves. It would not be suitable, therefore, for learning basic handling skills!

keithl is right. Facilitation is just another way to pass info to the student(s). It requires a lot more of involving everybody into an open discussion regarding the subject, taking care as an instructor to "guide" the discussion in such way as to touch your main points and through them your training objectives. It's easier for the trainee because you take him away a bit from the typical classroom environment and "facilitate" learning.
And of course, as it has been said in the previous post, it is not suitable for all types of training, but works nicely for CRM.
rgds.

Flown-it

(instructor to you and me)

Wrong.

Facilitation is group process management. Facilitators do not instruct, although they may manage group learning.

It isn't just another way to pass information, either, as it has many more applications and also styles of application.

When we're at it, did you know that according to Wikipedia:
:hmm:

Facilitator - A QA view
 

I don't know what a facilitator is defined as where CRM is concerned, but in Quality Assurance a facilitator is an agent of change who works on helping individuals, groups and organisations as a whole to develop and improve performance.

Normal practice is that a facilitator is of such management seniority that where improvements are perceived as necessary, he/she has the necessary authority to ensure that it happens.

Facilitation is a form of education that differs from teaching / instructing in so far as the student is encouraged to learn for themselves.

In CRM in particular the facilitator helps the crew learn collectively by talking through their flight, interactions and decisions rather than just telling them what they should have learnt.

It's a supportive role, which 'know-it alls' can neither do or learn from - by definition!

Seniority is not necessarily useful in the CRM sense and may be a hinderance.

Another resource: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Skilled-Faci...e=UTF8&s=books

So if facilitation is not used in other countries - how do they do their debriefs?

Facilitation is just as kiethl said above. It is another tool in the armoury of an instructor but he/she must use it wisely.

About 15 years ago the RAF Central Flying School taught it on their newly formed advanced CRM course and it was used effectively as one of the tools. Extracting information is a good way of getting the team to think but it is not hte only way and should not be used when teaching new information.

These days I have seen CRMIs uses facilitation as an excuse not to do any work themselves. This is a shame as it can be used effectively. About 5 years ago I did a CRMI course at Global Air Training where they taught the use of facilitation very well.

There are some good facilitators out there who use the technique well along with other techniques.

Facilitative debriefing is a requirement of TRI/E Line Trainers SFIs Ground school instructors. As CRM is now being assessed in conjunction with the skills of a pilot, it requires the instructor to encourage and develop the pilot's ability to evaluate their own performance. How can we as instructors blithely reel off the observations made in the cockpit/sim without having any appreciation of how the pilot viewed it? Facilitation encourages by means of judicious questioning to understand BOTH parties views, thereby giving the instructor valuable feedback in order to improve or correct the problem areas, and acceptance by the pilot. It becomes a productive discussion rather than a challenging one sided criticism.

I have been instructing facilitation techniques for the past 3 years, and those instructors who have taken this style on board have told me how rewarding they find it. They believe it improves their ability to understand why skills falter and give a meaningful and supportive remedy to improve matters. I have recently returned from Canada and was so impressed on my TR course for the instructor to start off the debriefing with "sum up what your observations were in 10 words" Brilliant...better than opening up that dreaded notebook and reeling off all bad points. Well done Bombardier.....:)