The role of facilitators in a collaborative online learning environment

Abstract

The intent of this paper is to survey the strength and weaknesses of facilitators in Collaborative Blended Learning programs, which were conducted in 13 cities in Indonesia, with 79 facilitators and 1,526 participants (1244 males, 282 females). The program was supported by developers of a major multinational US based company, which was part of their global initiatives in Indonesia. The research project is actually based on a blended learning with 80% eLearning time and 20% meetup with facilitators. These courses were free and offered to not only students, but also to IT Professionals. Near the end of the project, participants were provided with a brief intervention program of follow-up outreach, information, and resources. After completion, this study found interesting characteristics of facilitators, which impacted the success or failure of participants to finish the blended learning program. Thru competence assesment model the results of this paper are recommendations on how to be successful and what to avoid in a collaborative blended learning environment.