CPT-60306 Facilitating Interactive Processes

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Mandatory knowledge:

CPT-23804 Introduction to Communication and Innovation Studies; or CPT-33806 Advanced Communication Science + CPT-22806 Innovation Management and Cross-Disciplinary Design; or HSO-31806 Interdisciplinary Research and Action for Health.

Contents:

To deal with the complexity of rural development, social welfare and public health problems, standardised learning processes often prove inadequate. Each issue and context requires different solutions. Different stakeholders therefore need to engage in sharing of knowledge and perspectives, manage conflicts and create mutual understanding plus shared goals, and commit themselves to fact-finding, creative experiments and action. To attain this exquisite inquiry, brokerage and facilitation are needed. Without facilitation important groups may be forgotten, critical views unheard, ideas remain unexplored and unarticulated, consensus forced and proposed solutions may be ineffective when implemented.
Hence it is important that researchers, policy makers and development professionals involved in interactive change processes have basic communication skills, and know the potential and limitation of different facilitation methodologies. The course 'Facilitating interactive processes' aims at equipping 'new' professionals with such skills and knowledge. This course has the character of a practical aimed at experimentation and critical reflection on explored facilitation skills and methodologies. What is the effect triggered on group dynamics, learning and action? In doing so it builds on the conceptual ideas and context information presented in earlier courses. The course enhances students' capacity to translate conceptual ideas into actual intervention practice.
This course forms with the course YSS-60806 the Academic Master Cluster for the MDR programme.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to:
- be able to apply basic communication techniques such as active listening, inquiry, dialogue, negotiation, creative exploration, non-violent communication and feedback;
- have a critical understanding of the theories, principles, focus and value of different methodologies used to create multi-stakeholder learning, negotiation, mobilisation and action;
- make a preliminary assessment of a situation, critically select an appropriate system thinking perspective and related inquiry methodology, and make a plausible process design;
- understand and recognise (intercultural) group dynamics, and multi-stakeholder learning and negotiation processes;
- be able to work in an (intercultural) team and purposely reflect upon and facilitate an ongoing interactive process.

Activities:

Interactive lecturing, group work, case studies, presentations and role plays. Experiential learning is the base of the course. In the course the students work in small groups to try and learn facilitation methodologies and skills. To enable everybody to practice, students' presence is obligatory from the start of the course till the end.

Examination:

- group work (50%);
- individual assignments (50%).
Both components require a minimum of 5.50 to pass the course.

Literature:

There will be a study guide and literature made available via MyPortal.