12/24 BITES
This module is a part of a larger collection of bite-sized learning on facilitating social learning spaces.
This collection of learning bites was created by Danida Fellowship Centre together with Beverly and Etienne Wenger-Trayner and produced by Grape and Brand By Hand. Photos used in the collection were taken by @Crawfurd Media, @E Pictures Media Ltd, @Daniel Samwel and Danida Fellowship Centre, supplemented with Stock Photos.
You don’t need all the answers – You need:
Social learning doesn’t exclude experts. But it does shift their role. In this space, expertise is most powerful when it:
Etienne Wenger-Trayner reminded us that you don’t need to be the technical expert to facilitate a powerful social learning space — but it helps to get a sense of the topic and the people in the room. Let’s reflect on how that applies to you.
30-second reflection:
Think of a time when you were part of a conversation where you were not the expert on the topic.
Work document
Use the work document here to write down your thoughts if you’d like. It might help you plan your next learning session — even if you’re not “the expert.”
Tips for being assertive, creating space for all voices, and navigating tricky dynamics
Facilitating a social learning space doesn’t mean you have to be the most intelligent person in the room. In fact, it works best when you’re not trying to be.
What matters is your ability to guide – to help others contribute, to notice what’s emerging, and to steer the conversation when needed.
Click the info icons for more information.
Be assertive – not controlling
Hold the structure with confidence:
Focus on the learning
Remember: your job is to help the group stay with the challenge – not to solve it for them.
Ask guiding questions like:
Create opportunities for different voices to be heard
Be aware of which voices are getting in the way of learning and which ones are contributing. Invite participants to contribute in various ways:
Remember that the point is not to give equal time to everyone, but to maximise learning by ensuring that all relevant voices have a chance to contribute.
Navigate tricky power dynamics
Don’t let one strong voice dominate – intervene:
“That’s a great point. Let’s pause to hear other perspectives too.”
Social learning works best when all kinds of perspectives come together — technical, lived, local, and professional. But if one person is seen as the expert, others may hold back.
As the facilitator, your role is to make sure that the expert contributes to social learning rather than taking over. This is tricky because the point is not for the expert to hold back, but to join the edge of learning with everything they know.
Set the tone from the start.
“We’re here to explore a challenge together. Hopefully, we’ll come up with some answers, but we want to learn a lot in the process.”
Emphasise that all perspectives can contribute to the learning.
“We’re drawing on all our experiences here.”
Ask them to share a story, not just a statement.
“Can you share a situation where you faced a similar challenge?”
Prompt them to reflect, not teach.
“What surprised you in this experience?”
“What are you still trying to figure out?”
Keep the focus on the concrete cases at hand.
“What resonates? What’s different in your context?”
Consider asking in advance: “Would you be willing to share an example of a time when you were unsure or challenged?”
