Facilitation guide

Scenario-based professional learning should be engaging, effective and enjoyable – for both participants and facilitators.

This guide will help you run great sessions using ScenarioSpace.

01

Before the session

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    Start with your context

    The best sessions don’t stand alone. When considering which session to select, think about what participants will be bringing to the session and where it fits into your wider professional learning strategy. For example, you might use a session to introduce a new focus area, identify barriers to change in your setting, or revisit an ongoing priority area.

  2. 2

    Read the session materials

    Great scenarios bring complex or abstract ideas to life, and effective facilitation helps participants to explore these ideas. Read through the slides and supporting materials before the session so that it’s easy to make connections in the moment.

    Top tip · Look at both the host and participant views

    When looking through the slides, toggle between the host and participant views so you know exactly what participants will see on their devices during the session.

  3. 3

    Prepare the practical details

    Ask participants to bring a (charged!) smartphone, tablet or laptop, and share our technical checklist with your IT team to ensure the website isn’t inadvertently blocked. We also recommend arranging seating so participants can see the screen and talk easily in pairs or trios, giving everyone the opportunity to contribute and be heard.

    Top tip · Print out joining instructions for latecomers

    The first slide of the session contains the joining instructions and QR code. Print it out and place copies on tables so that any latecomers can join the session smoothly.

Case study · Ark Atwood Primary Academy, London

Assistant Principal Emma Helliwell used a session developed by the Education Endowment Foundation to begin a sequence of professional learning related to checking for understanding, as part of the school’s focus on inclusive teaching. Emma said:

“I wanted to start our work on checking for understanding in a way that was collaborative and recognised the existing expertise and experience across our team. The platform was intuitive and easy to navigate, which allowed me to focus on leading discussions rather than managing the technology. As a facilitator, I found it an excellent tool for promoting high levels of participation and for creating space to unpack some of the more complex and nuanced aspects of teaching.”

02

During the session

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    Create a safe space

    ScenarioSpace is designed to support low-stakes, collaborative professional learning. Encourage participants to share and support each other by emphasising that responses are anonymous and that every response they read will be from a colleague in the room – not generated by AI!

  2. 2

    Be flexible with timings

    Every session is different and our resources are designed to reflect that. On interactive slides, timers are provided as a facilitation aid, but you are always in control of timings and when to move on to the next slide. Above all, activities are designed to be a catalyst for reflection, discussion and future action, so if the discussion is rich, keep going.

    Top tip · Use the response indicators to guide your timings

    Interactive slides display a response counter next to the timer enabling you to see how many participants have responded to the activity.

  3. 3

    Celebrate professional expertise

    Sessions are designed to provide opportunities for participants to share their expertise and explore common, but complex, challenges. Professional expertise doesn’t mean challenges go away; it means having a shared language that enables colleagues to learn from and support each other.

    Top tip · Draw out participants' thinking

    When discussing responses, ask participants to explain the thinking behind different choices to surface the expertise already in the room.

Case study · Wookey Primary School, Somerset

Laurie Davies, Headteacher of Wookey Primary School used a session developed by the Education Endowment Foundation to revisit evidence related to making effective adaptations in the classroom. Laurie said:

“As the leader of the session, I was still able to participate, which meant it was a whole team professional discussion. The anonymity element gave the staff confidence to answer honestly. The prompts were well thought out and generated conversation linked to our needs in our setting, without being too specific or directing us to a specific way of thinking.”

03

After the session

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    Review the session report

    Successful professional learning requires honesty and trust. Taking a few minutes to review the session, including by considering patterns of responses in the session report, will help you capture the insights you need to keep supporting change.

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    Help participants dig deeper

    Great professional learning starts conversations that keep going after any individual session ends. Help participants extend their thinking by suggesting ways to explore ideas raised in the session in more depth.

    Top tip · Share evidence summaries with participants

    A one-page evidence summary is available to support all EEF sessions, which you can download as a PDF and share with participants.

  3. 3

    Support and sustain change

    Consider how participants will have opportunities to apply, contextualise and reflect on ideas over time. Lasting impact is most likely when sessions are integrated within your wider professional learning strategy, which might also include communities of practice, coaching or other forms of support.

    Top tip · Revisit ideas over time

    Participants’ anonymised end-of-session reflections are included in the session report and can be a useful starting point for future professional learning.

Case study · Great Heights Research School, West Yorkshire

Jessica Mellor, Head of Great Heights Research School used a session developed by the Education Endowment Foundation to support professional dialogue and reflection in relation to checking for understanding. Jessica said:

“The sharing of key evidence-informed principles linked to the theme of the scenario helped unite knowledge and understanding. The follow-up report offered rich insights for leaders and those designing professional development. It brought to the fore both barriers and enablers, informing subsequent professional development and having a direct impact on implementation.”