Facilitating Online

Course Date: 6 Oct 2025, 7 Sept 2026
Location: Online
Time: 16:00-18:00 (see course dates below)
Duration: 6 weeks

About the course

This course is aimed at educators as well as trainers and educational technologists involved in leading, designing and facilitating online or blended courses. The course provides opportunities for participants to develop strategies to become effective online facilitators. The course model is based on five principles, namely, arriving, conversing, facilitating, creating, applying. The course learning pathway follows each of these steps chronologically. At each stage participants take on particular roles and develop specific skills.

Course content

Week 1: Arriving (orientation and onboarding)
Week 2: Conversing (online learning communities)
Week 3: Facilitating (synchronous and asynchronous facilitation)
Week 4: Practicing (intentionally equitable hospitality)
Week 5: Applying (conflict and engagement)
Week 6: Finalising (consolidation and assessment)

Learning objectives

After completing this course, participants will be able to:

Facilitate synchronous and asynchronous online discussions;
Demonstrate knowledge of different facilitation strategies in response to diversity, difference and conflict;
Demonstrate knowledge of the opportunities afforded by technologies for online learning community development; and
Design or adapt short online learning activities using a range of online facilitation tools appropriately.

Certification options

Two types of certificates will be issued for this course:

Attended: Attend 80% of workshops
Passed: Attend 80% of workshops, submit coursework (individual and group work) as required, complete the course evaluation, and successfully complete the final individual assignment.

A letter of recognition of participation will be issued to participants who attend 80% of workshops, submit coursework, and complete the course evaluation (no final assignment submitted). Attendance at 80% of weekly meetings are compulsory for successful completion of the course.

Course dates

2025: Mondays and Wednesdays, 16:00 - 18:00

2026: Tuesdays and Thurdays, 16:00 - 18:00

Course cost: 2025

The full cost of the course in 2025 is R5500 with discounts available as follows:

When enrolling 5 or more participants, participants are entitled to 10% discount.
UCT staff are entitled to a 30% discount i.e. R3850.
All current full-time postgraduate students from any institution are entitled to a 50% discount i.e. R2750.
HELTASA members are entitled to a 10% discount i.e. R4950.

NB: Please request a discount voucher code from: pgbold@uct.ac.za BEFORE you enrol for the course.

Course cost: 2026

The full cost of the course in 2026 is R6000 with discounts available as follows:

When enrolling 5 or more participants, participants are entitled to 10% discount.
UCT staff are entitled to a 30% discount i.e. R4200.
All current full-time postgraduate students from any institution are entitled to a 50% discount i.e. R3000.
HELTASA members are entitled to a 10% discount i.e. R5400.

NB: Please request a discount voucher code from: pgbold@uct.ac.za BEFORE you enrol for the course.