In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom answers a listener's question about how to help people shift from lecture-style delivery to a more engaging, participatory approach to facilitating learning. Drawing from years of experience supporting faculty and facilitators, Beth shares practical strategies for supporting others in embracing active learning methods.

Beth also talks about:

• Establishing a culture of continuous improvement
• Using goal setting and debriefing to grow facilitation skills
• Taking a coach approach to support others
• Explaining why active learning works using plain language
• Encouraging facilitators to let go of control and learn alongside their participants

Links From the Episode

• EP 4 Facilitation is the New Coaching with Moe Poirier
• Design to Engage: How to Create and Facilitate a Great Learning Experience For Any Group with Beth Cougler Blom
• EP 47 The Pivotal Role of Learning Outcomes with Beth Cougler Blom
• EP 19 Choosing Activities with Beth Cougler Blom
• Instructional Skills Workshop
• Universal Design for Learning

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at hello@bcblearning.com
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom explores the role of silence in facilitation and how it can be a powerful and intentional tool. Beth shares personal reflections, practical tips, and cultural considerations around silence, encouraging facilitators to embrace it as part of creating thoughtful and inclusive learning spaces.

Beth also talks about:

• How to normalize silence as part of participatory experiences
• Why facilitators should plan silence into their agendas
• Strategies to help facilitators become more comfortable with quiet moments
• What to do when silence is interrupted
• How everyday life can teach us about using silence

Links From the Episode

• EP 63 Neurodivergent-Affirming Practices in Facilitation with Marie Dubost
• Tricia Hersey (Rest is Resistance Book, Rest Deck cards)
• Learn about Beth's upcoming book, Everyday Acts of Facilitation

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at hello@bcblearning.com
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Marie Dubost about neurodivergent-affirming practices in facilitation and learning design. Marie shares insights from her work as an accessibility consultant, facilitator, and trainer, drawing on both professional and personal experience to highlight why inclusive practices matter more than ever.

Beth and Marie also talk about:

• Creating learning menus to support choice and reduce overwhelm
• Offering silent or low-stimulation options in participatory sessions
• Understanding identity-first vs. person-first language
• How inclusive design supports all learners, not just some
• Why co-designing with participants can strengthen learning outcomes

Engage with Marie Dubost:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariedubost/

Links From the Episode:

• Marie Dubost's accessibility checklists
• EP 61 Accessibility in Learning and Beyond with Nora Loyst
• University Design for Learning (CAST)
• Equity by Design book by Mirko Chardin and Katie Novak
• Myriam Hadnes' workshops.work podcast

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at hello@bcblearning.com
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with Julie Dirksen about designing learning experiences that support real behaviour change. Julie shares insights from her latest book, Talk to the Elephant, and offers practical ways to go beyond knowledge transfer to create meaningful impact.

Beth and Julie also talk about:

• The difference between knowledge gaps and behaviour gaps
• The rider and elephant metaphor and why it matters for learning design
• How to identify what really needs fixing—people or systems
• The importance of pre- and post-learning supports
• Why designing for managers is just as important as designing for learners

Engage with Julie Dirksen

• Website: Usable Learning
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliedirksen/
• Facebook: Design for How People Learn group

Links From the Episode

• Allen Interactions
• Leaving ADDIE for SAM by Michael Allen
• Telling Ain't Training by Harold D. Stolovitch and Erika J. Keep
• The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt
• Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Will Training Help? flowchart by Cathy Moore
• Prochaska and Di Clemente's transtheoretical model

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at hello@bcblearning.com
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions

In this episode, host Beth Cougler Blom talks with accessibility consultant Nora Loyst about designing learning experiences that truly welcome everyone. Nora shares how personal experiences led her to this work and explores the shift from a medical model to a social model of disability.

Beth and Nora also talk about:

• Expecting and planning for learner diversity from the start
• Naming what you know to build trust and inclusion
• Moving from one-time accommodations to default accessibility practices
• Designing for all through Universal Design for Learning and beyond
• Interrupting ableism by listening deeply and acting with intention

Engage with Nora Loyst:

• Nora Loyst on LinkedIn
• Untapped Accessibility

Links From the Episode:

• Implicit Bias study (dissertation)
• Implicit Bias study (article)
• Easy Surf
• Universal Design for Learning
• EP 41 Making Caring Learning Environments for People with Disabilities with Yasser Tamer Atef

Connect with the Facilitating on Purpose podcast:

• Follow Facilitating on Purpose on Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube
• Show notes and transcripts available at facilitatingonpurpose.ca

Connect with Host Beth Cougler Blom:

• Give feedback or suggest upcoming show topics or guests at hello@bcblearning.com
• Visit bcblearning.com to explore Beth's company's services in facilitation and learning design
• Purchase a copy of Beth's book, Design to Engage
• Follow Beth on Instagram or LinkedIn

Podcast production services by Mary Chan of Organized Sound Productions