{"id":4758,"date":"2023-04-06T03:53:27","date_gmt":"2023-04-06T03:53:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2023\/04\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-effective-facilitation\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T16:01:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T23:01:40","slug":"cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-effective-facilitation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/2023\/04\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-effective-facilitation\/","title":{"rendered":"How Cohort-Based Learning Can Enhance Online Employee Onboarding"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:85px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-key-takeaways\">Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Facilitation makes onboarding feel human and interactive, especially online, because it replaces passive consumption with connection, conversation, and guidance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strong facilitators help new hires move beyond checklists by creating shared context, encouraging participation, and reinforcing culture through real dialogue.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When facilitation is designed intentionally, onboarding becomes a learning experience that builds momentum and community, not just a series of tasks to complete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rich, engaging, and effective <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/use-cases\/employee-onboarding\/\">online employee onboarding<\/a> experience requires an intentional approach that moves well beyond checklists, rote tasks, and generic information dumps. Modern onboarding programs not only teach a new employee the basics, they foster connection, collaboration, and community through holistic, highly interactive, and immersive periods of engagement that start on (or ideally before) an employee\u2019s first day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-practice-and-application\/\">Practice &amp; Application<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-discussion-and-feedback\/\">Discussion &amp; Feedback<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-mentors-and-managers\/\">Mentors &amp; Managers<\/a>, Effective Facilitation, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-team-based-learning\/\">Team-Based Learning<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-curated-and-goal-aligned-content\/\">Curated &amp; Goal-Aligned Content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll continue with the Effective Facilitation pillar, a cornerstone of <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/overview\/\">cohort-based learning<\/a> and an essential component of NovoEd\u2019s social and <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/collaborative-learning\/\">collaborative learning platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Effective Facilitation Drives New Employee Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.novoed.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360058274231\"><em>Effective facilitation<\/em><\/a><strong><em> helps provide every participant with a successful and high-quality collaborative learning experience that leads to results.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While online learning can offer great opportunities for <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/self-directed-learning\/\">self-directed learning<\/a> and flexibility, sometimes you need to have a human (or a team of humans) on the other side to encourage, guide, and create opportunities for connection and deeper learning. This is where facilitators come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.novoed.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360057780752\">Course facilitation<\/a> includes everything involved in running a course, from administrative tasks to the kinds of tasks that a traditional classroom facilitator would do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A facilitator, or team of facilitators, may use a number of different strategies to engage learners in an online learning environment. Facilitators who are available and accessible to learners are a crucial part of a learner\u2019s journey. Humanized content, being able to convey concepts in meaningful ways, and using multiple engagement methods improves learners\u2019 sense of community and feeling of connectedness to the content and the course. Effectively facilitating an online course can also be very rewarding for the facilitator(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on years of experience with enterprise clients, our expert team of learning designers has seen firsthand how integrating high-quality facilitation into online programs increases engagement, activates learning, and accelerates capability development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ideas for Online Employee Onboarding Program Activities That Effectively Incorporate Effective Facilitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lean towards a more involved facilitator approach (see <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/the-essentials-of-engagement-the-ultimate-guide-for-online-facilitators\/\">here<\/a> for more details)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a safe space for questions and discussions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer the option to add pronouns in custom profile questions and ensure the facilitation team uses them appropriately in all comments and conversations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the Privacy Option on assignment submissions that allows learners to choose whether they share publicly with the course or just with the teaching team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To learn how NovoEd\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/cohort-based-learning\/\">cohort-based learning platform<\/a> powers meaningful online employee onboarding for today\u2019s organizations, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/request-a-demo\/\">request a demo<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A rich, engaging, and effective <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/use-cases\/employee-onboarding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">employee onboarding<\/a> experience requires an intentional approach that moves well beyond checklists, rote tasks, and generic information dumps. Modern onboarding programs not only teach a new employee the basics, they foster connection, collaboration, and community through holistic, highly interactive, and immersive periods of engagement that start on (or even before) a worker\u2019s very first day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-practice-and-application\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Practice &amp; Application<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-discussion-and-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Discussion &amp; Feedback<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-mentors-and-managers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mentors &amp; Managers<\/a>, Effective Facilitation, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-team-based-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Team-Based Learning<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/cohort-based-learning-for-onboarding-curated-and-goal-aligned-content\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Curated &amp; Goal-Aligned Content<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ll continue with the Effective Facilitation pillar, a cornerstone of <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cohort-based learning<\/a> and an essential component of NovoEd\u2019s social and <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/collaborative-learning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">collaborative learning platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-effective-facilitation-drives-new-employee-engagement\"><strong>How Effective Facilitation Drives New Employee Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/help.novoed.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360058274231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Effective facilitation<\/em><\/a><em> helps provide every participant with a successful and high-quality collaborative learning experience that leads to results.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While online learning can offer great opportunities for <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/blog\/self-directed-learning\/\">self-directed learning<\/a> and flexibility, sometimes you need to have a human (or a team of humans) on the other side to encourage, guide, and create opportunities for connection and deeper learning. This is where facilitators come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/help.novoed.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360057780752\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Course facilitation<\/a> includes everything involved in running a course, from administrative tasks to the kinds of tasks that a traditional classroom facilitator would do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A facilitator, or team of facilitators, may use a number of different strategies to engage learners in an online learning environment. Facilitators who are available and accessible to learners are a crucial part of a learner\u2019s journey. Humanized content, being able to convey concepts in meaningful ways, and using multiple engagement methods improves learners\u2019 sense of community and feeling of connectedness to the content and the course. Effectively facilitating an online course can also be very rewarding for the facilitator(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Based on years of experience with enterprise clients, our expert team of learning designers has seen firsthand how integrating high-quality facilitation into online programs increases engagement, activates learning, and accelerates capability development.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ideas-for-onboarding-program-activities-that-effectively-incorporate-effective-facilitation\"><strong>Ideas for Onboarding Program Activities That Effectively Incorporate Effective Facilitation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/virtual-onboarding-with-a-human-touch-creating-connection-culture-and-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-1024x371.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Onboarding Program\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-1024x371.png 1024w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-300x109.png 300w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-768x278.png 768w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-400x145.png 400w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic-200x73.png 200w, https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/BH-Onboarding_graphic.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Lean towards a more involved facilitator approach (see <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/the-essentials-of-engagement-the-ultimate-guide-for-online-facilitators\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a> for more details)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a safe space for questions and discussions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Offer the option to add pronouns in custom profile questions and ensure the facilitation team uses them appropriately in all comments and conversations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the Privacy Option on assignment submissions that allows learners to choose whether they share publicly with the course or just with the teaching team<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To learn how NovoEd\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/cohort-based-learning\/\">cohort-based learning platform<\/a> powers meaningful employee onboarding for today\u2019s organizations, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/request-a-demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">request a demo<\/a> today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-related-searches\">Related Searches<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/learning-platform\/cohort-based-learning\/\">Cohort-Based Learning Platform<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/webinars\/a-conversation-about-the-pros-and-cons-of-cohort-facilitation-approaches-product-tour-tuesdays\/\">Corporate Learning Experience<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/novoed.com\/resources\/insights\/benefits-of-a-cohort-based-learning-platform-infographic\/\">Benefits of Cohort Learning<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an ongoing series, we will explore onboarding initiatives centered around the six key pillars of learning on NovoEd: Practice &#038; Application, Discussion &#038; Feedback, Mentors &#038; Managers, Effective Facilitation, Team-Based Learning, and Curated &#038; Goal-Aligned Content.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":4759,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[98,189,119],"class_list":["post-4758","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-coaching-and-facilitation","tag-cohort-learning","tag-onboarding"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4758","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4758"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4758\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10887,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4758\/revisions\/10887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4759"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4758"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4758"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novoed.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4758"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}