This Tip discusses how to facilitate a large group, including how to handle room arrangement, participation and amplification.
How to Facilitate a Large Group
Large groups can present a number of challenges for a trainer. The trainer needs to make informed choices about seating arrangements, learning activities, and amplification.
1. Seating them when there is some flexibility in table or chair arrangements
Whenever possible, it is better to avoid a classroom style arrangement with parallel rows of chairs facing the front of the room. There are two reasons for this: it is too reminiscent of elementary school and it means that people are facing the backs of other participants’ heads.
Ideally, it is best to use a large room that can accommodate tables and chairs. This way the participants can face forward and also face their tablemates for small group activities.
2. Makingadjustments to planned interactive learning activities
A trainer can adapt most interactive learning activities to facilitate a large group. For example, if the participants sit at small tables, they can perform small group activities. If we can move the seats in an auditorium , the participants can rearrange themselves into small groups comparable to the table groups. If we cannot move the seats, the participants can form small groups with the people seated next to them and either directly in front or in back of them.
Debrief the small groups in a slightly different way than would occur with a smaller group. The trainer will need to have just a few of the groups report out instead of all groups. The rest can indicate their agreement or disagreement with the group reports by a show of hands.
Some learning activities depend upon the easy mobility of the participants. If they are seated at small tables or in rows with wide aisles, the participants should be able to move around as needed to:
- create new groups,
- pop up at their chairs, or
- gather in small groups around a flip chart to brainstorm.
However, assume that the participants are seated in an auditorium with little space between the rows of chairs. In this case, the trainer will need to consider alternative activities that do not depend upon the participants’ mobility.
The adjustment to these activities may be as simple as:
- the participants continuing to work with the group seated next to them,
- participants volunteering answers by raising their hands instead of standing up, and
- the trainer writing down the participant answers during a large group discussion.
3. How can the trainer ensure that everyone can hear what the trainer or other participants say?
With a very large group, either the trainer has to be able to project a clear strong voice or use a microphone. If a microphone will be needed, it is always better if it is a battery-powered lavaliere that can be attached to a lapel. This is in lieu of a battery-powered microphone that has to be held. It will free up the trainer’s hands. This will also enable the trainer to move around the room listening to the small group work and interacting with the participants.
The larger issue is how to ensure that the entire group can hear participant comments and questions. One option is to have a second battery-powered hand held microphone that can be passed to the person who wants to speak. Another option is to have stationary microphones set up in various places throughout the room so that participants can access them. The third option is to simply have the trainer repeat what the participant has said and then respond to the statement or question.
The fourth option is to have the trainer stand as far away as possible from the person who is speaking. This requires the participant to project and speak loud enough so the trainer (and the rest of the group) can hear what is being said.
Although large groups may present some definite challenges for room arrangement, participation and amplification, they are not insurmountable. They just require that the trainer plan ahead and make the necessary arrangements to accommodate the larger group.
