Coaching in Broader Mind Course

Coached master’s students in facilitating sessions for the interdisciplinary Broader Mind university course.

Course overview

The Broader Mind Course is an extracurricular program that challenges students to step outside their disciplines and engage with societal issues such as success and failure, poverty, and sustainability. This course brings together students from various faculties at VU, providing a unique opportunity to broaden perspectives, develop interpersonal skills, and gain a deeper understanding of personal and academic challenges.

Key features of the course:

  • Multidisciplinary Themes: Students explore a variety of societal topics through both online and offline activities.

  • Collaboration & Networking: Participants work with peers from different academic backgrounds, fostering teamwork and expanding their networks.

  • Personal Development: The course encourages self-awareness, helping students recognize their own roles, biases, and behaviors while addressing societal challenges.

Role and responsibility

The focus was on coaching master’s students to effectively facilitate discussions and activities within the course. This included equipping them with the skills needed to lead engaging, productive sessions.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Delivered coaching sessions to prepare facilitators for leading group discussions and on-campus activities.

  • Supported the development of facilitation skills, ensuring facilitators could manage group dynamics and address challenges confidently.

  • Maintained consistent communication to offer guidance, resources, and updates, ensuring facilitators were fully equipped for their sessions.

  • Gathered feedback to identify areas for improvement, applying insights to enhance session quality and the course experience.

Outcomes

  • Facilitators gained confidence and developed key skills, leading to more impactful and engaging sessions.

  • Improved participant interaction and collaboration, enriching the overall learning experience.

  • Collected feedback contributed to ongoing course improvement for future iterations

Tools & Techniques

  • Active Listening and Engagement: Emphasized fostering meaningful discussions and maintaining participant involvement.

  • Conflict Resolution: Introduced strategies for handling disagreements or challenging group dynamics.

  • Feedback Integration: Facilitators learned to gather and implement participant feedback to continuously improve sessions.

  • Time Management: Techniques were provided to help facilitators manage session flow and maintain focus within time constraints.