Definition
In the guided discussion method of instruction, a facilitator is the instructor who guides student learning by asking thought-provoking questions, managing the flow of discussion, and helping students arrive at understanding through their own reasoning, rather than by lecturing or supplying answers directly.
Plain English
A facilitator is a teacher who helps students figure things out by asking good questions and steering the conversation, instead of just telling them the answers.
Context Anchor
Seen in the Aviation Instructor’s Handbook when describing the guided discussion method of teaching.
Derivation
From the Latin facilis, meaning 'easy.' A facilitator is literally someone who makes something easier — in this case, making it easier for students to reach understanding on their own.
Why Pilots Care
Proper facilitation builds critical thinking and decision-making skills that student pilots need when facing real situations in flight.
Intuition Check
Do not read facilitator as just “the person in charge.” Here it means someone who guides learning by shaping the discussion, not by doing all the talking.
Example Sentence 1
During the weather briefing discussion, the instructor acted as a facilitator, asking the students what factors they thought would affect the flight rather than listing the hazards himself.
Example Sentence 2
During the debrief, the facilitator kept the discussion focused so every student could share what they had learned from the flight.