Group Dynamics Theories for Extension Practice Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply foundational group dynamics theories to analyse group formation, structure, and processes in extension settings.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of group techniques and tools in achieving desired extension outcomes.
• Design interventions to address group challenges such as conflict, power imbalances, and communication breakdowns.
• Demonstrate facilitation skills that promote inclusive participation and collaborative decision-making.
• Implement strategies to enhance group cohesion, trust, and collective action among diverse stakeholders.
• Critically assess the impact of cultural, social, and contextual factors on group dynamics in extension practice.

Target Audience

Extension officers, community development workers, agricultural advisors, and other professionals who work with groups in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. The course is ideal for those seeking to deepen their understanding of group behaviour and improve facilitation skills.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, participants should be currently engaged in extension or community development work.

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Practicals provide hands-on experience in facilitating group processes, assessing dynamics, and designing interventions. Learners will role-play group scenarios, use assessment tools, and develop a group intervention plan, ensuring theory is applied to real-world extension contexts.

Practical Activities

• Facilitation Role-Play and Feedback — Learners take turns facilitating a mock group session while peers observe and provide structured feedback using a facilitation rubric. (16h)
• Group Dynamics Assessment Exercise — Learners use sociograms, surveys, and observation checklists to assess dynamics in a simulated group, then interpret results and recommend interventions. (16h)
• Designing a Group Intervention Proposal — In teams, learners design a group-based extension intervention for a given community scenario, including objectives, activities, and evaluation plan. (20h)
• Conflict Resolution Simulation — Learners engage in a simulated conflict scenario within a group and practice mediation and negotiation techniques. (16h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.