Technology now allows for online mediation training that meets the Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards (AMDRAS). The Australian Mediation Association (AMA) offers a collaborative and interactive training experience that keeps participants engaged like never before.
Mediation is increasingly favoured for dispute resolution in community and commercial contexts and is being incorporated into State and Commonwealth legislation, shifting from adversarial processes to collaborative, interest-based systems.
Our Nationally Recognised Mediation Training Course equips you with the skills and knowledge to enter the mediation profession conveniently online.
This online interactive course spans a month and is divided into theoretical and practical components. The first two weeks focus on mediation theory, with the following weeks incorporating role play scenarios and written exercises, requiring about 11 hours commitment per week.
You’ll work at your own pace with readings, PowerPoint presentations, videos, and activities.
Additionally, there will be scheduled live sessions with instructors for real-time discussions and feedback, with timings adjusted to accommodate your work and other commitments.
We offer virtual mediation training classrooms, role-play scenarios, and private meeting spaces that broaden access for students, regardless of location.
Our instructor-led online courses align with Australian Mediator and Dispute Resolution Accreditation Standards, catering to your schedule while engaging each student individually.
By leveraging top online education platforms, our comprehensive learning experience includes online, blended, and mobile learning options. This approach enhances your ability to engage with course content anytime and improve outcomes.
The course combines theoretical activities with practical mediation experiences in a face-to-face format, enabling you to start your training from anywhere. It features self-directed online materials, opportunities for interaction with other participants, and instant feedback from experienced coaches. You’ll receive a structured timeline and resources to support your professional growth and meet accreditation requirements.
Additionally, this course is available to professionals, corporate entities, and government organizations worldwide, with customizable options to meet specific needs.
AMA facilitators are experienced dispute resolution professionals, adept at engaging the interest of participants, identifying and meeting their different needs and providing a safe environment in which participants can broaden themselves and practise their skills.
The course is led by experienced facilitators, supervisors and trainers who are skilled as mediators and as academics working in the on-line education environment. Our facilitator trainers mediate a wide range of disputes, and conduct dispute resolution processes in the family, commercial, organisational, community and cross-cultural settings.
The facilitators are supported by a team of coaches – all experienced mediators who provide small group coaching and feedback to individual participants about their developing skills.
Participants can expect to acquire an understanding of the theoretical and practical skills underpinning mediation and an awareness of the use of mediation in an Australian context.
The training course has a strong process and skills development orientation and will address:
- The practical and theoretical skills of mediation
- Increase understanding of issues contributing to conflict
- Dispute Resolution: what is it? The difference between decision making and facilitative problem solving
- Mediation models: types and differences. A proven mediation process adaptable to different types of mediations
- Sound theoretical frameworks in which to embed process and skills
- Identifying the skills associated with the facilitative model
- Communication skills for mediators: LARS: listening, acknowledging, reframing, summarising and questioning
- Practical tools to keep parties focused
- Strategies to generate options and to break impasses
- Develop & implement logical, sustainable agreements
- Personalised feedback from highly skilled mediators
Early registration is recommended as places are often in demand. (Maximum: 21 participants per workshop.)
This training course costs $4,000.00 (including GST).
Sometimes additional courses are scheduled and occasionally the dates for a particular course change.
Each online mediation course is approximately 5 weeks in duration.
Training will include a mixture of self-paced learning modules and exercises, weekly scheduled group face to face interactions with the lead trainers, discussion forums and feedback sessions as well as 9 role play scenarios.
Assessment for National Accreditation will be via a 2 hour online role play to be submitted to an Accreditation Assessor. It is anticipated that the assessment courses will commence immediately after training workshops, online at a cost of $660.00
More information will be provided in due course. More information on National Accreditation here.
The Program will be divided into the theory component and the practical application through role plays.
The theoretical modules will be completed over the first two weeks in a structured format combining online seminars, discussion forums, readings and activities for completion.
Week 1: Module 1:
What is dispute resolution?
- Difference between decision making and facilitation?
- Types of facilitation, negotiation and mediation.
- Conflict analysis.
Objectives completed by:
- Learning activities
- Discussion forums and virtual meetings
- Resource readings
- DVD
- Online webinar
Module 2:
- Mediation models and processes
- Facilitative model of mediation
- Process and stages of mediation
Objectives completed by:
- Learning activities
- Discussion forums and virtual meetings
- Resource readings
- DVD
- Online webinar
Week 2 Module 3:
- Skills used in mediation
- Communication and mediation
- Listening, acknowledging, reframing, summarising and questioning
- Exploration in facilitative mediation
Objectives completed by:
- Workshop activities
- Discussion forums and virtual meetings
- Resource readings
- Online webinar
Module 4:
- Facilitating negotiation, dealing with impasses
- Private sessions
- Resolution and agreements
Objectives completed by:
- Workshop activities (written and oral)
- Discussion forums and virtual meetings
- Resource readings
- Online webinar
Week 1 timetable: (Recommended)
- Day 1: Log in test. Reading materials (referred resources) and watching the video “Cooking Up A Compromise”
- Day 2: Log in. Attending on line webinars (covering modules 1 and 2) (days and times to be confirmed)
- Day 3: Watching video “Fletcher’s Partnership Dispute”; reading referred resources, preparing activities for seminar.
- Day 4: Review and reflective journal, watch video “Kate and Tony – a Mediation”.
- Day 5: Revision, written activities and preparation for next week
All videos are found in the resources section of the AMA website.
Week 2 timetable (recommended)
- Day 1: Reading resources & materials; preparing for next day’s online seminar, contributing to discussion forum.
- Day 2: Attending online webinars (modules 3 and 4) (days and times to be confirmed)
- Day 3: Activities, forums and attendance at option ‘drop in’ session
- Day 4: Review and reflective journal
- Day 5: Revision, completion of written activities and preparation for next week role pays exercises
Weeks 3, 4 and 5 Timetable
You will participate in nine (9), 2-hour mediation role play sessions over the course of the 3 weeks. Please note the sessions will be designated in 4-hour blocks to allow for debriefing.
Sessions will be offered during both business hours and after hours, you will be emailed a range of times for you to provide your preferences in the first week of the course. Exact times will be finalised by the end of week 2 of the course after consultation with participants and coaches. There will be a ‘drop in’ session during either week 4 or 5.
A Learning Journal will also form a part of the course requirements and participants are expected to devote one hour per week to this component of the course. Journals will be submitted weekly.
As part of the requirements to complete the Certificate of Training, you will also be required to complete a series of written activities to demonstrate your learning and understanding.
These activities’ worksheet will be provided to you upon enrolment and needs to be completed prior to attempting the Certificate of Assessment.
As part of the requirements to complete the Certificate of Assessment for Accreditation purposes under AMDRAS, you are required to conduct a 2-hour mediation simulation and submit a written assessment (you will be given the written assessment after completing the mediation simulation).
You will have ten (10) days to complete the written assessment, and you will be provided with the Certificate of Assessment requirements upon enrolment.
You are required to pass both the simulation and the written assessment to be awarded a Certificate of Assessment.
If you are found not competent in the mediation simulation assessment component, you can NOT resubmit your assessment for review and the assessor’s decision is final (taking into consideration the assessment team’s moderation). You may re-sit assessment for AMDRAS Accreditation at a later date, at a cost of $660.00 (incl. GST).
I have recently completed the online course for the purposes of obtaining national accreditation as a mediator.
The course was excellent in all respects; the online seminars were informative and of much assistance to me in learning how to adopt a more facilitative approach as a mediator.
The tutors were well informed, readily available (staying back late at night to ensure my practice as a barrister was not interrupted) and their feedback was well considered and useful.
Whilst initially sceptical of the utility of an “online” approach to mediation training, I found that there was little to no difference in the learning process. All in all, a great course.
Michael D Alexander – Barrister at Law
In early June, I attended the mediation course provided by the AMA. I found the course to be well structured, resourced and professionally operated.
As a barrister, I have attended many mediations and seen various levels of mediators. This course helped me feel confident that my skill as a mediator is up there with the best.
The online mechanism and technology was very impressive, and fluid. The teachers – including Callum Campbell – were excellent. The flexibility of the timing in the course and the period of time to complete the course added significant strengths to the course. I felt that I had time to absorb the teachings before the next session and apply them for the future.
Leo Tyndall – Barrister at law
I have just completed the AMA Online Mediation Course, and have found it very beneficial. The course’s flexibility combined with the support provided by its coordinators was invaluable.
The course content and materials were practically orientated, and I have no doubt will greatly assist in the practice of mediation. I highly recommend this course to those who are considering training as a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
Erin McKellar – Solicitor & Notary Public (NSW)
I have recently completed the online mediation course as offered by the Australian Mediation Association. I could not endorse this course and the online learning experience more highly.
The flexibility of the course coupled with having direct access to highly skilled and experienced trainers was a stand out. I would not hesitate in recommending this course to all, particularly to those busy professionals who wish to engage in further study.
I genuinely do mean the sentiments expressed with respect to your trainers. They were an invaluable resource. You have an excellent team.
Carriae Dawson-Wheeler – Department Head, Solicitor – Family Law Services
As someone looking to do mediation and attain accreditation, this course delivered a great set of support material and some really practical, hands-on training sessions.
The online training worked well and I was able to fit the sessions into a busy working day. My supervisor was very supportive and made sure that we dealt with scenarios that fitted our long term mediation goals be that family or commercial.
The course worked really worked for me and I highly recommend it to others going down the mediation path.
Andrew Parker | Associate Director – Operational Advisory Workforce Services, Grant Thornton Australia
