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1.2
Developing Collaborative Perspective
Submitted by Lori Britt
This activity opens up the conversation and makes visible the need to gain a broader perspective of issues in order to effectively explore and address them. What we individually know and experience is important, what we can’t see is just as important in understanding a complex issue.
Learning Goals
Acknowledge the limitations of individual vantage points and develop appreciation for the perspectives of others.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
As the facilitator, bring a puzzle with large pieces (preferably under 50 pieces).
Organize participants into small groups (5-6 ppl).
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Individually Reflect on a Puzzle Piece (5 min)
In small groups (5-6 ppl), a puzzle piece will be given to each participant. Use pieces from a puzzle with a recognizable image but large enough that any one piece will only have a fraction of the total image.
Instruct participants to not show the puzzle piece to anyone else.
Invite participants to reflect on their piece. Prompt:
Look at your individual puzzle pieces and write down what you think the image may be.
Step Two: Describe and Discuss Puzzle Pieces (10 min)
Members of each group will describe and discuss their puzzle pieces, but without showing them to one another. Invite participants to be descriptive. Participants can ask questions about others’ puzzle pieces. The group will start to identify what the puzzle image might be based only on descriptions.
Step Three: Groups Offer Guesses (5 min)
Next, invite participants to show pieces to others in their small group and look at them all together. Discuss what they can now see and as a small group.
Invite each group to put forth guesses of what the overall image might be.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (15 min)
Hold up or show the image of the completed puzzle. Discuss:
How did descriptions of other people’s puzzle pieces alter your initial views of what the picture might be?
Could you understand what each person was describing or did you have to ask clarifying questions?
How did your perspective change when you saw others’ puzzle pieces?
After being shown the full image, what were you not able to see that would have helped you identify the image?
Twist: How does this puzzle activity relate to situations that you experience at work, class, or you see nationally where people intentionally use misinformation?
Twist: What happens to the power of the group when one person is deliberately trying to mislead others?
TIME
35
min
MODULE
Introduction to Collaborative Discussion
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity might be considered high energy or more playful than other activities.
This activity is best implemented with in-person learning groups, requiring hands-on techniques that may not be easily replicated online.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
Have any helpful suggestions or modifications for this activity?
Share them in the comments below!
0 Comments
June 22, 2023 at 3:24:58 AM
June 16, 2023 at 3:56:28 PM
Fun activity!
June 16, 2023 at 5:01:38 AM
Great activity!
June 16, 2023 at 5:00:51 AM
anon
May 25, 2023 at 1:27:08 PM
Great site!
May 22, 2023 at 7:54:26 PM
RT
January 17, 2023 at 12:39:09 AM
This activity could possibly pair with Activity 1.8, which evaluates current discussion style. After completing that evaluation, this activity could be used to help participants envision and set goals or intentions for how they would like to participate in discussions going forward.
RT
January 16, 2023 at 10:26:09 PM
This activity helps develop a skill that is useful in many contexts, including in the classroom, workplace, community and even at home.
RT
January 13, 2023 at 3:17:13 AM
This activitiy can be modified or used as is in helping STEM students and science & technology professionals in identifying the unintended consequences and uses of any new scientific or technological developments or tools, such as AI models, etc.
Shannon Wheatley Hartman
December 7, 2022 at 7:03:49 PM
I am waiting for someone to try this activity out and share it back with us. This is probably one of the most ambitious activities in the toolkit. I really love it but I have not had the opportunity to try it out with a group. Please someone try this and share back!