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1.7
Taking Inventory of Collaboration Skills
Submitted by Shannon Wheatley Hartman & Jack Byrd Jr.
This activity introduces key collaborative discussion skills and invites participants to reflect upon their own skill development. Participants have the option of working in small groups to support one another in skill development. The survey can also help facilitators support individual or group needs.
Learning Goals
Develop awareness of collaborative discussion skills.
Self-evaluate collaborative discussion skills.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Invite participants to evaluate their collaboration discussion skills using the Taking Inventory of Collaborative Discussion Skills Questionnaire.
Step One: Share Group Assessment of Collaborative Discussion Skills (10 min)
If participants completed the survey in advance, share the group’s assessment of their skills (do not share individual results). Share the major areas of strengths and areas for growth. Share this visually on the board or screen so that they can use it as a reference point for later. Then, move to Step Three.
If participants did not complete the digital survey in advance, then distribute hard copies of the Taking Inventory of Collaborative Discussion Skills Worksheet. Follow the directions. Participants will be asked to assess their skills. Describe each category:
F – Fulfillment: You are completely satisfied with your abilities.
C – Comfort: You feel confident in your abilities but wouldn’t mind working on refinement.
D – Developing: You recognize this is an area of growth and welcome the opportunity to improve.
L – Lacking: You recognize a deficiency, but you are not yet comfortable developing this skill and/or do not believe it to be valuable at this time.
Step Two: Develop a Composite View of Assessments (10 min)
In small groups (3-4 ppl), ask participants to review their worksheets together to get a sense of where the group feels like it has strengths (Fs and Cs) and where there is room for growth (Ds and Ls).
Step Three: Identify Areas for Growth and Support (20 min)
In small groups (3-4 ppl), invite individuals to identify 3-4 skills that they would like to improve. Explore how the group might help support growth in the respective growth areas. Save these support statements using the Collaborative Discussion Skills Growth Commitment Worksheet.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Possible prompts:
As a group, which collaborative discussion skills do we seem to be the most comfortable expressing?
As a group, where do we see the most room for growth? Why do you think this is?
During our time together, how might we refer to our commitment worksheets?
TIME
50
min
MODULE
Introduction to Collaborative Discussion
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be easily modified for asynchronous learning. See Sample Asynchronous Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity is suitable for professional or more formal learning environments.
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0 Comments
YD
November 28, 2022 at 9:13:29 PM
Activity 2.7 uses metaphors to explore the place of imagination and humor in exploring difficult or unfamiliar topics.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 9:10:50 PM
Activity 2.6 is another fun activity that encourages flexible thinking and a method of communication built on validation and respect, resulting in an environment of collaboration.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 9:02:30 PM
Activity 2.5 is fun activity that helps you let loose and unleash your playful side to help demonstrate how play is very useful to broadening perspectives.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:57:35 PM
Activity 2.4 helps encourage bold, imaginative thinking and looking at the risks involved in both action and inaction.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:54:27 PM
Activity 2.3 uses mind mapping to flex your creativity in a fun and engaging way and apply it to developing innovative thoughts and solutions.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:50:37 PM
Activity 2.2 is another innovative and useful activity that helps us explore, engage, work with a topic that can be frustrating or difficult for many, i.e. contradictions in the world and ourselves.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:47:31 PM
Activity 2.1 provides useful information to develop and use curiosity not just in a discussion space, but also in your everyday life.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:44:34 PM
Activity 1.7 is provides a useful inventory of collaborative discussion skills. It can be used to bring awareness to your skill level as you begin and to keep track of your progress as you move through this toolkit of activities.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:41:05 PM
Activity 1.6 is very innovative. It helps demonstrate how the prioritization of different values we hold changes according to context.
YD
November 28, 2022 at 8:38:49 PM
Activity 1.5 helps look at discussions from a different lens, moving away from just right or wrong and taking a deeper look at the values that drive different perspectives and opinions.