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1.8
Evaluating Your Discussion Style
Submitted by Ritu Thomas
This activity is designed to help discussion participants reflect on their own styles and needs during a discussion. It can also serve as pre-discussion preparation for facilitators. The survey can help facilitators better understand and support individual and/or group needs.
Learning Goals
Develop a deeper understanding of how we show up and present ourselves in discussions.
Develop greater awareness and empathy for different discussion styles and needs.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Gather information on discussion participants’ discussion styles and needs using the Evaluating Your Discussion Style Questionnaire.
Step One: Share Group Assessment (30 min)
If participants completed the survey in advance, share the group’s assessment of their discussion styles (do not share individual results). Share a visual of the general tendencies and trends you see in the collective results. Discuss:
How do most people in this group self identify? Does this surprise you?
According to our collective feedback, how do most of us like to organize in groups? Does this surprise you?
What are some general discussion participation trends?
What are some common fears or points of anxiety? How could we anticipate and address these as a group?
How can we best support all members in this group?
If participants did not complete the survey in advance, then distribute hard copies of the Evaluating Your Discussion Style Worksheet and invite participants to discuss:
How did these questions encourage self reflection on your own discussion styles?
Were you surprised by any of your responses?
Not knowing how other people responded, how might we use this activity to help us create a more inclusive discussion space?
Step Two: Create Space for Quiet Reflection and Writing (5 min)
Prompts:
What stands out most to you when reviewing our group responses or hearing how group members shared their thoughts about creating an inclusive discussion space?
What can you take away from this peer feedback?
Step Three: Share Discussion Styles (10 min)
In pairs or small groups (3-4 ppl), ask participants to share the three most important things that they would like others to know about their discussion style. Note that they only need to share what they are comfortable sharing and they may not have three items. Invite pairs or small groups to decide how they will share this information: verbally, real time writing, asynchronously after some time to process, etc.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Discuss:
What surprised you most about the group survey feedback?
What similarities or differences stood out in your small groups?
Again, what can we do as a group to support different discussion styles? Why does this matter?
TIME
55
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 build trust and interpersonal connection.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
Tell us what you think. Rate and review this activity:
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Share them in the comments below!
0 Comments
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:57:35 AM
Activity 2.4 helps encourage bold, imaginative thinking and looking at the risks involved in both action and inaction.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:54:27 AM
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 29, 2022 at 1:50:37 AM
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 29, 2022 at 1:47:31 AM
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 29, 2022 at 1:44:34 AM
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 29, 2022 at 1:41:05 AM
Activity 1.6 is very innovative. It helps demonstrate how the prioritization of different values we hold changes according to context.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:38:49 AM
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.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:35:42 AM
Activity 1.4 is a fun activity that engages your imagination to explore your identity.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:34:01 AM
Activity 1.3 is a good activity that helps develop a sense of cohesion and psychological safety in the group.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 1:31:54 AM
Activity 1.2 is a fun and engaging activity making use of puzzle pieces to clearly demonstrate the importance of developing collaborative perspective.