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2.3
Seeking Innovation
Submitted by Jack Byrd, Jr.
This activity describes a simple practice for generating innovative ideas. By using mind mapping, participants describe the landscape of an issue and then use word connections to generate new ideas that can be developed into workable and innovative new directions.
Learning Goal
Practice using “good word connections” as a strategy for sparking innovative thinking.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Select a topic or area of concern that is important to your group.
If possible, take inventory of what participants already know about this topic prior to the first gathering. This could be collected using an asynchronous mind map platform, like mindmeister.com.
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Take Inventory (10 min)
If participants completed an online mind map in advance, share this with the group. If not, take inventory of what the group already knows about the selected topic. This can be done on a board, flip chart, or online (try mindmeister).
Step Two: Introduce and Play with Word Connections (20 min)
Introduce the process of making “word connections.” Model how to combine random words from a “good word list” and then explore how these words might lead to new avenues of exploration. You can make up your own list or use the IF Good Words List.
Using the list of good words, randomly combine a verb, noun, and adjective. Overlay this word combination with the mind map to see what connections might be made.
Ask each participant to try making a word connection and then invite a couple of participants to share their words and how these specific words helped them to generate a new idea or the beginning of a new idea for the topic.
Step Three: Expand on Word Connections (10 min)
In pairs or small groups (3-5 ppl), invite participants to play with this exercise for an additional ten minutes. They can work together to randomly combine three words and then explore how this combination applies or can apply to the topic. This second step will force them to think creatively together and make connections that are not obvious at first glance.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Discuss:
How was the initial list or mind map helpful? How does taking inventory help situate this activity?
Describe the struggles that you had in using the word combinations to generate possible innovations.
How might you coach others to overcome those struggles?
Which were your favorite ideas that came from the word connection process?
How or when might you use this process again?
TIME
50
min
MODULE
Creative Collaboration
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 might be considered high energy or more playful than other activities.
This activity can be easily modified to serve as an introductory exercise and completed in less than 10 minutes.
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0 Comments
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:39:23 AM
Activity 5.4 uses the fun method of role playing and builds on other activities to help participants develop questions and practice gathering information to collaborate effectively with communities as partners. This activity involves working together in small groups and as a large group. It also includes multiple additional resources for participants to continue learning methods and skills to build community partnerships.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:39:00 AM
Activity 1.8 provides a very useful survey to gather information on and help support participants' different discussion styles and needs, exploring various areas like preferences for group size, ways of participating in discussions, any fears relating to discussions, etc.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:34:46 AM
Activity 5.8 further explores direct democracy by proposing the idea of "legislative juries" to improve the current initiative process through collaboration and deliberation. This activity uses role playing to have participants practice deliberation as part of a mock legislative jury to craft ballot initiatives on a given issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:27:35 AM
Activity 5.7 uses a fun and tactile activity like building LEGOs to explore the effects of coming together to colloborate and discuss, while also participating together in another physical activity.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:22:49 AM
Activity 5.6 uses memes and futuristic zombie scenarios to develop ways to change people's minds, while exploring various aspects of the methods used to change minds, like assumptions behind ideas, sticking to the facts versus stretching the truth, appealing to emotions etc.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:16:44 AM
Activity 5.5 uses a fun and visual/craft activity to help participants explore the many different types of knowledge, how they are valued, and the role/importance of each type of knowledge in their own lives.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:11:54 AM
Activity 5.3 gives participants to use writing, drawing, and/or speaking to share and discuss the various communities they belong to and/or feel excluded from, the various aspects that define community, as well as the practices of inclusion or exclusion and power distribution in these communities.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:07:26 AM
Activity 5.2 introduces four categories of stakeholders and multiple prompts to help participants work together in small and large groups to create comprehensive list of stakeholders, including those who are marginalized or not as obvious, for a given issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:04:00 AM
Activity 5.1 uses gamification by having participants play the Civics Topics Sweet Sixteen Competition to identify their issues they are passionate about both as individuals and as a group.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 2:01:34 AM
Activity 4.9 uses both lighthearted and serious characters, topics, and dialogue to help participants practice viewing an issue from the perspective of multiple people/characters and explain their thought processes and rationale for the choices they think these people will make in a given situation.