2.7
Expanding Thinking with Metaphors
Submitted by Lori Britt
Metaphors are unusual comparisons that can help us see things in new ways. This activity stimulates creative discussion by encouraging the group to challenge their assumptions and default thinking.
Learning Goal
Practice using metaphors as a strategy to expand thinking and generate new ideas.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Organize participants into small groups (4-6 ppl).
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Introduce a Problem (5 min)
Select a problem facing your community. Share this problem on the board, screen, or chat. Without adding much detail, ask each participant to take 5 minutes to write down their thoughts. Prompt:
Write down whatever comes to mind as it relates to this topic.
Step Two: Use Metaphors to Expand Thinking (5 min)
Invite each participant to describe the problem using metaphoric language. For example, the cost of tuition is a sparrow caught in a tornado.
If participants need additional help, share some of the following examples:
How is this problem like (insert any metaphor you prefer)
… a vegetable garden?
… rush hour traffic in a large metropolitan area?
… learning to use a computer?
… a computer virus?
… an adolescent going through puberty?
Step Three: Discuss Metaphors in Small Groups (10 min)
Invite participants to share their metaphors. Discuss how the metaphor applies to the topic. Invite participants to build on what they hear and craft new metaphors together.
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (20 min)
Invite each small group to share one to two of their favorite metaphors. Discuss:
Look back on your notes from the beginning of this session. How has the use of metaphors helped you to see the issue in new or expanded ways?
How did you feel when you were asked to generate metaphors quickly? How did this compare to generating metaphors as a group? What insights, if any, does this spark for you?
TIME
40
min
MODULE
Creative Collaboration
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
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.
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
Sovi Herring
May 30, 2024 at 6:42:10 PM
This activity is great when a group is comfortable sharing thoughts--but it is modified to be more introspective at first. There are two versions of this, one to recognize "normalized" feelings, the other is labeled "extreme" as the group was practicing navigating high emotion. This first one covers parents, cats, dogs: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IvLsBe_FtDG6twalxiKxBHEdt99gJR1V/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113770591818162655510&rtpof=true&sd=true This one is to recognize more difficult to talk about feelings of fear, disgust, etc.: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NkZoBCJ3iI5VbkqmjqVuW-_I36MBASOW/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113770591818162655510&rtpof=true&sd=true
Sovi Herring
May 30, 2024 at 6:28:11 PM
This activity was modified for a Business & Professional Communication class. It is best when the groups have gone through the guidelines activity to help facilitate how to communicate and even the 3.4 ambiguity. This is a difficult activity if the class is uncomfortable speaking (and in my case they were very adverse to discussing these in any group). Here is how I set it up (along with a print out of the words). It is modified to fit the business world, but worked well as a concept. https://liveduq-my.sharepoint.com/:p:/g/personal/herrings1_duq_edu/EWr2jxM5HLlNmgWvYA43gwwBmoBYJP9juGJDD4m1M2H0BQ?e=TYnsVb
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