Designing Learning Activities

When you have twenty or so people in a room and you wish for them to interact and learn from each other - here are some powerful and effective strategies

Reflective Listening

This is a low body energy, high spirit energy activity. Keep it sacred.

• Leader gives intro "The aim is to listen, to the participants’ perspectives and to your responses (make notes)"
• Topic is presented
• (Possible warm up in pairs)
• Leader asks for one participant to give their perspective
• Leader asks/decides whether to go clockwise or anti-clockwise around the circle
• Pause (for about 30% of the speaking time) after each participant has spoken, to encourage reflection
• Participants may ‘pass’ on the first round. There will be one more round
• First round is complete when everyone has passed or spoken
• Second round is ONLY those who passed on the first round
• Participants may ‘pass’ on the second round too (last chance)
• Second round is complete when everyone who passed has spoken or passed

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Connecting People

This is a high energy, almost combatative activity. Keep it real. Keep it civil.

• The aim is to reveal which participants have the same and different perspectives on a given topic.
• Topic is presented
• (Possible warm up in pairs)
• Leader asks for one participant to share their perspective aloud to the group.
• Leader asks/decides whether to go clockwise or anti-clockwise around the circle. This establishes the turn-taking around the circle.

Be strategic
Take care to alternate strategically between bringing out the similarities and bringing out the differences. Asking about similarities will build concensus, a sense of right-right, we agree, we are right, we are alright. Asking about differences will build competition and a sense of I am right / You are wrong. Let's fight about this!

Bring out the similarities.
Pause after each participant has spoken, to ask:

• “Who else has a similar perspective?”
• “Who here believes this (what’s just been said) to be true?”
• “Who supports this idea / perspective?”
• “For who (here) does this seem true?”

Bring out the differences. 
Pause after each participant has spoken, to ask:

• “Who else has a different perspective?”
• “Who here believes this (what’s just been said) is not wholly true?”
• “Who is against this idea / perspective?”
• "Who has a different idea / perspective?”
• “For who (here) does this seem untrue?”

Break and rotate
After every two or three perspectives, notice which participants are over-energised, or under-energised. Break the circle turn-taking pattern to invite immediate verbal contributions of perspectives from them, "Can you give us an example of that?".

Be careful to return to the right place in the circle turn-taking to continue.

Raise the Energy
To raise the energy in the group ask the participants to (in order of increasing energy and commitment): 

1. Raise their hands/arms
2. Stand up (by their chair)
3. Stand in the middle of the circle (next to a leader)

Leader encourages visibility by inviting the participants:

• “Stand up if you have a similar perspective”
• “Who stands behind this (what’s just been said)?”
• “Who supports this idea / perspective? Raise your hand.”
• “For who does this seem true? Come and stand by me!”

Lower the Energy
To lower the energy in the group, ask the participants to:

• Be seated
• Close their eyes
• Breathe deeply three times
• Write down their learning