List of the best group facilitation techniques and methods to aid idea generation in small groups, raise energy and help encourage group decisions. The clarity of the instructions can make or break an activity. At the end of the session, group members are invited to give feedback to every other member of the group via post-it notes. There are only a few rules guiding the structure of the event, and the agenda is created by the people attending. If you find yourself as the lead facilitator of the group discussion, here are three things you can do to guide your group through a dynamic and helpful conversation: 1. encourage everyone to participate. She began the session by drawing input from many in the audience, who shared various reasons why they wanted to facilitate classes, discussions and meetings. 3 tips for facilitating group discussions Monday, December 10th, 2012 by Adrian Segar Most of us have had to suffer through a “discussion” occurring in the presence of a large number of people, most of whom never get an opportunity to speak. Someone is asked to present back after a group session and it gets unfocused. In case you have a large group, it works most effectively if you split up the group to circles of 10-15 participants, in order to keep the feedback round under five minutes. Copyright © 2020 NASJE. (E.g. These large group games put an emphasis on fostering trust and openness for better collaboration and manage team dynamics effectively. Mon - Fri 9.00 - 17.00 +44 (0) 1635 890450 However, I STRONGLY recommend having someone who is very familiar with the system run it during your session. There are several pedagogical practices—supported by various features of Zoom—that can help you facilitate discussion, including ways to encourage creativity in responses. This version has an extra debriefing question added with sample questions focusing on roles within the team. True False Run For instance, you may ask them to focus on a simple question: “What will I achieve by a certain date?”. Open space group activities can be incredibly productive, though remember that there is a degree of self-determination here, and the individual groups in the open space are only as good as their members and the set-up of the open space. Often done at the end of a workshop or program, the purpose of this exercise is to support participants in applying their insights and learnings, by writing a letter and sending it to their future selves. As the strategy leader, you have seven activities to which I recommend you pay close attention to build a strong strategy that has full buy-in and commitment. A selection of group activities follows. Be sure to call on participants in different areas of the room and from all different groups (gender, age, ethnicity, etc.). This is fun and loud energizer game based on the well-known “Rock, Paper, Scissor” game. It is one of the hottest buzzwords of today, easily found in articles and in the news. DON’T FORGET to clarify how the activity or discussion that’s wrapping up ties into the overall purpose of the session–help the participants process, generalize, and apply the information/lessons. The facilitator does not voice an opinion with regard to the content of a group’s discussions, does not sponsor agenda items, has no stake in the outcome of discussions, and is unbiased about the subject matter. It also means including a strong debrief of the activity. Give specific time limits and instructions. While the World Café is a structured process to encourage the cross-pollination of ideas in a large group, the Conversation Café is structured to begin a dialogue regarding a provocative or complex question. Discussion activities, also referred to as formats, help guide participants through a group discussion. Look no further! We invite you to share them! This blog post is so awesome! Some instructors avoid group activities with report backs because they know they won’t have time to hear from every group. Very few of us feel like we'll have all the right answers, or that we can handle whatever curve balls will be thrown our way (and there will be some! Participants switch tables periodically and getting introduced to the previous discussion at their new table by a “table host”. Limit your own opinions and input in order to give the entire group … Some navigate ocean liners or captain luxury yachts; others row boats or paddle life rafts, while a few of us make dangerous passage in a leaky “Father’s Day,” but despite our differences we somehow all manage to navigate perilous waters. It’s easier to follow the rules if you know what they are. They can define key actions that they would like their future self to take, and express their reasons why change needs to happen. Often times, the stick will rise first . These group activities will help you to initiate meaningful conversation in the group, provide a starting a point for focusing on teamwork and collaboration, and importantly give engaging tasks to participants in which they work together. Let your assistants know what your expectations are, for instance: taking microphones around the room for comments/questions, lowering the front lights for video clips, helping people get into appropriate-sized groups, circulating during activities to answer questions, etc. Not every parent feels comfortable with discussion-oriented activities; this is where a facilitator-led conversation comes into play. 3 . For Facilitate work group activities: Facilitating positive group activities A work structure that works as a group maximises staff member’s contribution as well as offers a range of opportunities to influence outcomes and get feedbacks. Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament Think about whether you want a mix of differently abled children in each group or a mix of different personalities in each group. The combination of comments, questions, ideas, and insights shared in a discussion become a knowledge base created by that group.” – Maryellen Wiemer Instead, the facilitator is in charge of the meeting process – “how” the meeting will progress through the agenda topics. - Ask the group to brainstorm ideas - Ask the group to identify pros and cons of a position rather than having individuals explain or defend a position - Divide the group in half, being sure each half includes representatives of different viewpoints and ask each group to develop one side of the argument You’re welcome, that’s wonderful to hear, Syd . Let us know about your experiences in the comments. Facilitating Political Discussions from the Institute for Democracy and Higher Education at Tufts University is designed to assist experienced facilitators in training others to facilitate politically charged conversations. This method allows you to leverage the whole group’s intelligence and ensure everyone will be included. Simple and elegant! For instance: –Let the learners know that you are collecting and will compile and distribute lists from groups; –Offer to answer questions following the presentation; –Have a chart near the entrance to the room where ideas and questions can be written to be addressed in later sessions; etc. 1. To make sure that those groups stay focused on the topic and use the time productively, I often have instructions that include additional tasks that build on the initial one. Be cautious about darkening the entire room for any length of time—try to adjust the lighting so that visuals are easily visible but so are you and the participants. Facilitating In-Person Classes with Remote Students. Here are a few tips for working with a group this size Have tables set up with five participants per… Secondly, discussions have power derived from their uniqueness. If you will be calling on table groups to share ideas with the class, consider having a centerpiece with the number (or letter) of the group highly visible to make it easier to refer to a particular table: Group 1, Group A, etc. With larger groups, some students will not participate. The written instructions might be on a PowerPoint slide–if they can fit on one slide in 36 point font–or they might be on handouts. The education and business fields are going crazy over it, books are written about it, and service designers, creative agencies, career coaches, trainers and facilitators are using it.…, ©2018 TrainedOn OÜ Stories behind workshop plans, post-its and markers. Test it in advance – see how it looks from the back of the room. World Café is a simple yet powerful method, originated by Juanita Brown, for enabling meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that are relevant and important to them. Group discussions are common in a democratic society, and, as a community builder, it’s more than likely that you have been and will continue to be involved in many of them. Margaret R. Allen of the National Center for State Courts was announced as the 2019 Karen Thorson Award winner at NASJE’s Annual Conference in October in Denver. The Thorson award goes to a NASJE member who has made a significant contribution to both NASJE and judicial branch education nationally and is NASJE’s highest recognition of excellence and contributions to the field of judicial branch education. The inside group discussed “Live” as I monitored for a grade, the 2 groups on the outside held a conversation online about the same question. It can be played with adults of all levels as well as kids and it always works! When teachers wait at least three to five seconds after a question, they allow time for greater engagement and achievement. Limit your own opinions and input in order to give the entire group … You can tap the know-how and imagination that is distributed widely in places not known in advance. Day-to-day employment, recreational and social activities no longer exist for that person in the same way. Facilitators create a cafe-style space and provide simple guidelines. The Magazine Basic Theme by bavotasan.com. Here’s a rundown of all of the group activities before we dig in a little deeper. I will be facilitating a lot of group reflections and discussions for a leadership development program. As mentioned, you should give time cues when nearing the point where an activity or discussion needs to be wrapped up. We have collected some easy-to-apply large group games and group activities for you from the SessionLab library of facilitation techniques that work well for group size above 30 people. Always have a back-up plan in case technology fails. Set your ground rules upfront. facilitating groups is different from teaching, some have found it helpful to let each individual practice facilitating a section of the materials for this ... One of your group members hasn’t been participating in discussions or group activities. Facilitating larger groups provides a different set of challenges for the facilitator. The final morning of the NASJE conference in Charleston, South Carolina began with the choice of one of three different breakout sessions. Often used as a closing activity, it aims to facilitate feedback, generate positive energy and create a sense of team. Of course, this takes follow-up, but it’s worth the time both to the instructor, who gets a lot of good ideas for future sessions, and to the participants, who get their ideas acknowledged and have a concrete take-away from the session. Breakout Rooms: For small group, discussions try Zoom breakout rooms. Instead, if you determine you have 1-2 louder people in the group, set a broader expectation like, “Let’s hear perspectives from four different people on this.” 8. Strategies for Facilitating Group Activities. List of the best group facilitation techniques and methods to aid idea generation in small groups, raise energy and help encourage group decisions. We have collected some easy-to-apply large group games and group activities for you from the SessionLab library of facilitation techniques that work well for group size above 30 people. It allows a group to quickly see which options are the most popular among a set of opportunities available. Remember that a bigger room often requires bigger gestures if you want the impact to reach all the way to the back of the room. The structure of this method enables meaningful conversations driven completely by participants and the topics that they find relevant and important. This book is a valuable addition to the therapist’s toolbox. The marshmallow needs to be on top. An introvert-friendly workshop This group activity helps to maintain attention and forces everyone to stay concise during a closing round with a natural limit: You are only allowed to share your opinion with just one breath – that is usually no longer for 30 seconds for most people. This is an idea generation method that is really easy to scale into large groups, yet still allows every participant to actively take part in the process. If they push back, stand firm and reinforce the value of seeing from others’ perspectives. If you’re not sure how many people will be attending and you don’t want participants sparsely scattered around the room or clustered at the back, have enough seats for the highest number anticipated but put “Reserved” signs on the tables at the back of the room. Many of these activities are perfect for my team and department–Thanks!! Also: your personal credibility matters a great deal here. Use lettering at least 2” high when writing on white boards or flip charts. The great thing about this exercise is that it works whether you’re looking for a small group activity or large group game – it scales very easily and requires very little preparation! This article will discuss general approaches to creating productive interaction in large classes as well as specific tips on how to do it. Quite a vast collection of games I would say. As I reflect upon the past and present years in my role as NASJE’s President, I think of the adage, “we may all be in the same storm, but we do not all have the same boat.” This may be a novel concept for some, but for us it’s very much how we weather the storms we face daily. Respect the many voices in the room and create situations where everyone can learn from each other—that’s what facilitating is all about. Basis our own experience in facilitating many such large group interventions, ... there is always a risk that relevant discussions may get cut short if the facilitator is too rigid on time given for discussions. If you’re in a room with fixed tables and/or chairs, it’s still relatively easy to have people work in groups of 2-4. This is a feedback round in just one breath that excels in focusing everyone’s attention for a closing or feedback round. Also give oral time cues during activities to keep the process efficient: “We’re about halfway through.” “Two minutes left – don’t forget to choose a spokesperson.”. The facilitator doesn’t need to be an expert in the content - the “what” - of the meeting. As this group activity tends to get loud, it’s best to play it somewhere outside. It is less overwhelming deciding how to get a large number of people to interact meaningfully and within time limits in your session if you think of participation on every level, from individuals to pairs, small groups, and the entire class. If groundrules are established early, it’s also easier to respectfully redirect inappropriate behavior by calling back to the groundrules. Make sure someone (not you) is in charge of monitoring seating needs, for instance, removing “Reserved” signs or distributing more chairs. ... A Free Association is a simple technique that quickly draws on, and captures, the true expertise of the group. Remember that you should close a session with the same attention and enthusiasm you started with. But what if you need to run a session where you have many more participants? This goes on until a final showdown with two large cheering crowds! In a good classroom discussion, you can feel the learning happening! It is a great group activity to establish creative confidence, collaborate effortlessly and build capacity for working together as a workshop-group. ... giving people the chance to have one on one discussions with many different people in the group. Group facilitation is an important management skill that can really help a team achieve their goals in the most effective and constructive manner. Group activities like this benefit from the setting of the right tone – make sure to get this right before you begin! By applying facilitation strategies such as those described below, instructors can help students learn to work collaboratively and ensure that group work improves learning for all. 150 More Group Activities and TIPS – Judith A. Belmont. The converse is true for large groups. If you’re pretty sure there are questions or comments but that people are hesitant to speak up (and you’ve invited the questions and paused for responses), start it off yourself: “A question people often ask is_________.”. I bring a (pleasant sounding) bell to assist in getting people back from breaks, and also to regain their attention when a small group discussion/activity is wrapping up. The presentation part is practical to do in smaller groups. Just when blue skies and smooth sailing seemed to be in our future, COVID-19 created the perfect storm and challenged our navigational skills. Pairing up is the easiest, quickest way to get everyone involved, but it’s also easy to have one or two people interact with people at the table in front of or behind them. Are you looking for opener activities to kick-off meetings and workshops? 3. Larger small groups, those with more than 4 or 5 people, generally require more time and planning to make sure everyone is involved, but there are things you can do to minimize the time issue. This gives people with a more reflective learning style the chance to formulate their ideas, and having the chance to write something down first provides a “safety net” for less confident participants. When explaining the task, tell the group that you will post the cards/letters in X number of months, and that they should take that into account when writing. Remote workshop design made easy – get started for free! For instance, I might have instructions for the group to “Spend 5-7 minutes brainstorming at least 10 ideas for solving (problem). The feedback should always happen one-on-one, shared verbally. One person stands in the middle of the circle as “the sheriff”, pointing at other players who must quickly crouch while those on either side of them quickly “draw”. The Marshmallow Challenge was developed by Tom Wujec, who has done the activity with hundreds of groups around the world. Each person votes for the options they think are the strongest, and that information is used to inform a decision. Going one step further–to small groups of three or four people–is quite manageable in large classes in virtually any setting, and it doesn’t need to take a lot of time if the reason for and task of the group are well-conceived and the instructions are well-communicated. Often, students do not have the skills or expertise needed to work effectively in small groups (Shimazoe and Aldrich 2010). This number of learners in a small group allows varied perspectives while limiting the time necessary for group processing and also keeping the logistics fairly simple (members don’t need to move, are still able to hear each other, etc.). If you’re looking for energizers for large groups, this is one of the best group games to help get people excited and raise the energy level. Large group games where participants have something to show at the end can be especially effective and can really set the stage for a productive, interactive workshop. Participants are engaged—with the content and each other. Remember that workshop activities should not be limited to large group games. You will discover other methods for employing group work that best match your own teaching style and your students' needs. A few of these activities are described below. 8. Do you need some large group games to get people moving and raise the energy level in the room? o Six Principles of Adult Learning: These basic principles remind us of characteristics of adult … The key for successfully achieving these goals in large groups is to have big group games that can be easily run in smaller groups in parallel: This group activity helps group members to get to know each other better through a creative drawing exercise: Each participant draws their own coat of arms – a design that is unique to themselves, representing important characteristics, achievements and values of its owner. Key Learning Points. You do not want to be the one who has to run it, troubleshoot it if necessary, and facilitate discussion of the results. The Helium stick group activity gives a simple challenge to teams that require teamwork and coordination to manage. How then, should you finish the day? Chances are you have. Here are some specific tips on handling the complexities of interaction in large groups so that it’s a more productive experience for everyone: TIP #1 – GIVE CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS – IN WRITING The task is to lower the stick to the ground while everyone’s index fingers stay in contact with the rod. Participants point with their index finger and hold their arms out in a way that a stick can be horizontally laid on their index fingers. Large group games with a sense of competition can be great for bringing people together – try mixing teams if you’re working with multiple departments and encourage people who don’t normally interact to work together in this group activity. This is a fun and loud group energizer based on the well-known “Rock, Paper, Scissor” game – with a twist: the losing players become the fan of the winners as the winner advances to the next round. Our comprehensive list helps participants gather information, solve problems, and share their ideas and knowledge. 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