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Reviewing with Ropes

~ 1 ~ EDITOR: ''LOW TECH'' OR ''HIGH TECH''? I always carry ropes with me because they are an amazingly versatile reviewing aid. (And as a semi-retired rock climber I quite like having  ropes around - even if my reviewing ropes are now no thicker than a shoe lace.) Whether you work indoors or outdoors I hope you will be wanting to put a few ropes in your bag of resources after reading ''Reviewing with Ropes'' - the main article below. For an easy to print version go to: http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/ropes.htm In a world of high technology, ropes may seem very 'Low Tech'. I once attended a seminar about presentation technology where I learned that high technology tends to discourage participation (think 'couch potato'): ''HIGH TECHNOLOGY = LOW PARTICIPATION'' The main message was that if you want high levels of participation go 'low tech'. So I saved myself a lot of money. Ever since that seminar I have been a fan of low technology and high levels of participation. ''LOW TECHNOLOGY = HIGH PARTICIPATION'' I already know of at least one exception to the above rule. It is called an email discussion list. The technology behind email will forever be a mystery to me. But it is a technology that enables participation - because it is so easy to use. And when discussion is focused and facilitated it can be a very rewarding experience. So (as promised in the last issue) I have set up an email discussion list associated with this newsletter. The discussion list (also hosted by Topica) is called 'Active Reviewing Exchange'. It is a forum for readers of Active Reviewing Tips to share, give feedback, discuss, ask, challenge, inform, exchange ideas about reviewing and generally enjoy meeting people with similar interests in this field. I invite you to join me in this experiment. Unlike other discussion lists, this one will only be open on special occasions - starting now! Details are in section 5 below. ~ 2 ~ FEATURE ARTICLE: REVIEWING WITH ROPES Old climbing ropes, washing lines or brightly coloured nylon line make excellent reviewing aids. For some of the methods described below you can draw lines with pen and paper. But in most situations where you have enough space (indoors or outdoors) you and your learners will soon discover that ropes were made for reviewing! The principles are highly adaptable, but I would take a lot of persuading to let go of my ropes! 2.1 OBJECTIVE LINE Recommended use: for reviewing progress against a goal Each individual lays their rope on the ground. The near end represents their starting point (now) and the far end represents their goal (e.g. for the next activity, for the programme or for the transfer of learning). Ask each person to walk slowly along their line into the future towards their goal, pausing for thought in a few places along the way. Ask them to think about what would be happening at each point and how they would be feeling. Once everyone has completed their journey to their goal on their own, ask them to find a partner and talk through their anticipated journey as they walk along the line. Partners then swap roles so that each can do their own ''walk'n'talk'' into the future. So far this exercise has been an 'active preview'. But once there has been an opportunity for participants to make progress towards their goal, they return to their objective lines (with or without partners) and 'measure' their progress by choosing where to stand on their line. In just one move (to a point on a line) each person is making a self-assessment, and is doing so in a way that is instantly visible to others. Once everyone is in place you can ask questions to help people reflect on their own position, or to encourage them to notice the positions of others. In these scattered positions it may be difficult to facilitate a group discussion, but talking to a partner can work well. Tip: Draw attention to ''distance travelled'' as well as to ''distance to go''. For example: ask ''What factors have helped you on your journey so far?'' and ''Will any of these helping forces also be useful later on in your journey?'' Variation: Encourage people to shape their lines to represent the journey being taken (e.g. direct or U-turn or meandering) and to add objects along the way to represent points in their journey. Variation: Tie a knot a few paces before the end of the rope to represent the goal. This makes a bit of extra rope available just in case anyone exceeds their goal and wants to show this. 2.2 SPOKES Recommended use: for reviewing progress against group-related goals This is a variation of 'Objective Line'. Each rope is laid on the ground to make the spokes of a wheel. The outer end of each spoke is the starting point and the centre is the goal. This can be used for individually different goals, but is particularly suitable when looking at goals which have a group dimension or goals that are shared by everyone in the group. For example, the spokes can all be 'listening' spokes. Each person assesses the quality of their own listening during the event being reviewed and then looks around at where others are standing. You could do the same for 'talking', 'supporting others', 'providing leadership', 'speaking up', 'clear thinking' etc. Tip: Ask people to decide their position for themselves and not to be influenced by others. Once everyone is in position, you can ask if anyone feels that anyone else's self-assessment is inaccurate. Participants usually invite each other nearer to the centre - which (depending on the topic) is likely to be a form of positive feedback . (You must decide whether to allow the moving of others away from the centre - as this may be a form of criticism.) Encourage people to give specific reasons about why they would like to move others. Alternative: The spokes can be imaginary. Start off with everyone standing in a circle facing the centre. Ask them to imagine they are each standing half way along a spoke that leads into the centre of the circle. Issue and solution: It can be difficult for everyone to have eye contact with each other once they are in position. This often results in the people nearest the centre paying attention to each other rather than to those further out. This tends to exaggerate the dynamics of the group. Much better for all-round eye contact and group discussion is to have people place an object on their spoke to represent their position. This frees up everyone to stand or sit in a circle around the spokes - making it easier to see each other and the objects representing their positions. Variation: For the end of the course or the end of a group, reverse the polarity of the spokes, so that the inner end now represents the starting point and the outer end represents future goals. Each person walks into the future (simultaneously or one at a time). Whenever someone turns round to look at their starting point they are also looking back at the group - which may be slowly dispersing as others leave. 2.3 HORSESHOE Recommended use: for exposing and discussing different views This reviewing method is a variation of a technique that goes under many names including: 'spectrum', 'line-up', 'positions', 'diagonals' and 'silent statements'. The main difference is that these other methods use straight lines, whereas the 'horseshoe' is a curved line. In this method, you simply define the two ends of the spectrum and ask everyone to stand at a point on the line that represents their point of view. The benefit of the horseshoe shape is that everyone is more likely to be in eye contact with each other - which makes facilitating whole group discussion much easier. For example: One end represents ''We were a pretty good team during that exercise'', the other end represents ''We were a hopeless team during that exercise''. Everyone chooses their point on the line and then talks to one or two neighbours to check whether they need to adjust their own position on the line. Once everyone is in position, encourage questions from participants to each other. Everyone should have a chance to explain their position, after which everyone should have a chance to move to show whether or not their views on the issue have changed. Variation: It may be helpful to choose different points during the activity. E.g. ''How would you each have rated this team before the exercise started?'' ''What was the quality of teamwork like up to the end of the initial planning?'' ... ''What is your personal prediction for the quality of teamwork in the next exercise?'' Variation: Arrange chairs in a horseshoe with the facilitator sat in the gap. Have about twice as many chairs as there are people to make movement easier and to allow for different patterns of clusters and spaces to develop. Variation: This is a useful tool for discussing any issues that can be represented on a spectrum - so it can be used for exploring moral issues or company values as well as for reviewing group exercises. 2.4 GOLDFISH BOWL Recommended use: for focusing attention on the reviewing process itself Make a rope circle on the ground. Divide the group in two. One half sits inside the circle and may talk. One half sits outside the circle and may only observe and listen. People in the inner circle review the previous exercise. After a few minutes the half groups change places and the new inner group continue with the review or comment on the review process they have just been observing. Variation: Anyone in the inner circle can leave at any time, but the discussion does not continue until they have been replaced by someone from the outer circle. Variation: Everyone starts in the inner circle and sits out when they have nothing they want to say. Anyone can move back into the inner circle at any time they want to speak. The review finishes when no-one is sitting inside the circle. 2.5 INDIVIDUAL HAPPY CHARTS Recommended uses: for discovering the diversity of experiences and for enabling the telling of experience-rich stories Each person makes a line graph on the ground showing their ups and downs (emotional highs and lows) during the experience being reviewed. (It may resemble a temperature chart or a sales forecast.) Ensure that there is no misunderstanding about which way is up and which way is down. This is most easily achieved if you happen to be on the side of a hill! Each person now tells their story to a partner or to the whole group. 'Happy Chart' is a useful communication aid that helps people to express themselves emotionally and that brings out the richness of an experience. It is much harder to learn from experiences when they are not expressed and shared. Variation: Encourage participants to add (symbolic) objects to their chart to help them tell the story. Variation: Each person draws their Happy Chart on an index card (for one-to-one sharing) or on a flipchart (for sharing with the group). Applications: Happy charts are useful for bringing out individual differences during a group activity as well as for helping individuals talk about an experience outside the group (e.g. an incident at school or at work). 2.6 GROUP HAPPY CHARTS Recommended use: to discover the degree of individual variation and to increase empathy within a group The group stand in a horseshoe all holding the same rope. One end represents the start of the group event being reviewed. The other end represents - the end! Each person in the group now represents a stage in the event (e.g. planning, preparation, first attempt, second attempt, disaster, conflict, re-planning, bright idea, time up). Ensure that everyone is now standing in the order in which things happened. The group now turn the rope into a Happy Chart. This is the interesting bit. There will probably be some disputes as people learn that there was individual variation in feelings at some points during the event. Allow some conflict to develop if you feel it will be productive, but be ready to offer a second rope. A second rope allows the group to draw two lines - showing the highest highs and lowest lows at each point. (Picture a temperature chart with two lines showing maximum and minimum temperatures.) 2.7 SKETCH MAP Recommended use: for reliving a journey and discovering issues that deserve more detailed review After any event that has involved a journey, ask participants to illustrate their journey with the help of a rope (or ropes) to trace the route taken. Add labels with words (e.g. tie-on luggage labels) or symbolic objects to mark out different parts of the journey. This is best set up as a creative project in an area (indoors or outdoors) where suitable symbolic objects can readily be found. Much informal reviewing takes place during the making of the map. Once the map is complete it can be used as a means of re-telling the story and/or identifying key moments on the journey for more detailed review. Variation: Create a sketch map using more conventional materials e.g. paper, pens, paints, and materials for collage. 2.8 FORCE FIELD Recommended use: for helping groups or individuals to get unstuck Symbolic Tug of War. Safety Note: discourage any real pulling because of the risk of friction burns. Ask the group (or an individual) to set up two tug of war teams. One team represents forces for change and the other team represents forces resisting change. Each individual represents a force named by the group or individual setting up the teams. This is simply an active way of reviewing forces that are in tension. The key question to ask (if change is wanted) is how the forces can be changed to generate forwards momentum - towards change. The advantage of having individuals representing each force is that they can each think about solutions from the perspective that they represent. Dialogue between forces is also possible. Issue and Solution: Having your whole group standing in a straight line is not good for eye contact between group members nor for generating discussion. So have each person tie one rope onto a central rubber tyre or small rope circle. This allows people to pull at different angles. It may be appropriate for some people to pull sideways if they are representing distracting or unknown forces rather than being forces that are clearly for or against change. Variation: Start and finish with written diagrams. Use the tug of war to bring the diagrams alive and to encourage empathy (seeing, feeling and being the forces) and creative thinking. 2.9 ACTIVITY MAP Recommended use: to find out what makes people tick (or not) This is an active and game-like way of sharing likes and dislikes and getting to know each other's values. At the beginning of a course it can also be a useful way of finding out participants' experiences of (and attitudes towards) activities or processes that you are expecting to use in your course. Use two long ropes. Mark the ends of one rope 'Past' and 'Future'. Mark the ends of the other rope 'Happy' and 'Sad'. This creates a quadrant in which the zones represent: - Past/Sad: Activities I'll never do again - Past/Happy: Activities I like doing - Future/Sad: Activities I'll never try - Future/Happy: Activities I'd like to try Call out the name of an activity and ask everyone to go to the zone where that activity would belong on their own personal map. Keep calling out activities, pausing now and again for comments and questions. To make it more of a game (and more risky) let participants call out names of activities. Define 'activities' as narrowly or broadly as you like. 2.10 ACTIVE REVIEWING CYCLE Recommended uses: for enabling well-paced and well-sequenced reviewing and for developing learning skills A full explanation of the active reviewing cycle is at http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle but you can adapt the exercise described below to your own preferred reviewing/debriefing sequence. Create a huge circle with the longest rope that you can find or create four circles representing the four stages of the learning cycle (facts, feelings, findings, futures). If space allows create another circle at the centre for the joker or wild card - as a reminder that no model is perfect and that there are always exceptions. Explain the sequence that learners will be following. If participants need more guidance, then arm them with a handout containing questions such as those listed in last month's Active Reviewing Tips. (Missed it? Lost it? See http://reviewing.co.uk/archives ) Participants now find a partner and walk round the sequence. One person acts as a facilitator while the other responds. After each circuit partners swap roles and/or swap partners. More ideas about what you can do in each zone are described in the tutorial at http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle Variation: Demonstrate the sequence by taking the whole group around the cycle while facilitating a well sequenced review of an activity they have just completed. 2.11 MISSING PERSON Recommended use: for helping a group to assess its needs and priorities Create a rope outline of a body in the centre of the group circle. Explain that this represents a person who can join the group. Ask participants to think creatively about the kind of person they would like this to be. The person will probably share some of the characteristics already in the group (e.g. sense of humour, good looks, friendly, enthusiastic) and may also represent some characteristics that are missing (e.g. time-keeping, leadership, telling decent jokes). Try to bring the person alive by asking for a name, their interests, their strengths and weaknesses. Now pull the rope away with a flourish and ask the group what they will do now that this person no longer exists. The response is not guaranteed, but this often provides a lively and creative way into developing action points. Some groups so like the idea that you will find that the rope body reappears on the ground or that they regularly call out the name of the missing person when they need help. Some take it even further ... 2.12 TALKING KNOTS Recommended use: as a temporary gimmick for encouraging more equal participation in reviews. VERSION 1: This is a variation on 'rounds' or 'go-rounds' or 'conch' or 'talking stick'. It is a way of controlling participation when people are talking over each other. It is also a way of encouraging participation when it is low or uneven. Tie a knot in a rope to make a rope circle. Everyone holds on to the rope while standing or sitting in a circle. The circle should be a suitable size for group discussion. There is just one knot in the rope. The person with the knot in front of them may speak. When that person has finished speaking they start moving the rope in a clockwise direction. The knot keeps moving round until someone with the knot in front of them wants to talk. That person calls 'stop' and holds the rope either side of the knot. Make it clear whether you, as facilitator, follow the same rule. Variation: Tie a second knot in the rope to form a small loop representing the letter Q. Anyone with the Q loop in front of them may stop the rope to ask a question. The original knot works the same as before and is not simply for answering questions - unless you want to make it so. (Thanks to Jim Cain for the original idea published at http://www.teamworkandteamplay.com) VERSION 2: This looks a bit like 'Spokes' above, but is based on 'Matchsticks'. It is a method for encouraging equal participation. Each person ties (say) 5 simple knots in their rope. The ropes are arranged as spokes and everyone sits in a circle. Each time a person speaks, they pull their own rope towards them until their hand is on the next knot. When a person runs out of knots they should continue to listen but may not speak. Interruptions are not allowed, unless you choose to establish and enforce a time limit on how long participants may speak. Variation: This method can also be used for voting or scoring or scaling. You ask a question that can be answered with a number. Each person pulls back their rope 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 knots to show their response. If the pulling is done simultaneously with eyes closed, responses are less likely to be influenced by others - and the effect is more dramatic. MORE IDEAS ABOUT REVIEWING WITH ROPES Your comments, questions, news, ideas and feedback are always welcome: write to roger@reviewing.co.uk Remember that you can also join the brand new discussion list 'Active Reviewing Exchange' and find others who share your interests in reviewing. See section 5 below. For an easy to print version of the above article go to: http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/ropes.htm ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 3 ~ TIPPLES: CREATIVITY AND TRANSFER There are many ways in which the transfer of learning can happen and there are many kinds of transfer. But most writing about the subject is about one kind of transfer (''near transfer'') and one kind of transfer method (action planning). The chances are that much of your work (especially if it is developmental) is about ''far transfer'' which is associated with a deeper and more versatile kind of learning. It is difficult to represent such learning in a plan. The key to ''far transfer'' is creativity. According to Robert Haskell in his book 'Transfer of Learning' (Academic Press, 2001) poets and innovators are 'masters of transfer'. Unfortunately, Haskell's review of the research is short on practical examples. But what is clear is that learners who are creative and innovative increase the chances of ''far transfer'' happening. Don't drop planning (''near transfer'' is important too) but do try to unlock the creative potential in learners if you want them to benefit from ''deep learning'' and ''far transfer''. By using creative reviewing techniques, and by including creative projects in action plans, learners will be creating new possibilities (far transfer) and not simply applying lessons from the past (near transfer). Learning is a creative process. So is the transfer of learning - unless you are simply applying a new routine. An index of creative reviewing methods will follow in the next issue, together with some practical ideas about using creativity in transfer. Meanwhile, feel free to experiment or share your thoughts and experiences. (See section 5 below). ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 4 ~ LINKS: Slow down you're moving too fast Here are links to two articles about slowing down to reflect: CARVE OUT THINK TIME ... ''Here's my dilemma: I teach an hour-and-a-half course that meets twice a week for 15 weeks. How do I get my students to reflect on their lessons? I make personal, process-oriented reflection a real priority by setting aside time for it. Ultimately, you have to slow down to accelerate learning.'' Christine Canabou quoting Sara Beckman at: http://www.fastcompany.com/learning/braintrust/0107.html THE ART OF GOING SLOW TO GO FAST ... ''The first step in effective conflict engagement is developing the art of going slow to go fast. When people in conflict rush to solutions before fully understanding the parameters and causes of the conflicts they seek to address, they often end up solving the wrong problems. Instead, conflicting parties need to learn new frameworks for fully defining and analyzing their conflict before selecting an intervention strategy. in The"ARIA" Approach To Conflict Engagement from The Systems Thinker® Newsletter Vol. 11, No. 10 by Jay Rothman http://www.pegasuscom.com/levpoints/rothman.html ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 5 ~ NEWS: 'ACTIVE REVIEWING EXCHANGE' IS BORN This is a brand new discussion list for readers of Active Reviewing Tips. Think of it as the letters page of a printed journal - but more dynamic and interactive. ''Active Reviewing Exchange is a discussion group for members of the Active Reviewing Tips newsletter (also hosted at Topica). This group is for facilitators to exchange ideas stimulated by the newsletter and to help each other develop ideas and practices in active learning. The focus is on maximising learning from experience - using reflection and discussion or more creative and dynamic methods.'' I know about information overload and the demands on your time if you join and participate in a discussion list. So I have set up this new list in a way that I hope appeals to your sense of priorities. 1) It is a moderated list. This does slow down the process of sending and receiving emails but it saves you from receiving spam or other unwanted emails. 2) For virus protection, it is a text only list that does not allow email attachments or html coding. 3) For your privacy, your email address is only known to others if you send them an email. 4) For your time management (and mine) the list will be open for limited periods only - usually for about 10 days following the publication of Active Reviewing Tips. 5) For focused discussion, I will be providing facilitation if needed. I also hope that participants will facilitate. For example, if you introduce a topic I hope you will also want to respond to follow-up postings on the same topic. 6) For managing your own (free) membership, you will find information at the end of every email. 7) I have called the discussion list an 'exchange' to encourage people to be active participants, but silent membeers are also welcome. I hope you will try out this new service and help to make it work well for you and others. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 6 ~ SITE UPDATE: What's new at http://reviewing.co.uk Reviewing with Ropes http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/ropes.htm An easy to print version of the main article in this issue. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 7 ~ QUOTE OF THE MONTH: Each story influences all the others. ''Like these old pocket watches, Systems Thinking helps people combine stories (the gears) into a comprehensive model.  Each story influences all the others.  Each story, if changed, alters the others.  Most importantly, from the person's perspective that is telling it, each story is sane.  Systems Thinking provides a blameless picture of the whole problem so that it can be solved as a whole.'' Lou Russell http://www.russellmartin.com POSTSCRIPT If you want (or can give) advice or ideas about reviewing with ropes, please get in touch.

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