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Innovations in Reviewing

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~ 1 ~ EDITOR: Old and New? Did you enjoy last month's edition about Economical Reviewing? If you missed it or lost it you can find a copy in the archives at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/archives/art/7_4.htm> If 'economical' reviewing did not excite you, maybe 'innovative' reviewing will? Have you noticed how everything from marmalade to cars is advertised as being simultaneously old and new? Advertisers know that both 'cutting edge' and 'traditional' can be good selling points. Their favourite trick is to persuade consumers that a product is both old and new. Is this a sign of smart advertisers or is it a sign of discriminating (greedy?) consumers who want the best of both worlds? In the world of learning, I think most participants appreciate a bit of both - a sound theoretical foundation and innovative ways of bringing the theory to life. The theme of 'old and new' runs throughout this issue, starting with 'innovative reviewing' (next).

~ 2 ~ TIPS ARTICLE: Innovative Reviewing Participants in my reviewing workshops often ask where certain tools and techniques come from. Knowing the history of how particular tools have developed might be of value to you in two ways: Firstly - knowing the background may help you to use these reviewing tools more effectively. Secondly - knowing more about the process by which these tools were created, might just whet your appetite for developing your own reviewing tools. This article will help you to tap into your own powers of innovation. But why invent or develop new tools when there are so many ready-made ones to choose from? Is it not better to use a few tools you know well and just add some ready-made, tried-and- tested methods when you want a bigger and better toolkit? Why go to all the trouble of inventing something new? (Although if you think of inventing as 'trouble' you might never get started.) Have you ever found that new methods tend work best when you first use them? That is my experience. I think that my new ideas work particularly well when they are a response to the needs of the group and are tailor-made. Whereas when I use a technique for the umpteenth time I may be relying too much on the technique (thinking ''this technique works well'') without thinking enough about the immediate situation and the nature(s) of the people I am working with. But old, well-used, established techniques have many advantages too. Over time, the techniques develop and improve. Your accumulated experience of using a technique does increase the chance that it will work well - but only if you are also fully alert to the situation in which you are working. I know there are many other benefits arising from working in innovative ways, but rather than writing an essay about innovation, I will instead let you into a few 'secrets' - about how some of my reviewing methods were born. In fact, until writing this article I had kept these 'secrets' from myself - because this is the first time I have systematically reviewed where my ideas come from. I hope this exercise in reviewing the origins of reviewing methods will awaken or sharpen your own innovative instincts while also providing a few tips along the way. [If you want more information about individual techniques, see the link at the end of this article.] So where did these reviewing techniques come from? Here are my brief explanations: * Deliberate creativity with colleagues ... (Both examples also happen to involve books) METAPHOR MAPS - a reviewing friend (thanks Dig) who gave me a book (The Atlas of Experience) with the message "What a gift for reviewing!'' The method has developed in many directions from that starting point. REVOLVER - deliberate creative thinking with colleagues wanting to develop new reviewing techniques. [A fuller version of this story is included as a case study below.] * A happy accident (arising from participants' creativity) ... MISSING PERSON - a happy accident. The person who didn't turn up was given a name and a character and became almost as much a part of the group as the real people in the group. * To stimulate creativity ... THE JOKER - wanting to introduce more initiative and intuition into the way in which the Active Reviewing Cycle was being interpreted and applied (too routinely). * The lack of resources, leading to creativity ... ACTION REPLAY - after learning this method with a camera I found myself without one. Endless variations have developed thanks to the many participants who have taken this concept in some wonderfully strange and surprisingly useful directions. * Developing variations of a method that works well ... BRIEF ENCOUNTERS - I learned the blank card version from Jim Cain and have since created my own sets of questions for reviewing experiences on specific themes. PREDICTIONS - realising that predictions are often more powerful than plans, and so exploring ways of working with predictions. * Finding a new use for an old method THREE THINGS - adaptation of a storytelling method I came up with to make bedtime storytelling more interactive and fun. The challenge of making connections between apparently unconnected events is a useful strategy for aiding the transfer of learning. ACTIVITY MAP - originally devised as part of a course on programme design. I then found an even better use for it as a reviewing tool. CHARTING SUCCESS - applying Disaster Charting to charting of achievements. This was part of a deliberate development of success-focused reviewing techniques. INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISTS - adaptation of a story-telling method I developed when teaching English. The story only comes out if the audience ask good questions. I have since discovered connections with the Visitor Technique in Active Tutorial Work. JUST A MINUTE - a straight copy of a well-known radio programme but when reviewing, the subject is always a reviewing topic. * Recognising the shortcomings of an existing method and doing something about it ... CHOCOLATE REVIEWS - on feeling too teacherly when using the conch or talking stick or match sticks to encourage more equal input in discussions (a wonderful way of quietening loud people and loudening quiet people). HORSESHOE - wanting to enable all-round eye-contact and a better shape for group discussion when people stand in line on a spectrum showing where they stand on an issue. ALTERNATING ROUNDS - to make rounds more engaging and balanced. SNAKES AND LADDERS - wanting a playful adaptation of Force Field Analysis that would allow people to map their world and experience different future scenarios. WARM SEAT - my dissatisfaction with the discomfort of Hot Seat and of how it contravenes the accepted principles of giving and receiving feedback. PIE CHART WITH ROPES - wanting to scale things up in a large group. STORYTELLER'S CHAIR - partly inspired by Just a Minute (because challengers can take over from the storyteller) but this version makes it easier to occupy the chair because the storyteller can choose to vacate the chair at any time. QUESTIONS FOR SUCCESS - on noticing that open, neutral questions often get negative responses, I realised the need to ask questions focused on success to stimulate a more balanced review. * Seeking greater efficiency HAPPY CHART VARIATIONS - to speed up a slow process (the original Happy Chart process takes ages). JOGGER CARDS (aka Goal Keepers) - wanting an unobtrusive way to give instant feedback and speed up the learning cycle. TANDEM REVIEWING - wanting a way of bridging the real world and the training world that considers both as a source of learning. * Responding to needs during a programme ... SLIDING CARDS - managers wanting ways to improve meetings. SOLO CHALLENGE (aka Anyone Can Veto Anything) - wanting to give some individual space in a team programme while also providing an intensive team experience. Yes it's possible! CARD SURVEY - having a lot to review in a short time and wanting to cover everything in depth. Still needs improving to get closer to this impossible goal! DECIDING LINE - an emergency 'filler' that has turned out to have many applications for consensus decisions, team development, creative thinking and developing the concept of 'appreciative competition'. THEATRE OF THE ABSURD - individuals returning from a 24 hour solo all had stories to tell to the 9 others in the group. All were interested but tired: it would be tough on the last storyteller (and on their audience). So all the audience became performers in each other's story. Unexpected benefits resulted. FOOTBALL METAPHORS - searching for a common language while working with a group of apprentices who knew their way around the world of football more than any other world (and so drawing on their interest and knowledge). * Turning principles into practice ... OBJECTIVE LINE - wanting to create a physical way of applying the principles of solution-focused thinking. ORBITS - to give control of 'rounds' to learners (in keeping with the principle of encouraging learners' curiosity and responsibility for their learning). APPRAISAL REPORTS - redesigning the structure of these souvenir reports so that they aligned more closely with the programme philosophy (of self-development aided by peer appraisal). FUTURE WALKING - wanting to generate a realistic experience of the future to make it (just) possible to apply experiential learning principles and methods to the future. * Turning research findings into practice ... MAKING LEARNING STICKY - a practical application of principles I have found in my study of the transfer of learning. THE ACTIVE REVIEWING CYCLE - arose from studying how experienced colleagues were (intuitively) sequencing their reviews. * And finally ... A VOTE OF THANKS - the only beer-fueled invention on this list. A hilarious climbing club dinner where nobody was to be left out of speech-making or of having a speech made about them. It just happened this way. The reviewing technique is more deliberate - and is alcohol free. That's how these 36 reviewing techniques were 'born': sometimes as a result of careful planning, sometimes due to quick thinking, sometimes it's just a happy accident or pure inspiration. But none of these ways of innovating would come to pass if they were not driven by a determination to do a job well, together with an understanding of the basic principles of how to bring the process of experiential learning alive. Such determination is usually sensed by participants - most of whom (in my experience) will appreciate customised innovation over standardised routines. * For further reference ... Section 8 below tells one of the above stories in greater detail. Most of the above techniques listed above are described at: <http://reviewing.co.uk> Enter the name of the technique in the search box. INNOVATIONS IN REVIEWING The most cost-effective way of receiving training in reviewing skills (new and old) is to get a group of people together with this common interest and get in touch - wherever you are in the world. If you prefer to do the calculations in advance see: <http://reviewing.co.uk/profile.htm#cli> - or just ask. Email: <roger@reviewing.co.uk>

~ 3 ~ TIPPLES: New Stories in Reviewing Why are stories so important when learning and developing through experience? New experiences are most valuable when there are also opportunities to create new stories. How learners talk about their experiences indicates what they are learning and how the experience is affecting their development. Telling stories is the 'method' that we naturally use to tell others about our experiences. There are, of course, many ways in which a facilitator can intervene in this 'natural' process - and there are many good reasons for doing so. In the age of sound bites, instant communications and crash courses for quick learning, do we have time for the telling of stories? Both 'story-making' and 'story-telling' can be the key to learning from experience. These processes can be enhanced by a variety of 'story-based' reviewing methods. 30 such methods are described in this section (follow the link below). But given that learning through stories has been happening throughout human evolution, what you find here is a very small sample of what is possible! <http://reviewing.co.uk/stories/intro.htm>

~ 4 ~ BOOKSHOP: New Books, New Deals NEW BOOK REVIEW Outdoor and Experiential Learning: An Holistic and Creative Approach to Programme Design Andy Martin, Dan Franc and Daniela Zounkova (2004) Roger's detailed review of this fascinating approach to programme design: 'dramaturgy' (sounds like a word from a Gilbert and Sullivan song). <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/outdoor-and-experiential-learning.htm> NEW BOOKS RECENTLY ADDED <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/new.htm> A Widening Field: Journeys in Body and Imagination Miranda Tufnell, Chris Crickmay This is a handbook for working in the creative arts, with an emphasis upon imagination and receptivity: to our bodies, to our surroundings, our materials, and to what we create. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking M.Neil Browne, Stuart M Keeley This book helps readers bridge the gap between simply memorizing or blindly accepting information and the greater challenge of critical analysis and synthesis. Beyond Traditional Training: Develop Your Skills to Maximize Training Impact Ken Marshall A self-improvement guide for trainers, showing how to develop personal skills to increase the impact and effectiveness of training. Developing Intuition: Practical Guidance for Daily Life Shakti Gawain Most people learn to suppress the natural connection to their intuition, and were trained to solely rely on their logical, rational mind. The Hidden Intelligence: Using Intuition for Critical Business Decisions Sandra Weintraub Explores what intuition is and is not, and why it is often hidden. All of these books are listed and reviewed on one page at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/new.htm> NEW BOOK ADDED to the 'UNDER A FIVER' section Tune Your Brain: Using Music to Manage Your Mind, Body, and Mood Elizabeth Miles Explores the power of music in relation to motivation, mood, and behavior while explaining how different types of music create varying levels of power in the mind and body.  The full (categorised) 'UNDER A FIVER' list is at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/bargain-books.htm> DO YOU PREFER READING BOOKS TO READING COMPUTER SCREENS? I don't ask for donations for Active Reviewing Tips, but I do ask you to visit the Active Learning Bookshop. Just like high street bookshops you are welcome to browse without buying, but this bookshop is even better - it specialises in books about active learning. Take a look.

~ 5 ~ TRAINING CALENDAR: Reviewing Workshops and other events GERMANY: Johan Hovelynck FACILITATION - What Makes Your Program Truly Experiential? 2 day workshop for advanced practitioners with Johan Hovelynck November 22nd (18:00) - 24th (17:00), 2004 at Altenkirchen, Westerwald, Germany. Details: http://www.four-teams.de/facilitationfourteamsworkshop2004.pdf or write to Bernd Rademachers at <mailto:info@fourteams.de> NETHERLANDS: Roger Greenaway REVIEWING SKILLS FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINERS Friday 4th - Saturday 5th February 2005 in the Netherlands (conducted in English) This is Roger's fourth open workshop in the Netherlands. Details: <http://reviewing.co.uk/netherlands-reviewing.htm> Enquiries: <mailto:info@traintrainers.com> FUTURE EVENTS: Roger Greenaway Open events in which I will be providing training in reviewing and related subjects: Hong Kong, Denmark, South Africa, Norway. Dates and venues will be announced via this newsletter and on my website at <http://reviewing.co.uk/_news.htm> INNOVATIONS IN REVIEWING: Roger Greenaway The most cost-effective way of receiving training in reviewing skills (new and old) is to get a group of people together with this common interest and get in touch - wherever you are in the world. If you prefer to do the calculations in advance see: <http://reviewing.co.uk/profile.htm#cli> - or just ask. Email: <roger@reviewing.co.uk>

~ 6 ~ WHAT'S NEW at http://reviewing.co.uk The main additions are new books at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/new.htm> and my review of Outdoor and Experiential Learning at: <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/outdoor-and-experiential-learning.htm>

~ 7 ~ QUOTE: Failure in competitive exercises reduces learning Newell and Ibbetson investigated a series of outdoor courses in which teams were encouraged to compete with each other for points. Members of some teams believed they were operating worse by the end of the course, and the experience had a negative impact on their perceptions of personal benefits. (Not surprisingly, these were the teams with the lowest scores!) A follow-up study was made of a similar programme, except that competition was avoided and no points were awarded at the end of an activity. In this situation there were no significant differences between the different teams' responses to the course. The researchers concluded: "This strongly suggests that it was the fact of  'labelling' those people in the 'losing' teams, so that they came to see themselves and their teams as failures, that led to the deterioration in perceptions of team effectiveness and personal benefits." Newell, S. and Ibbetson, A. (1995) 'Evaluation Matters', Practical Training, 23-24 (research summary presented at the British Psychological Society's occupational psychology conference, January 1995)

~ 8 ~ CASE STUDY: The Birth and Growth of Revolver The pessimist/optimist version of Revolver is probably the most widely used of the reviewing techniques I have trained others to use. It is a reviewing exercise that promotes the transfer of learning. Here is an account of its innovation and development ... Revolver is a revolving discussion that was inspired by a game of volleyball that was (in turn) inspired by Terry Orlick's Cooperative Sports and Games Handbook. These events all happened during a staff training weekend at Endeavour Scotland where I was working as a training consultant (around 15 years ago). In the game of volleyball, as well as rotating within teams after each point, there was also rotation between teams. This rotation meant that at the end of the game everyone had spent about as much time in the winning team as they had in the losing team. I didn't notice anyone trying less hard because the make up of the teams kept changing. If anything, the novelty of the idea added to everyone's motivation. This simple rule change allows the seemingly impossible to happen - a competitive game that does not create losers. You can enjoy the benefits of competitive play without creating losers. If only this were possible in learning! Well it is. By copying the pattern of the fully rotating volleyball game, we created the reviewing technique now called Revolver (or, more recently, Turntable). This technique has been around for many years and feedback from those who use the technique together with my own experiences of using it have resulted in a growing list of tips, variations and applications that build on the original concept. One of the main innovations has been the creation of a third 'side' for listening, or for asking questions, or for lateral thinking. Each of these 'third side' options was introduced to prevent the discussion becoming too polarised. Despite the fact that people spend equal time on both sides of an argument, they can end up being 'stuck' in the position where they finished. On recognising this problem, it is now standard advice to rearrange people and furniture to mark the end of what can easily turn into a role play exercise (depending on how much people exaggerate or contradict their real views). Participants are also given the opportunity to disassociate themselves from views they expressed 'in role' rather than 'from the heart'. Before 'Revolver' was developed, one of my favourite end of course reviewing activities (for assisting transfer) was a version of the Gestalt 'Empty Chair' exercise. Individuals would speak their pessimistic predictions to an empty chair, then change chairs and speak their optimistic predictions to the chair they had just vacated. (Their mumblings were drowned out by fairly loud music). I find that Revolver has many advantages and few disadvantages compared to 'Empty Chair'. Always doubtful about the value of competition in learning, it was no surprise to me to find that research 'strongly suggests' that failure in competitive exercises reduces learning. I am sure that applies to the reviewing part of the learning process as well. Revolver provides a way of having a good debate without creating losers. Is that called squaring the circle? So a strange game of volleyball has turned into a reviewing technique that has links with Gestalt therapy, role play and findings from research about competition in learning. Revolver is most valuable as a discussion format that helps people to explore different sides of an issue. After taking part in such an even-handed discussion participants will probably have a better understanding of what the world looks like from an unfamiliar perspective. They may change their view as a consequence, but they will have at least considered (and even experienced) other positions. They are wiser because they have tried out other possibilities. A few years ago, Revolver turned a full circle (so to speak). I was working with youth club leaders who were concerned about the negative impact of the experience of losing during their annual competitions event. So part of the training involved using the Revolver technique to debate the pros and cons of competition. It was back to the roots because the original concept was inspired by a game inspired by the 'Cooperative Sports and Games Handbook'. If only Bernie de Koven's 'Junkyard Sports' existed at the time, this training event might have been even more revolutionary and even more fun! * For further reference ... Full reviews of both cooperative games books: <http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/index.htm> Revolver: <http://reviewing.co.uk/discuss/discuss2.htm> Turntable: <http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/big-picture-reviewing.htm>

~ 9 ~ INTERACTIVE: New Era for Active Reviewing Exchange The Discussion Group related to Active Reviewing Tips has just re- opening for two weeks to discuss any issues, ideas, tips, links, feedback, etc. arising from this issue of Active Reviewing Tips. To help you (and me) manage email commitments, the list will be opening for two week periods about 5 times a year. If it turns out to be too much, unsubscribing is easy. If it's not enough, let me know and we'll find some other way of satisfying your interest in the subject! List Name Active Reviewing Exchange (ARTips Exchange) Purpose: Active Reviewing Exchange is a discussion group for subscribers to the Active Reviewing Tips newsletter. 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. Current Membership: just 23 people! Opening times: approximately 5 times a year for periods of two weeks. The open now - until Friday 12th November. I am looking forward to getting to know a few more readers and sharing a common enthusiasm - about 5 times a year. See you there? POSTSCRIPT Do you have any innovative reviewing ideas you would like to share with a wider audience?

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