Aim:

  • To enable brainstorming and idea generation.

Resources:

  • Papers
  • Pencils/pens/markers

Basic Structure:

  • Present a broad question or problem that is likely to result in lots of different ideas or opinion.
  • Have the participants generate responses by writing ideas on sticky notes (one idea per note) and placing them in no particular arrangement on a wall or whiteboard.
  • Once lots of ideas have been generated, have the participants begin grouping them into similar categories.
  • Label the categories and discuss why the ideas fit within them, how the categories relate to one another, and so on.

Variations:

  1. Have the participants do much of this exercise—recording their ideas and arranging them into categories—without talking at first.
  2. Participants are asked to re-combine the ideas into new, different categories after the first round of organization occurs.

Adapted from: www.cultofpedagogy.com/speaking-listening-techniques/