Here is a closing activity that requires teams of participants to produce a summary poster. Later, the participants conduct two types of evaluation (of the process and the products).
Session 1. Posters
Purpose
To review and summarize the key ideas from the training workshop.
Time
15 minutes
Supplies
Handout, Instructions for Preparing Posters
Flip charts, one for each team
Set of felt-tipped markers of different colors, one for each team
Timer
Whistle
Flow
Organize teams. If the participants have been working in teams during the earlier sessions, keep the teams intact. Otherwise, organize the participants into four or five teams, each with at least two members. It does not matter if some teams have an extra member.
Brief the participants. Distribute copies of the handout with the instructions. Ask the participants to review these instructions. Answer any questions.
Start the activity. Send different teams to different corners of the room where the flip charts are located. Remind participants to turn the flip charts around so the members of other teams cannot see their poster. Start the timer and ask teams to get started.
Monitor the activity. Walk around the room observing different teams in action. Speed up slower teams by announcing how much time is remaining.
Conclude the activity. Give a 1-minute warning. Blow the whistle at the end of 10 minutes. Ask participants to leave their flip charts and gather in the middle of the room.
Begin the next session. Start this session away from the flip charts.
Session 2. Poker Chips
Purpose
To provide feedback to team members and to other teams.
To explore the differences between
- individual and team evaluation
- process and product evaluation
- inclusive and exclusive evaluation
Time
15 minutes
Supplies
Handout, Instructions for Process Evaluation
Handout, Instructions for Product Evaluation
Paper cups, one for each participant and an extra one for each team
Poker chips, 13 for each participant and an extra set of 13 for each team
Timer
Whistle
Flow
Brief the participants for process evaluation. Distribute copies of the handout, Process Evaluation Instructions. Ask participants to review the instructions. Answer any questions.
Start the activity. Distribute individual paper cups and 13 poker chips to each participant. Ask participants to write their name on the paper cup and place it on the table. Tell participants that they have 2 minutes to reflect on their earlier activity and decide how to distribute the poker chips among the other members of their own team. Remind participants that they should not drop any of their poker chips into their own paper cups. Start the timer.
Set up the posters. Tear posters from different flip charts and tape them to the wall in random order (so no one can figure out which team created which poster). Place an empty paper cup below each poster.
Conclude the process-evaluation activity. At the end of 2 minutes, blow the whistle and announce the end of process evaluation. Ask each participant to pick up her or his paper cup and count the number of poker chips. This number indicates how the members of their team evaluated their relative contribution to creating the poster. Thirteen poker chips indicate an average level of contribution.
Brief the participants for the product-evaluation activity. Distribute copies of the handout, Product Evaluation Instructions. Ask participants to review the instructions. Answer any questions.
Start the product-evaluation activity. Give 13 poker chips to each team. Ask team members to study each poster and jointly decide how to distribute the 13 poker chips to reflect the relative merit of each poster. Remind participants that they should include their team's poster in this relative evaluation process (and try to remain objective). Start the timer and announce that they have to complete the evaluation and drop their poker chips in appropriate paper cups within the next 5 minutes.
Conclude the activity. Give a 1-minute warning. Blow the whistle at the end of 10 minutes. Ask each team to count the number of poker chips in their paper cup. If there are more than 13 poker chips in their paper cup, their poster is rated to be above average. Fewer than 13 poker chips indicate that the poster is rated to be below average.
Debrief the session. To help participants get the maximum learning out of this activity and to ensure reflection and sharing of insights, conduct a debriefing session. Use the six-phase debriefing model (with these key questions: How do you feel? What happened? What did you learn? How does this relate to your workplace? What if--? What next?). Include these specific questions to emphasize concepts related to evaluation and feedback:
Evaluating your team members' contribution focused on the process. Evaluating the relative merits of different posters focused on the product.
What are the differences between process and product evaluation? Which one is more important? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two types of evaluation? When would you conduct process evaluation and when would you conduct product evaluation?
When you evaluated the contributions of your team members, you worked as an individual. Later, when you evaluated team posters, you worked as a team.
What are the differences between individual evaluation and team evaluation? Which one is easier? Which one is more objective? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two types of evaluation? When would you conduct individual evaluation and when would you conduct team evaluation?
When you evaluated your teammates, you did not include yourself as one of the people to be evaluated. This is exclusive evaluation. When you evaluated the posters, you included your team's poster among the items to be evaluated. This is inclusive evaluation.
What are the differences between exclusive and inclusive evaluation? Which one is easier? Which one is more objective? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these two types of evaluation? When would you conduct exclusive evaluation and when would you conduct inclusive evaluation?
Handout
Instructions for Preparing Posters
Task
Create a poster that summarizes the key points covered in this training session.
Audience
The poster should be designed for participants attending future sessions of this training program.
Intended Use
The poster will be placed on the walls of this room during future training sessions.
The poster has to be self-contained. Nobody will explain its purpose or content.
The purpose of the poster is to provide a preview of the training contents.
Content
·The poster should summarize key points covered in this training session.
Constraints
Your poster is limited to one sheet of flip chart paper.
You can only use the colored felt-tipped markers supplied to you.
You cannot paste or attach anything to the poster.
Process
All members of the team should jointly produce a single poster.
You may refer to the workshop handouts and your notes.
Time Limit
10 minutes
Handout
Instructions for Process Evaluation
Task
Evaluate the relative contributions of the other members of your team.
Time Limit
5 minutes
Steps
1. Collect your supplies. Get a paper cup and 13 poker chips from the facilitator.
2. Personalize your cup. Write your name on the paper cup and place it on the table.
3. Do a comparative evaluation. Think back on how your team designed and produced your poster in the previous session. Recall how different members of your team participated in this activity.
4. Distribute poker chips. Decide how you want to distribute the 13 poker chips among all other members of your team in such a way that number of poker chips given to each person reflects her or his relative contribution to the production of the poster. Remember these constraints:
You have to distribute all 13 poker chips.
You may not give yourself any of the poker chips.
You have to give more poker chips to team members who contributed more to the production of the poster.
5. Drop poker chips in paper cups. Secretly drop the appropriate number of poker chips into each paper cup with a team member’s name.
Handout
Instructions for Product Evaluation
Task
Evaluate the relative merits of the Posters.
Time Limit
5 minutes
Steps
1. Collect your supplies. Send a representative from your team to get 13 poker chips from the facilitator.
2. Do a comparative evaluation. Silently study the posters from all teams (including your own). Move to a convenient location and discuss the relative merits of the posters with other members of your team.
3. Distribute poker chips. Decide how you want to distribute the 13 poker chips among the different posters in such a way that number of poker chips given to each poster reflects its relative merit, in comparison with the other posters. You may use any criteria for evaluating the posters. Remember these constraints:
You have to distribute all 13 poker chips.
You should include your poster in the evaluation process (but you should compare it with the other posters in an objective fashion).
You have to give more poker chips to the better posters.
4. Drop poker chips in paper cups. Secretly drop the appropriate number of poker chips into the paper cups placed below each poster.
5. Compute the scores. Count the number of poker chips in each cup. Identify the poster that received the greatest number of poker chips. Congratulate the members of the team that produced this poster.