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Questions for Reviewing

Active Reviewing Tips 5.1   Questions for Reviewing
  1. EDITOR: Active Reviewing Tips
  2. TIPS: Questions for Reviewing
  3. TIPPLES: Maps and Empathy Test
  4. LINKS: Debriefing, Icebreakers, Learning Styles
  5. NEWS: Open Workshops in 2002
  6. SITE UPDATE: What's new at http://reviewing.co.uk
  7. QUOTE OF THE MONTH: Aliveness

~ 1 ~ EDITOR: ACTIVE REVIEWING TIPS
 
Active Reviewing Tips is back after a long break. Thank you for
your patience (or for subscribing if you have just done so!).
I hope this issue has sneaked past your filters and firewalls and
finds you ready for more ideas about Flipchart-Free Facilitation!
 
My 'Facts, Feelings, Findings, Futures' reviewing sequence is
turning up in surprising places. (If this sequence is not
familiar to you, see
http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle for an
explanation.)
 
This sequence is now being used to train call centre service staff as a
sequence for responding to incoming calls. It is being used for
accident investigation. It is being used for reviewing in the
outdoors where the card symbols representing the sequence
(diamonds, hearts, spades, clubs) are painted on wood and fixed
to the trees. It is being used to train internal consultants in
consulting skills, and it is used in turn by these consultants to
review their clients' interventions and meetings that take place
in their organisations.
 
So if you have found or used this sequence in any strange places
or interesting situations, please let me know. I am forever
learning about new possibilities and applications. I am
fascinated by how ideas spread and how they are developed and
adapted. Evolutionary theory highlights the importance of
adaptation for survival. So why do we talk about the 'transfer'
of learning rather than the 'adaptation' of learning? This is an
issue I explore in my transfer of learning workshops (see below)
and will cover in future issues of this newsletter.
 
In this issue, the main tips section is about QUESTIONS. Whatever
your preferred style of reviewing or facilitation, you will
almost certainly be an asker of questions. Questioning is an
essential skill for any facilitator. You will find examples of
questions that are useful at different stages of the reviewing
cycle. You will also find ideas about different ways of using
questions.
 
Following 'TIPS' is 'TIPPLES' - a chance to sample topics that I
will return to in more detail in later issues.
 
Something else to look forward to is 'Inter-Active Reviewing
Tips'. I have decided to experiment with a discussion list
focused on active reviewing. More details in the next issue. Even
in this newsletter format, interaction is possible - and welcome.
Your comments, questions, news, ideas and feedback are always
welcome.
 

~ 2 ~ TIPS: QUESTIONS FOR REVIEWING
 
These questions are based on the active reviewing cycle which is
described in full at:
http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle
It is possible to focus on one particular theme, such as
'SUCCESS':
 
1. FACTS
Success story:
describe what happened - focusing on successes along the way.
 
2. FEELINGS
What feelings do you associate with these successes?
 
3. FINDINGS
How did you succeed? What was your recipe for success?
 
4. FUTURES
How can you build on this success?
Success breeds success. How can you help this process?
 
Below are sets of multi-purpose questions associated with
each stage. If you want to stay focused on 'success' (or any
other topic) I am sure you can find ways of adapting these
general questions:
 
1. FACTS (diamonds)
 
Tell the story of the event in five chapter headings.
Make a short news report covering What? Who? Where? When?
Did anything unexpected happen? Any surprises?
Did anything very predictable happen?
What was most memorable / different / interesting?
What were the turning points or critical moments?
What happened next? What happened just before?
What most influenced your attitude and behaviour?
What did you think /hope / fear would happen, but didn't?
Describe the event from the perspective of ...
(e.g. a young child, your boss, a reporter from ...)
Describe your role from the perspective of ...
 

2. FEELINGS (hearts)
 
FEELINGS
Name five feelings that you experienced.
 
CONTRASTS
What were your personal highs and lows?
What were your most contrasting experiences?
 
INVOLVEMENT
At what points did you feel most and least involved?
 
EMPATHY
Who did you feel was going through similar/different emotions?
 
SELF CONTROL / EXPRESSION
At what points were you most aware of controlling/expressing your
emotions?
 
CONNECTIONS
Did you get a sense of 'déjà vu' at any time? What previous
experience was this most like?
 
ESSENCE / INTUITION
What music (instrument/song/style) would have suited the event?
(or not)
 
METAPHOR / INTUITION
If you were a ... (e.g. something found in the kitchen) during
that event, what would you be?
 

3. FINDINGS (spades)
 
Why ...?
e.g. why did you take the role that you did?
 
How ...?
e.g. how did your feelings influence what you said or did?
 
What are you finding out?
e.g. about yourself / the group / the topic?
 
Regrets? Missed opportunities?
e.g. What would you like to have done differently / more of /
less of?
 
Achievements?
e.g. How (or how well) did you achieve your group/personal
objectives?
 
Opinions, judgements?
e.g. What was most/least valuable?
 
Feedback, appraisal?
e.g. What did you appreciate about others?
 
Links, connections?
e.g. In what ways was the experience like/unlike work?
 
Learning processes?
e.g. What is helping/hindering your learning?
 
What have you found?
Gold? A message? Questions? A solution? Energy? Synergy? ...
 

4. FUTURES (clubs)
 
BENEFITS
How might this experience benefit you in future?
 
CHOICES
What possibilities and choices can you see?
 
CHANGES
What will you stop / start / continue?
 
ACTION PLAN
What do you want to take forwards from this experience?
Why? How? When?
 
LEARNING PLAN
What do you want to explore further? Why? How? When?
 
PREDICTIONS
What are your pessimistic and optimistic predictions about the
real value of this event?
 
PRIORITIES
I will be disappointed / pleased /delighted if ...
 
RE-AWAKENING
This event has renewed my ...
 
The above questions are listed on an easy to print page at:
http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle/questions2.htm
 
The question now is what you do with these questions! It may
sometimes be appropriate to ask a question to the group and wait
for the first response. But if you like the concept of 'active
reviewing' you will soon be looking for more dynamic ways of
using these questions. Here are some possibilities:
 
Prepare four sets of ready-made cards with each set corresponding
to each of the four stages of the above reviewing sequence.
 
BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
Shuffle and deal the first two sets (FACTS and FEELINGS) - one
card to each person.
Ask everyone to interview a partner based on the question on
their own card (for about one minute each).
Everyone then swaps cards with their partner, finds a new partner
and the process is repeated (for as long as you or they want).
 
SURVEY
Shuffle and deal the third set of cards (Findings)
Pairs choose one of their cards and carry out a survey by
visiting everyone else (together or separately) noting their
responses to their chosen question and then reporting back on
their findings to the whole group.
 
STATEMENTS
Spread out the Futures cards and ask everyone to identify a card
that they want to respond to. Each person then makes their
'future' statement to the whole group.
 
You may have noticed that in the above process the facilitator is
setting tasks rather than asking questions. But it may need to
ask other kinds of questions to assist the reviewing process,
such as:
 
- When setting up BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: ''Is anyone not happy with
the card they have been dealt?'' (Allow them to adapt the
question, take a spare card or write their own question)
 
- At the end of BRIEF ENCOUNTERS: ''How easy / difficult was
that?'' ''Did you discover anything about yourself?'' ''Did you
learn anything new about someone else (that is not
confidential)?''
 
- At the end of the SURVEY: ''Have you learned anything new or
surprising from the surveys of others?''
 
- At the end of STATEMENTS: ''How can we best go forwards from
here?''
 
You will never run out of questions - however many you give away!
 
You may be wondering why the first two stages (facts and
feelings) are mixed together when using cards. This is partly to
speed up the process. It is also because the distinction does not
always matter when your purpose is to get people communicating
about what happened. In this exercise both 'facts' questions and
'feelings' questions serve as triggers to encourage people to
tell their story. These trigger questions should also provide
fresh and interesting angles that encourage participants to
're-view' their experience with new eyes.
 
If you want to make question-based reviews more active than
having participants walk around with question cards, then ask
participants to respond to the questions in active ways e.g. by
asking them to show, demonstrate, re-enact, draw, mime, perform,
create or find something that represents their answer.
 
Your comments, questions, news, ideas and feedback are always
welcome.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
~ 3 ~ TIPPLES:
 
MAPS and LEARNING JOURNEYS
 
Have participants create their own metaphorical maps on which
they can represent their learning journeys. Such maps can include
places such as: Sea of Possibilities, Safe Haven, Mountains of
Work, Pool of Relaxation, Stretch Zone, Swampland, Play Area,
Shifting Sands, Road to Nowhere, Stream of Ideas, Point of No
Return, Moving Goalposts, Launch Pad, Laughing Water, Terra
Incognita. For a reviewing tool participants tell their story
while tracing their journey across their map with a finger. They
can add extra places on their map as needed. A wonderful source
of inspiration for such ideas is at:
http://www.worldofexperience.com
where you can make your own map (for a fee).
 
More uses of maps in future issues.
 
 
Pairs (Person A and Person B) stand back to back following a
paired or group exercise in which they have just taken part. Ask
A to guess something about B that can be shown in terms of a
spectrum. Questions can be about feelings e.g. ''How much did B
enjoy the activity?'' or about opinions e.g. ''How impressed do
you think B was with the quality of teamwork?''. Hand high = very
much. Hand low = not very much. Both A and B put their hands in
position while still back to back, and on a signal they jump
round. 'A's will suddenly discover how accurately they knew,
guessed or 'intuited' B's response. Repeat with a question about
A's feelings or opinions. Alternate for as long as you or they
like. Invite the participants to suggest suitable questions.
 
More empathy exercises in future issues!
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
~ 4 ~ LINKS: DEBRIEFING, ICE BREAKERS, LEARNING STYLES
 
DEBRIEFING LINKS
 
The July 2001 issue of Thiagi's Play for Performance newsletter
includes a tool-kit section on debriefing games
http://www.thiagi.com/pfp/Generic/july2001.html#ToolKit
 
The September 2001 issue of Thiagi's newsletter includes an
interview with Roger Greenaway entitled ''The Game after the
Game'' followed by a description of ''Action Replay'':
http://www.thiagi.com/pfp/Generic/september2001.html#GuestGamer
 

ICEBREAKER LINKS
 
Many people visit http://reviewing.co.uk looking for icebreakers,
but you won't find very many, even though many icebreakers do
involve people talking about past experiences - which is a kind
of reviewing. One of my favourite icebreakers is asking people
about their least favourite icebreakers - followed by my
favourite which is 'success cards' - described at
http://reviewing.co.uk/success/icebreaker.htm
 
If anyone ever tells me that 'success cards' is their least
favourite I will need to trawl through these icebreaker pages
looking for inspiration:
 
 
Garry Platt recommended these sites in a message sent to
http://www.ukhrd.com which, incidentally, has an excellent
archive search where you will find many answers to questions
about training.
 
'Diversity Icebreakers' (1994) and 'More Diversity Icebreakers'
(1996)  by Selma Myers & Jonamay Lambert are available from
http://www.amazon.com
 

LEARNING STYLE LINKS
 
David Kolb's site has a useful FAQ about learning styles:
http://www.learningfromexperience.com (FAQ is top right)
 
Peter Honey's site has a lot of information about learning styles
and the opportunity to find out your own style online:
http://www.peterhoney.com
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
~ 5 ~ NEWS: OPEN TRAINING WORKSHOPS in 2002
 
April 17th-18th, Ripley, England (see below)
April, Hong Kong (provisional)
May 16th, Glasgow, Scotland
September/October, South Africa (tba)
November 28th-29th, Elspeet, Holland.
 
The emphasis of each workshop is different.
Please enquire for more information.
Further details:
roger@reviewing.co.uk
 

HOW TO TRANSFER LEARNING
and give your training lasting impact
 
This is an intensive trainer-training programme
with Roger Greenaway, Reviewing Skills Training
at Log Heights, Ripley Castle, North Yorkshire
on Wednesday 17th April - Thursday 18th April, 2002
 
Topics include:
 
- how to help learners develop strong links between their course
experiences and their everyday world.
- how to organise reviews towards the end of a training course
when there is 'too much' to review.
- how to integrate appraisal, feedback, learning plans, action
plans and evaluation into your programme.
- how to review a lot in a short time
- how to help learners test their plans
- how to evaluate the training you provide
- how to review your own experiences of facilitating reviews.
- how to develop strategies for your own continuing professional
development in reviewing skills.
Log Heights has since evolved into
Azesta
- same castle, same Shirley, more twist
 
If you are interested in attending or hosting a reviewing skills
training event in your home town or country, please write to
roger@reviewing.co.uk
 

TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN THE UK
During the period April - June 2002 I will charge no more
than £100 for travelling to anywhere in the UK for workshops of 2
or more days booked at least 2 months in advance. There are such
good special offers on trains and planes that I can get to many
destinations for much less than £100.
 

TRAINING WORKSHOPS OUTSIDE THE UK
With enough warning I can get return fares to most European
destinations for under £200 and most other destinations for under
£400. I will be pleased to investigate flight costs if you are
thinking about hosting a workshop.
 

NEWS AND EVENTS PAGE
http://reviewing.co.uk/_news.htm
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
~ 6 ~ SITE UPDATE: What's new at http://reviewing.co.uk
 
How Transfer Happens - new article
http://reviewing.co.uk/articles/transfer.htm
 
Critiques of Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory - extended.
http://reviewing.co.uk/research/experiential.learning.htm
 
The Active Reviewing Cycle - revised and extended.
http://reviewing.co.uk/learning-cycle/index.htm
 
Active Learning Books and Reviews - new titles and reviews
http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews
 
Is you favourite book about active/experiential learning
included? Please send me an email or take part in the survey at
http://reviewing.co.uk/reviews/survey.htm
The results will be published here in Active Reviewing Tips.
Recommended books will be added to the bookshop.
 
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
~ 7 ~ QUOTE OF THE MONTH: ALIVENESS
 
Aliveness of the body ... vivid reality ... sharp perception ...
capacity for feeling ...
 
Could there be some common ground here with active reviewing?
 
''A person experiences the reality of the world only through his
body.....If the body is relatively unalive, a person's
impressions and responses are diminished.  The more alive the
body is, the more vividly does he perceive reality and the more
actively does he respond to it.  We have all experienced the fact
that when we feel particularly good and alive, we perceive the
world more sharply.....The aliveness of the body denotes its
capacity for feeling.  In the absence of feeling, the body goes
'dead' insofar as it's ability to be impressed by or respond to
situations is concerned....It is the body that melts with love,
freezes with fear, trembles in anger, and reaches for warmth and
contact.  Apart from the body these words are poetic images.
Experienced in the body, they have a reality that gives meaning
to existence.''
 
Alexander Lowen, The Betrayal of the Body, MacMillan, New York,
1967, pp 5-6

POSTSCRIPT
Your ideas, views, questions, links or comments about questions in reviewing are welcome. It is a theme to which I am sure to return!

Each month Active Reviewing Tips brings you:
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