For this assignment, you should prepare an experience that is active, interactive, relevant, and strikes a balance between simplicity and complexity (that is, make it simple enough to easily participate in but complex enough to accomplish the goal of the activity). Newstrom & Scannell (1980) suggest these types of activities or “games” usually: are brief (1-30 minutes), are inexpensive to implement, activate multiple senses, use props, are low-risk, are adaptable, and are used to illustrate a single point only (p. xiv). Examples of games that meet these standards will be provided on Canvas. Do not use any “getting acquainted” activity/icebreaker.
Please choose one of these to base the experiential learning activity on: openness, support, trust, personal style, action orientation, leadership, decision-making, conflict, responsibility, innovation, conflict, networking, etc
PLANNING THE ACTIVITY
The experience itself should be outlined by including the following headings and addressing subsequent prompts (adapted from Newstrom & Scannell, 1980 and Brooks-Harris & Stock-Ward, 1999).
TITLE
OBJECTIVE
1. What is the topic?
2. What are the goal(s)/learning objective(s)/and/or theme(s)
3. What are some commonalities in participant’s experiences?
4. When, in the life-cycle of a group, should an activity like this occur?
5. What kind of experience have the participants probably had with the topic?
6. Where are you likely to find groups that would most benefit from an activity like this?
PROCEDURE
1. What kind of interaction pattern do you want to promote?
2. What needs to be prepared by the facilitator(s) before the activity?
3. What instructions should be made available to the facilitator but not the participants?
4. What instructions will be provided to the participants? Note: sections 3 and 4 should be very detailed so that anyone with a copy of this document should be able to accomplish them.
5. How will the activity be debriefed? Note: this section should also be elaborate. DeWine (1994) suggests that twice as much time should be spent in the debrief as you did in the activity. In the debrief:
a. Participants should be given the opportunity to describe
i. What they did in the activity
ii. Why they may have behaved atypically
iii. What they thought about
iv. How they felt
b. Participants should offer interpretations regarding
i. What this activity could be teaching them about their team
ii. The likelihood this activity would have occurred the same way in other groups. Why or why not?
iii. How the experience has changed the group or the individual
iv. What they would do differently if they were asked to play the game again
v. What they will remember about the experience
c. Facilitators should
i. Summarize the responses of the participants
ii. Identify the skill/concept the activity was designed to develop
iii. Connect what you know about that skill/concept to the activity
6. How will the activity be assessed?
7. Other important issues or concerns
MATERIALS REQUIRED:
APPROXIMATE TIME REQUIRED and SOURCES
WRITTEN REPORT EXPECTATIONS
Prepare a report that follows the following format:
- Cover page
- Abstract – 1 page including
- o Activity Summary
o Rationale for Activity
o Summary of Anticipated Results of the Experience - Review of literature on selected concept – 2-4 pages identifying what is already known about the concept your activity was designed to develop.
- Composition of Activity–1-2 pages sharing the “logic in use” description of how the activity was constructed and the participants were selected. What decisions did you make? Why did you think those decisions would result in the outcomes you intended?
- Anticipated Results-2-4 pages describing what occurred on the day you performed your activity. Did the activity do what you thought it would? Why or why not? How do you know/could you prove that the participants or group improved in the concept area you intended?
- Complete activity instructions
- Optional: Diagrams of the activity, handouts participants receive during theexperience/debrief, etc.
- References in APA Format
