Embracing Failures: Activities
Ice-Breaker Activities:
Ice breaker #1: Relate your name to a picture
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online/in-person
Participation: group
Duration: 5-10 minutes Based on the number of the participants
Instruction: Each learner will talk about the random picture given by the instructor using their name as the third person. For example, if the name of the learner is Julianna and the picture is a tree, the learner (Julianna) says: “Julianna had a tree house when she was 9.”
Ice breaker #2: Three adjective
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online/in-person
Participation: 2+
Duration: 2-5 minutes Based on the number of the participants
Instruction: Learners make pairs. Person A comes up with three adjectives to describe person B. Person B will pick one adjective from them that person B thinks that adjective describes them and tells person A why. Then they switch roles.
Ice breaker #3: Be the client
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online/in-person
Participation: small groups of 5-6
Duration: 5-15 minutes Based on the number of the groups
Instruction: The learners make small groups. The group is tasked with describing a problem as if they are the client. Each person in the group contributes 1 sentence of details about the problem. They must attempt to make the problem make sense.
Ice breaker #4: Anyone who …
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online/in-person
Participation: around 5-6 people
Instructions:
Online: Learners will be in the main hosting room for this game. All participants will start with their cameras turned off. The facilitator asks for example “anyone who likes snow”. Those that answer yes turn their cameras on for seconds and then turn the camera off waiting for the next “anyone who
In-person: The game can extend into ‘anyone who’, with the person in the middle calling out something that is true for them, if it is true for other participants, they are to find a new seat. If they do not find a seat in time, they become the person in the middle of the circle.
Note: Credit of this activities goes to Ben Finley
Additional notes for instructors: For the online version, note that if participants do not feel comfortable turning their camera on, they can use the chat box instead.
Main Activities:
Activity #1: Lead & Follow, Trust
The aim of this activity: In this activity the learners will be practicing trusting others.
Mode of delivery: Synchronous in-person
Participation: group
Duration: 10-15 minutes Based on the number of the participants
Materials: Enough space for participants to move around comfortably as a group.
Instruction: The learners make a line, close their eyes with a band in a way they don’t see at all, and put their hands on the shoulder of the person in front of them except for the leader-the first person in the line whose eyes stay open. The first person in the line with the open eyes starts moving gently and occasionally changes the direction. There is no talking or guiding involved. Everyone in the line will be following the person in front of them. keeping the chain steady and connected while moving, is the essential responsibility for the whole group.
Reflection questions
- How did you feel when you were led with closed eyes?
- What was the difference between being a leader and being led?
- How would you connect the concepts of risk and trust?
- Is there any application for this activity in engineering design thinking process?
- Are there any aspects of improvisation in this activity?
Additional notes for instructors
- Making sure all participants are comfortable with being touched and closed eyes.
- Rehearsing the activity at least once
- Each member of the group should have the opportunity/responsibility to lead.
- Tearing apart of the line chain means the failure of the whole group so, if that is the case, the activity needs to be repeated till then the group do the activity successfully.
Activity #2: Lead and follow through touch alert
The aim of this activity: In this activity, the learners will be practicing how to actively be receiving the touch messages, and how to be alert and responsive immediately.
Mode of delivery: Asynchronous/In-person
Participation: In pairs
Duration: 10 minutes
Materials: Enough space for the learners to move around comfortably in pairs/group
Instruction: The learners make pairs. Each member of the pairs decides if they want to be the leader or the follower, they switch afterward though. The leader stands behind the follower and puts their hands on the shoulder’s partner. The person in front (the follower) covers their eyes with a band in a way they cannot see at all. Then the pair determine touchy signs for different direction. (e.g., Squeezing the right shoulder for moving forward, left shoulder for backward, right arm for turning right, left arm for turning left; and touching the middle back for stop). Then they switch.
Reflection questions
- How did you feel when you were led with closed eyes?
- How comfortable you were to be led by someone behind you?
- How would you connect the concepts of risk and trust based on the activity?
- Is there any application for this activity in engineering design thinking process?
- Are there any aspects of improvisation in this context?
Additional notes for instructors
- At first, the instructors need to make sure the participants are comfortable with being touched and or closed eyes.
- At the beginning, and as an icebreaker, the participants can determine different funny noise/musical signs instead of direction signs related to each touch alert to make a funny and comfortable environment for each other.
- If possible, the instructor put the activity in a real context- involve a person who is visually impaired in the position of the follower (the person in front), and a person who is auditory impaired as the leader (the person behind).
Activity #3: Self-trust, self-lead/follow through active observation
The aim of this activity: In this solo activity, using active observation the learners will be practicing self-trusting through leading/following themselves.
Mode of Delivery: Asynchronous/In-person
Participation: Individually (+ one assistant)/In pair
Duration: 5 minutes
Materials: Enough space for participant to move around comfortably
Instruction: The assistant chooses an area from the place they have access to (home or school) and determine a start and a finish spot and a path through which the learner is supposed to go from the start to the finish spot. Then the assistant randomly puts obstacles in the chosen path. Afterward, the learner actively observes the path as well as the obstacles in it. Finally, the assistant covers the learner’s eyes in the way they are not able to see at all and askes the learner to move through the chosen path.
Reflection questions
- How would you connect the concept of trust and taking risks in this activity?
- How did you experience being the follower and the leader at the same time?
- Were there any objects/aspects in your place that you had not noticed before, but you explored them after you observed actively?
- Is there any application for this activity in engineering design thinking process?
- Are there any aspects of improvisation in this activity?
Additional notes for instructors
- The assistant has the role of safety support during the activity
Activity #4: Self-trust through Active listening
The aim of this activity: In this solo activity the learner practices self-trust through the active listening
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online/In-person
Participation: group of 6
Duration: 10 minutes
Materials: Access to internet and an online meeting platform + Enough space for the learner to move around comfortably
Instruction: For this activity five assistants use their voices as guidance to direct the active listener/the learner to move around. Each voice addresses one specific direction (e.g., one as sign of moving Forward, another one as Backward, third for turning to the Right, the fourth one for turning toward the Left, and the fifth as the sign of Stop). They call the active listener’s name randomly (Not more than one voice at the same time) and learner moves slowly and carefully based on the given direction through voices with closed eyes.
Instruction for in-person version: Everything is the same, except for the assistants who locate themselves beside each other somewhere in the place while directing the main player.
Reflection questions
- Did you have any new perception of your colleagues’ voice in this experience?
- Have you experienced a new feeling hearing your name as a guideline for your direction?
- How would you connect the concepts of risk and trust to yourself and others?
- As an assistant how would you reflect on being the guide in this activity?
- Is there any application for this activity in engineering design thinking process?
- Are there any aspects of improvisation in this context?
Additional notes for instructors
- First the group should rehearse to make sure that the learner/the active listener is familiar enough to each assistant’s voice related to each specific sign.
- Considering the audio delay in online meetings, the five assistants need to be aware of not making more than one voice at the same time so, this would be a good active listening practice for the assistants as well.
- All participants could play in both roles, active listener, and voice leader.
Activity #5: Improv design
The aim of this activity: In this activity participants will practice improvising and thinking creatively. They will also have to work as a team to create a design that is cohesive.
Mode of delivery: Synchronous online
Participation: group
Duration: 10-15 minutes Based on the number of the participants
Materials: Different pre-made PowerPoint presentations for each group, consisting of an assortment of images, 1 on each slide. Each PowerPoint should be comprised of around 8 slides.
Instruction: Learners will be assigned to groups of 3-4. They will be given 3 minutes to decide amongst themselves the order of the presenters. Once the groups are ready, the groups will go up and improvise a presentation for a device designed to improve the user’s life in some way. They must connect the ideas of each presenter into one device design.
Reflection questions
- How did it feel to present first?
- How did it feel to have to think on the spot?
- How did it feel to have to connect previous ideas to your own?
- Has your perspective around the concept of improvisation changed? Why or why not?
Additional notes for instructors
- Instructor tells the learners that each group member needs to present 1 slide and connect it to the previous group members slide.
- learners need to know that their design does not have to be practical or realistic, they should focus on integrating all the group members’ contributions.
- The instructor can change the slides, or one of the students can be assigned to that role.
- The learners should be informed that the presentation is directed to potential investors of their design.
Activity #6: Creative Design
The aim of this activity: In this activity, learners will practice generating creative solutions given a problem and a set time limit. The learner will have to utilize everyday objects to create a new design.
Mode of delivery: Asynchronous Online
Participation: Individual
Duration: 15 minutes
Materials: 5 everyday household objects, writing materials, timer
Instruction: The learner will be given the design problem to develop an assistive device for putting on clothing, such as a button up shirt. The learner will then be given 2 minutes to brainstorm a list of possible solutions. After the 2 minutes is up, the participant needs to select 5 everyday household objects. Then, in 10 minutes, the learner will develop an assistive device using those 5 selected objects. At least 2 of the objects must be used. Afterwards, the learner should brainstorm a new list of solution ideas in 2 more minutes.
Reflection questions
- How did the solution ideas change from before designing the device to afterwards?
- Did you think of something unexpected?
- Which object was the most difficult to include in the design?
- If you were to do this exercise again, what objects would you choose?
- Was it difficult to create a solution when you also had to decide what type of clothes it would help with?
Additional notes for instructors
- Make it clear to learners that the exercise is looking for quantity over quality of design ideas.
Activity #7: Drawing design
The aim of this activity: In this activity, the learners will be practicing individual and group improvisation.
Mode of delivery: Synchronous/Online
Participation: Group
Duration: 10 – 15 minutes based on the number of the participants
Materials: Access to internet and an online platform with whiteboard feature. For in-person version; whiteboard and enough space for the group to write on the whiteboard comfortably.
Instruction: Learners will form a group and create a drawing collaboratively. One person will be the leader, and the rest will be the followers.
Step 1: The leader will come up with an object or a scene in mind. Based on that, the leader will provide a starting point for the drawing. A good starting point should give the followers a rough idea of what the scene/object might be and the least possible hints.
Step 2: Based on the given starting point, the followers will be asked to complete the drawing collaboratively.
Step 3: At certain time point, the leader will ask everyone to stop drawing.
Step 4: Each follower will type a brief description of the final drawing in the chat.
Step 5: Based on the given starting point, the leader will complete the drawing. Then the leader will reveal the scene/object in mind.
A simple example:
Step 1: The object in the leader’s mind is a weird circus tent. The leader provides a starting point as following:
Step 2: The leader asks the followers to complete the drawing based on the starting point.
Step 3: After a while, the leader asks everyone to stop drawing. The drawing is completed as following:
Step 4: The leader asks followers to type a brief description of the final drawing in the chat.
Follower A: a spaceship from Mars
Follower B: an UFO in the nightmare
…
Step 5: The leader completes the drawing as following:
The leader: a weird circus tent
Reflection questions
- As a leader, what did you observe during the drawing design? Did the drawing go as you predicted?
- As a follower, how did you feel when collaborating with other followers?
- After doing this activity, what are your new perspectives on improvisation?
- How would you relate to improvisation in the context of the engineering design process?
Additional notes for instructors : Describing that “improvisation not only means an individual does something unscripted but could also be a group effort”, the instructor askes the learners to think of doing an engineering design project with an ambiguous starting point and that they and their colleagues inspire each other and deliver a surprising result to the leader.
Resources
Sample of Embracing Failure slides deck are created to be used by the facilitators.
