Big Start Tomorrow
Friday, September 22, 2006
So tomorrow the first day of term at the University of Huddersfield and we'll be using Lego Serious Play with Creative Technology final year students from the very first session. I'm just preparing a few last things and thinking about the things that worked best with last years final year.
Last year we tested Lego SP with a few individual tutorials and for a presentation skills workshop the week before their final presentations. Students were asked to think about their presentations before the workshop but not to prepare a defined presentation. After modelling their skills and competencies they then made models that contained everything that should be in their presentations. As usual with Lego SP the key to getting it to work was enabling everyone to be comfortable with metaphorical description and not tleaving anyone behind in literal-land.
Model of a final year presentation
The main feedback from the students was this:
Seeing their presentations as 3-dimentional, physical objects reduced the nervousness that they often get from being unable to visualise their presentations. They could more easily see and feel how much content they had, what was strong, what was obviously missing, what felt out of place, and what drew the attention the most.
Talking about the model didn't feel like a formal presentation and many were surprised when they realised they had given clear descriptions of their work that could be easily formalised into professional presentations.
They found that the physical buliding of their presentations acted as a powerful memory aid both during the workshop and then later at the formal presentations.
All of these students have experience with computer-based 3D modelling software and found a familiarity here that they could readily engage with.
Using metaphors to discuss their work was something many were unconfortable with when writing and this discomfort translates into their speaking. The presentations were much richer in their use of language after this workshop and the external examiners present made particular comments in their report praising the communication skills of the students.
posted by stuart nolan @ 3:07 AM,
