Learning objective/Rationale: Building confidence, developing active listening skills.
Description of the method/nr. of persons of the group for which the method is suitable: The exercise is suitable for groups that could be divided by three (9 or 12 participants). In this exercise, participants are divided into groups of 3. Each participant has to think of a story, some bright memory. The participants separate into their small groups of three and sit with their backs towards each other. They have three minutes – 1 minute for each – to make an audio description of their memory to the others. After that the groups turn their chairs so that each group’s participants are face to face. Now they have a total of 3 more minutes to discuss additional questions, related to the shared memories. The participants from each group need to select one of the three memories and to present it, one by one, to the others (acting as audience). The questions which they had the chance to ask each other have the purpose of getting to important details. The facilitator can make a short discussion about what questions would be appropriate and what questions would be inappropriate, correct or incorrect. Then the participants present the selected memory one by one as if it were their own. Each participant has the right to change certain elements – for example age, clothes, year – so that it would sound plausible to the audience. Each participant has 1 minute to tell the selected memory. The audience has to try to guess whose memory it really is.
Materials needed: Chairs as many as the participants
Time: 40 minutes or more if participants need more time to discuss.
Questions for discussions/Debriefing:
- Was the objective achieved and how?
- How did you feel when you had to speak with your back towards the others? What about sharing other people’s stories?
- How did the time pressure affect your behavior?
Source: Dinos Aristidou, 2017