Group Size
?
1.) Small group (teams of 4-6)
2.) Individual Task
3.) Large Group
4.) Any
Learning Environment
?
1.) Lecture Theatre
2.) Presentation Space
3.) Carousel Tables (small working group)
4.) Any
5.) Outside
6.) Special
Carousel Tables (small working group)
QAA Enterprise Theme(s)
?
1.) Creativity and Innovation
2.) Opportunity recognition, creation and evaluation
3.) Decision making supported by critical analysis and judgement
4.) Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
5.) Reflection and Action
6.) Interpersonal Skills
7.) Communication and Strategy
4Implementation of ideas through leadership and management
At every level of education we use words like employability, enterprise or entrepreneurship and assume we all have a shared understanding of what such terms actually mean.
Whether this be Government, Policy makers, University Senior Managers, Faculty Leaders, Programme Directors, Module Leaders, Teachers and facilitators, Students and finally Employers, we all use words and assume that we all interpret them in similar ways.
Having worked for many years in this domain; I can assure you we all have distinct different interpretations that can create confusion and uncertainty in the beneficiaries of employability activities, programmes and modules.
Before you begin to plan any learning it is helpful to establish common understandings and interpretations.
The activity employs a set of statements on the topic under investigation and these are presented as small cards. The group should be split into small sub groups of around 4-6. Each group is given a set of cards and asked to sort into those statements they strongly agree with; those they agree with; those they are ambivalent about, those they disagree with and finally those they strongly disagree with.
The facilitator/tutor should allow the group time to consider each card as and how they feel best for them. Some will spread cards across a table and collectively study each statement and gradually shuffle the cards under the headings above. Others will go through each statement on the card deck – one-by-one and discuss each statement as a table group. What is important is for the group to come up with a way that they are happy with for considering the statements and in each group only placing a card under a heading; when they have reached consensus – and not before. They should discuss and argue in order to uncover those areas of shared understanding and those where understandings differ. Too often we assume we all interpret terms and words in the same way; in fact we all have different understandings and in many teaching situations we require shared understandings in order that the learning is maximised.
Having allowed as much time as is possible, the facilitator should invite each table to share their decisions with the rest of the group. It is here that the facilitator can observe where the group has shared understandings across the whole group, and where there are different levels of understanding and interpretation.
It is then invariably interesting to quickly agree on those phrases, terms and statements that everybody agrees upon and to spend time on the cards with statements that have elicited quite different interpretations. Here because each sub group has achieved consensus; yet across the whole group differences have emerged; why have these emerged? Wider discussions can really encourage high levels of debate and discussion.
I have used the employability card sort in a variety of contexts;
Having created a set of cards it is relatively easy to rework to drill into understandings of other commonly used (and abused) E words, like enterprise or entrepreneurship.
At the end of the session(s);
(NB. Do not try this in a tiered lecture theatre)
References:
