DIALOGUE SHEETBack to overview | |
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| Goal: | Stimulate a group dialogue on teacher quality using a sheet with prepared questions and concepts |
| Status: | Final version |
| Targetgroup: | |
| Groupsize: | 4+ |
| Toolbox aims: | Empower participation in debates, Reflection on different TQ aspects |
| Timescale: | 2 Hours |
| Specific resources: | Dialogue sheet |
| Summary: | The goal of this reflection tool is to help and stimulate the participants to reflect on their views on teaching and learning. Underlying idea is that learning takes place in a dialogue, sharing views and listening to other peoples thoughts – a giving and taking.
A group of 4-6 persons around a table using a self-instructive Dialogue Sheet with prepared questions and concepts. Together they work their way through the tasks.
The dialogue sheet facilitates different types of reflection (by using discussions, metaphores, images) and also stimulates to reflect on the quality of the reflection process. |
| Materials: | One Dialogue Sheet in a group of minimum four persons.
The Quotation Paper contains a list of quotations that are linked to the theme of the dialogue and that can spark discussion.
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| Methodology: | A dialogue sheet is almost self instructive. What you need to know is written on the “sheet” - a large piece of paper (100 x 70 cm, A2 or A1) divided into three spaces with written tasks to discuss. See below.
In Space 1 a variety of concepts is listed, depending on the topic of the dialogue. E.g. when the topic is teacher quality, the following concepts could be used:
- Learner and teacher centred
- Professional identity
- Learning and learning to learn
- Responsibility
- Reflection
- Awareness/consciousness
- Participation, engagement, motivation
- Critical thinking
- Passive versus active relationship toward learning new things
- Holistic versus atomistic view on knowledge and learning
- Theory and practice
- Life long learning, life long training, life long development
- Knowledge versus information
- Gender
- Student role, teacher role
- Reproductive versus productive knowledge
- Multiple intelligence
- Teacher as a researcher
In Space 2, the instructions and assignments are written:
1. Start here(Instructions)
2. Deriving benefits
As a start note for yourself what aims or benefits you wish to reach in this discussion:
3. Reflecting on teacher quality
The benefit from an activity will be increased by reflection, motivation and engagement. This understanding is related to a number of concepts that are related to the individual’s relations to his profession.
Round the table there are a number of words and concepts. The task for the group is to read these words. Every group member selects 1-3 concepts, which they find interesting to discuss. Feel free to come up with concepts of your own! Choose concepts that you think can deepen the discussion about Teacher Quality.
Try to – in the group – to describe the chosen concepts and connect them to Teacher Quality.
Finally: try to group together the concepts, do they belong together? Are they overlapping or contradictory?
4. The process right now
(This is a bit of a pause from the task work)
Use 5 minutes to reflect on the following questions and then – discuss them.
- What about the dialogue?
- Can we make decisions?
- Is someone dominating? Quiet? Supportive?
- Dare you say what you think?
- Are you having fun?
5. A metaphor
Find a metaphor, a representation from nature. The metaphor should describe Teacher Quality. Make in the midst of the sheet or on a separate sheet a place for a ‘Gallery of Metaphors”. Give the representation a name and place it in the gallery with your names beside.
6. Statements
On a separate paper you can find different quotations about education. Read them all and select some of them for discussion.
You can also come up with a statement of your own. Give it to the group next to you for discussion!
7. Evaluation
Each of the group members makes an individual evaluation of the benefits of the dialogue. Reflect on the aims or benefits you identified in step 2
Summarize the group’s opinions on these questions:
- This dialogue was good – why?
- This dialogue was less good? – why?
- Are there any shared conclusions? What about future actions and consequences?
Space 3:
Free space for the participants to make comments, questions etc.
The dialogue sheet
A full version of a dialogue sheet can be downloaded. This sheet can be adapted using Microsoft Powerpoint:
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| Variations: | The theme for the dialogue can vary. Therefore the sheet can be adapted (in MS Powerpoint). |
| Background & Resources: | The dialogue sheet is a self-instructive tool that stimulates dialogues. The tool gives input both to the content of the dialogue by providing concepts that show different aspects of the theme and to the process of the dialogue by triggering the participants to identify their aims and intended benefits for the discussion, by triggering the group to evaluate the contribution of each participant and the atmosphere of the discussion and by triggering reflecting on the dialogue and its outcomes at the end.
The concept of Dialogue Sheet has been used during many years at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm. The method is described in aThesis for the degree of Licentiate under chapter “Mediated Peer to Peer learning” by Ulf Blomqvist (2006, p. 25-26),
The method of Dialogue Sheets is also used in the local universtiry in Gjövik, Norway and at Cass Buissness School in London, England. |
| Conditions: | It is essential that there is a safe environment and atmosphere, where the participants can trust each other. |
| Strengths & Weaknesses: | Strengths:
The method of Dialogue Sheet uses a positive approach and is built up by sharing ideas, experiences and opinions.
The Sheet is mostly self-instructive and can start a dialogue in a large group in an easy way.
The method has the character of a game, which makes it possible to play the game in a variety of situations.
Weaknesses:
The quality of the reflection depends on the quality of the discussions. The facilitator should regularly check the different groups on the process, depth and atmosphere of the dialogue.
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| Experiences: | |
