This activity allows the teacher to gather the representations of a group in order to deepen a problem and/or to formulate others more relevant to the group according to what they have expressed.
The principle is to set up a framework to facilitate negotiation around the problematisation exercise.
- Group size: Small Group, Medium Group
- Equipment needed: Few (pieces of paper)
- Type of class: In Classroom
- Grouping: Individual, Small Groups, Full Group
- Objective: approach a content, work in groups, observe representations
- Lenght: ≤ 20 min
- Keywords: Activity, Problematization, Negotiation
Example :
The teacher suggests a problem or a theme to the students that he/she has prepared beforehand.
Each student then takes 5 minutes independently to write down a question that this theme brings to mind.
Then the students gather in a large group and put their questions in a common container (box/hat/cap).
Each student in turn draws a question at random (if it is his/her own, he/she takes another). Once everyone has drawn a question, the teacher signals the start of the discussion.
A student takes the floor to read the question he/she has chosen. The objective is not to answer it but to try to express how we understand the question, the problems that it evokes. The others listen. If a student finds that what has just been expressed is similar to the question he/she has chosen, he/she speaks up and in turn expresses how he/she understands the question.
The teacher can note down the questions that seem useful for the rest of his/her intervention. He/she will have warned the group beforehand that he/she will keep certain questions but that this does not mean that the others are of no interest.
students who consider that the discussion has "dealt" with their question put their paper on the floor/table. Students who have spoken around their questions do the same.
As long as a student feels that "their" question has not been dealt with, they keep it in their hand.
The activity continues until all the papers are on the floor/table.