Version User Scope of changes
Feb 11 2009, 7:17 AM EST (current) mikicesari
Jan 19 2009, 1:26 PM EST mikicesari 343 words added

Changes

Key:  Additions   Deletions
Purpose:
  • To have participants getting to know each other.
  • To explore participants’ motivation to attend the training.
Participants: 6 to many.
Time: 20-30 minutes.
Materials:
  • Paper (optional);
  • Pencils (optional);
  • Name tags, prepared in advance for each participant;
  • A whistle.
Process:I) At the beginning of the training sessions, when participants arrive, let them pick up their name tags.

II) Ask participants to secretly look at the back of their name tags and read (silently) the name of another participant. Tell participants that that person is their mystery target.

III) Tell participants that they are going to conduct five rounds of short interviews with other participants. During the interviews they will share information about themselves and explore other people’s motivation to attend this training. One of the people they will talk with, during these five rounds, must be their mystery target, but they should not let the other person know that he/she is their target.

IV) Start the interviews. After two minutes blow the whistle and ask participants to skip to the next person. Repeat the procedure for five rounds.

V) After the fifth round, ask one participant to recall the interview with their mystery target, without saying who he/she is. Ask him/her to say loud his/her motivation to attend the training and other information collected during the interview. Ask the plenary if anyone recognize him/herself in this description. If not, ask the reporter to identify the person. Repeat the procedure with every participant.

VI) At the end of the activity explain that this activity helped us get to know each other and start exploring the topic of the training session.
Debriefing:Not needed.
Note:This exercise allows participants to stay relaxed since they do not have to report on themselves. It also allows participants to relate to each other equally, regardless of position.
Source:Adapted from Design Your Own Games and Activities by Sivasailam (Thiagi) Thiagarajan with Raja thiagarajan. Copyright © by John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Thiagi is a guru for game and learning designers, you can visit his website here.