Debrief exercises. It is important to have individuals or group representatives report out their specific results or general conclusions when they have completed an exercise. Otherwise, they will not have any sense of closure.
Coach for Correct Answers
Draw out the correct or more complete answers from the group. Coach them until they get to the correct answer. This way, when you tell them the correct answer, it will simply validate what they have identified. Remember that we want to build their confidence in their own competence!
Variety of Ways to Debrief Group Exercises
To ensure variety in report out methods, here are a few to draw from:
- Thumbs up if you agree, thumbs down if you don’t. Ask for individuals to share the rationale for their response.
- Can someone tell us the answer to question x? [call for a volunteer.] Then ask the participants who agree with that answer to raise their hands. After that, ask the participants who disagree to raise their hands. Call on a representative from each “side” to explain the underlying rationale for their response. Ask the group to identify the correct response, or tell them yourself.
- Have one table group report their answer. Ask if any other groups have a different answer or something to add.
- If more than one table group worked on the same case study, alternate between them in answering the different questions relating to the case study.
- Move from one table group to another to answer different questions.
In all of these ways to debrief exercises, make sure to ultimately tell the group the correct answer. Some participants will need to hear it from the instructor to feel satisfied.
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