Plus/ Delta Frontload and/ or Debrief
Approximate Running Time: 5 minutes to 5 hours (time allotted is determined by the depth of reflection/ debrief)
Minimum/ Maximum Group Size: 1 person to 1000+ people
Age/ Level: Participants should be capable of reflection, sharing ideas, understanding the difference between behavior that they would like to repeat, and behavior that they would like to change.
Space Required: Sufficient space for participants to sit comfortably, indoors or outdoors.
Materials:
- Whiteboard/ chart paper
- Journals/ notepads for participants (if whiteboard/ chart paper/ wall space unavailable)
- Markers or pens if journals or notepads are being used.
Set-up: None required
Objective: To help groups or individuals evaluate a single experience or a chain of experiences.
Developing a Plus/Delta evaluation into a Plus/Delta model requires you to save and use previous Plus/Delta lists. After you or your group has made an initial Plus/Delta list, you must keep it for future review. The Plus/Delta becomes a working document in which you and your group track the implementation of deltas from previous experiences, and record whether any pluses has been forgotten.
Facilitator Guidelines:
In a Plus/ Delta, pluses are specific actions that an individual or group took during their activity/ experience, which allowed them to feel successful. The pluses are actions that they hope to repeat in future experiences. Deltas are suggested actions that an individual or group can take in future experiences, which will allow those experiences to be more enjoyable or successful than the one that is being evaluated.
The Plus/ Delta can be used as a working document, in which facilitator and participants track the implementation of deltas from previous experiences, and record whether any pluses and been forgotten
1. Have participants complete an experience or task
2. Gather group members together to evaluate the experience or task
3. Elicit specific pluses and deltas from group members, and encourage all members to contribute to the Plus/ Deltas
4. Use the Discussion Shadow to make sure that each group member’s ideas are clearly understood and recorded
5. Save and store the Plus/Delta in a place that is accessible to all
6. Complete another experience or task
7. Review previous Plus/Delta
8. Move any deltas that have been changed, to the plus category
9. Record any new pluses or deltas; encourage all group members to contribute
10. Use the Discussion Shadow to make sure that each group member’s ideas are clearly understood and recorded
11. Save and store the Plus/Delta in a place that is accessible to all
12. Repeat this process throughout working with the same group, or throughout working toward the same goal
References:
It is helpful to use the following chart format to clearly record pluses and deltas.
| Plus
(Positive Actions) |
Delta
(Suggested Changes) |
People Movers
Approximate Running Time: 10 minutes
Minimum Group Size: 4 people
Maximum Group Size: 100 + (as many people as you can provide place-markers for)
Age/ Level: Grade 4+
Space Required: Enough space for all participants to stand and move around in lines of 4-8 people
Materials:
– 1 place-marker per person. This may be: polydots, pieces of paper, foam, pylon, etc.
Set-up:
Participants will be divided into even-numbered groups of up to 8 participants each. Each group requires a number of place-markers, one per participant. The place-markers should be lined up in a straight line. If the group is large, the lines should be set up side by side.
Objective:
The objective for this activity is for the group to communicate and collaborate to determine a strategy and solve a physical/ mental puzzle using their bodies and a set of place-markers.
Facilitator Guidelines:
1. Begin by having the participants line up in their groups, next to a line of space-markers (which were previously set up).
2. Each group must split into two groups. There should be an even number of participants on each side of an empty place- marker. The groups will look like this, depending on the number of participants:
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
- The objective of the activity is for each half of the group to reach the opposite side of the line from their starting point, by switching places with the other half of their group (ones to twos and twos to ones, etc)
- In order for participants to complete the challenge they must follow these guidelines:– Participants must always look forward, towards the other half of their group (i.e. ones must look at twos, twos must look at ones)
– Participants may only move forward (towards the opposite side of their group)
– Participants may only move forward if there is an empty space in front of them, and if there is an empty space in front of the person in front of them.
– While participating in the activity participants must not step off of their space-markers.
– If anyone fails to follow the guidelines, everyone must restart the activity.
General Debrief Questions
How did your group solve the puzzle and complete the challenge?
What was the hardest part?
How did you feel you did personally?
How could you have been a better team mate?
How did you support your team mates?
How did your group communicate?
What did you learn from this activity