Active learning gives both the learners and the facilitators so much insight into the way a group of people work together. Here we were in the first week of a new course and more than half way through the academic year. I was looking for ways to get our learners moving and getting to know each other. Prior to this we had touched on drawing floor plans so I wanted to make links to wellbeing and cultural practice.. hence exploring interior design feat. 風水!
How was this relevant? I shared a little personal story of how
I didn't want to just give a lecture on the fundamental elements of Feng Shui - although this was such a big topic I might as well... so I decided to focus on the following:
- What are the five elements?
- What do the five elements look like?
- Applications of the five elements.
So here's a game!
How to play
Do the maths to print and cut each element in order to have members in a group. Each players is to pick one at random. They then must find four others to form a Feng Shui group. The twist is that all five elements are written in Chinese. Learners find this challenging at first, and soon start to find ways to overcome it - looking it up, asking others, or simply getting together and figuring out the different looking symbols.
This game has five check points:
- When a group of five elements has been formed -> give an Feng Shui relationships sheet for learners to work out how the elements relate to one another, they must create their own symbols with colours (see above);
- When the Relationship sheet is completed. -> learners are given a QR code to the below presentation;
- Learners come back with their answers for Challenge images 1, 2, 3: what is the dominant element? -> Points are given, then learners move onto doing an assessment of the Learning Common (floor plan given);
- When the assessment has been completed, learners will need to state whether the Learning Common has or has not a balanced Feng Shui judging by the elements/materials/colour they have identified;
- Even more points given for research in geomancy and pseudoscience.
Gamifying the process of learning helps to motivate learners to stay in the game - not for the reward, but the fun of it. Some valuable learning for me:
In a nutshell
- A healthy dose of social struggle is important: have it early and observe how they deal with it. Of course you will get the swapping with others and the "I didn't get an element, could I be with this group?" smarties.
- There is no rush: you know they are enjoying it because they are choosing to learn more about it. The different check points are there to further extend their experience. If they so choose to draw/create beautiful symbols or learn to write in Chinese, why not?
- Ask for explanation: not everything has a straight answer. By asking for why it also prompts them to exercise their critical thinking skills and list the reasoning in support of their judgement.
- The five elements cards and QR code cards can be downloaded here, simply print it out to the number you want and cut them out to be distributed. I rolled each element card into mini scrolls
so it's more Chineseso the learners can pick at random; - Learners all have their iPad to look for information if they so require;
- Operating on a minimum viable product model, learners should know and recognise the five elements and their colours, and how they relate to each other by the end of this session.
Love it. Do it!
