In this Chapter, you can choose methods to use at your activities. We selected methods you can use for reflection, but we also have some that are great for evaluation and nicely closing your activities.
Tags (key words on the left side) and icons will simplify your choice:
Main objective(s): Reflecting in groups and in the field about the competence development
Length: 1hr preparation - 1-3hrs activity time (depending on the extent)
Materials needed: Station cards, direction signals, markers, tape, cones or visible objects, pens
Step by step methodology:
Tip: During the activity it is good to be on the path and guide the participants who might have problems finding the path.
This methodology was used in the Football for Development project.
Length: 2hrs preparation - 15-30min presentation
Main objective(s): Reflect in a creative and entertaining way the competence development
Materials needed: Paper, pens, scissors, bowl (or bucket or hat)
Step by step methodology:
This methodology was used in the Football for Development project.
Length: Depends on the size of the group and their participation - from 5-15 minutes
Main objective(s): Reflection in groups
Materials needed: Soft ball
Step by step methodology:
List of possible Guiding questions:
Length: 45min
Main objective(s): Practice active listening and reflection
Materials needed: papers, pens
Step by step methodology:
Length: 15-30minutes
Main objective(s): Reflection
Materials needed: Blob tree copies (no. = no. of volunteers), colors/markers
Blob Tree was created by behavioural psychologist Pip Wilson, who is a psycho-educational gamester and EQ developer. This test helps us to recognize and strengthen emotions. The Blobs are simple. They deal with deep issues using the primary languages we learn from infancy – feelings and body language. The Blobs are neither male nor female, young nor old, European nor African, ancient nor modern. They are outside of culture.
Blobs are the best of us and the worst of us. They don’t tell us what we ought to do, or what we mustn’t do…they merely show us how a variety of people feel.
Without words, the Blobs can be interpreted in a hundred different ways. There is no right and wrong about the Blobs, which is very important. A leader who uses them in a ‘one way of reading them only way’ will find that the rest of their group become very frustrated in discussions. Each picture is a means to a conversation, rather than a problem to be solved or a message to be agreed upon. If the people you are working with read the characters in totally opposing ways, that’s fine. We each see the world through our own eyes. Allowing others to share their feelings enables group members to understand and appreciate one another. For each of us, emotional literacy is a journey of self understanding.
Step by step methodology:
Source: https://www.blobtree.com/
Important note: Here you can download a sheet of paper that you can use for this activity. As Blob tree is a copyrighted image, we have created another version called "Cats' Path", which can be used in the same way for your activity.
Length: 15min
Main objective(s): Final reflection of learning outcomes and planning what's next
Materials needed: handout with questions
This activity is best performed after an activity where you are defining learning outcomes.
Step by step methodology:
Length: 10min
Main objective(s): Reflection
Materials needed: papers, crayons
Step by step methodology:
Length: around 60 min., apr. 5 minutes for each volunteer
Main objective(s):
Materials needed: a box, a small mirror fitting in the box, a cover (sheet, blanket etc.) that cover the whole box and can even flow over, a few sheets of paper
IMPORTANT NOTE: This activity should be used by an experienced trainer or facilitator. If you don't feel like having too many experiences yet, we suggest to select other activities now and when you gain experience, get back to this one.
Step by step methodology:
THE METHOD is that in the box (besides a few pages that make the simulation of changing photos) volunteers will see a mirror. Surprising the volunteer, he/she will speak about themselves without having prepared answers beforehand, here more sincerity.
Another part of reflection, is that participants will listen to the comments of each one and see themselves through the eyes of others, wondering if it's about them talking. On the other hand, participants who have been in front of the mirror, will be able to further reflect on their learning hearing other points of view.
Source: According to Cosmin Saic, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/reflective-reflection.2074/
Length: 10 minutes
Main objective(s): Reflection to prepare for the day, but can be used for setting expectations as well as for looking back
Materials needed: A4 papers, pens
Step by step methodology:
Length: 30 minutes, 5x during the whole workcamp on a regular basis
Main objective(s): To let the volunteers analyse their learning path on a regular basis of the workcamp
Materials needed: Flipchart papers or sheets of papers, coloured markers, colours.
Step by step methodology:
Volunteers will be divided into pairs, in order to regularly analyse their learning process, focusing on:
a) new skills
b) new attitudes
c) new knowledge
they have gained during the previous day(s).
The pairs shall receive two (flipcharts) sheets of paper, one each.
Volunteers have to draw a body part on the papers:
Day 1 – Arms
Day 2 - Legs
Day 3 – Chest
Day 4 – Head
Volunteers write and draw on this body parts the learning outcomes.
Source: According to Lorenzo Nava, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/frankenstein-reflection-on-learning.965/
Length: 10 minutes
Main objective(s): To track our learning, dream, relax and embrace with meditation, ideally to start a day with
Materials needed: poster with LOVE letters and words, preferably with illustrations. Diaries, for participants to answer questions, pencils
Step by step methodology:
This method can be used every day in the morning, to start with reflecting on our learning, anticipating the day, observing our moods and surroundings and meditating. Each letter of the acronym LOVE, represents one activity.
Tip: Example meditation technique (page 9 and 10): DragonDreaming
Length: 25min
Main objective(s):
Materials needed: papers or pens and laptops
Step by step methodology:
Ask participants to individualy write a blog daily. We can also divide them in groups, and each group writes a daily blog post. The participants write whatever they want about this particular day, when they need to write a blog. It is also important to provide some time after the dinner where one group will be able to work and others will probably be free. Tell the participants that you will publish the blog on the Facebook or webpage and ask if they are OK with it.
Questions they might answer with their blogposts:
Length: 30+
Main objective(s): To reflect on the experience or evaluate any aspects of a project
Materials needed: Flipchart, markers, questions written on small pieces of paper, hat
Step by step methodology:
Also, it is possible to give each pair the same set of questions and let them discuss everything, or to change pairs and questions during a walk.
Length: 30-45 min
Main objective(s): To give a space to everyone to reflect or evaluate
Materials needed: an object, e.g. a small ball, a piece of wood, a small Teddy bear, a stone or anything else
Step by step methodology:
Length: 30 mins (depending of how many questions you want to raise)
Main objective(s): To reflect on different aspects (how the participants are doing) or different questions related to learning or evaluation
Materials needed: mandalas or some other abstract pictures to be coloured, coloured pens/markers/crayons / beads (different sizes nad colours), nylon string, scissors.
Step by step methodology
The method is based on two simple activities:
What is the instruction for the participants:
I will ask you several questions. Please, colour your picture / put the beads on the string that somehow represent your answers for the questions. Think about the answers, prepare the picture / string and then we will show others and share.
How to use it for different purposes:
A. Reflection of how the participants are doing
Tip: One extra thing to do with the beads: Take one bead and give it later to somebody you would like to appreciate for something.
Source of inspiration: Youthpass Unfolded: https://www.youthpass.eu/en/publications/youthpass-unfolded/, modification by trainers Alena Tomanová and Jan Siegel
Length: 10min
Main objective(s): Practice reflection, group development
Materials needed: one chair
Step by step methodology:
The activity can be also used for final evaluation.
Length: according to participants (20 - 40 min)
Main objective(s): To evaluate a workcamp at the end
Materials needed: glasses, jugs, water
Step by step methodology:
Length: 20 min
Main objective(s):
Resource: According by Davide Di Pasquale, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/the-abacus-of-evaluation.1441/
Length: 30 min
Main objective(s):
Materials needed: : 4 flipchart papers
Step by step methodology: :
Possible questions:
• Group Dynamics
• Food, accommodation and atmosphere
• Workcamp in general
• Volunteers relations
• Balance between work and free time
• Your own contribution
• Campleaders"
Source: : According to Ali Oktay KOÇ, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/evaluation-by-weather-forecast-tools.769/
Length: 15-20 min
Main objective(s): Evaluate all the workcamp activities/daily activities in a funny way
Materials needed: : Black finger colors or small stickers, colours, as many representations of an empty cinemas as are the activities you want to evaluate, a flipchart paper and a tape do display
Step by step methodology: :
About the different levels of satisfaction, they could be 3 finger printings=EXCELLENT; 2 finger printings=VERY GOOD; 1 finger printing=ADEQUATE; no finger printing=POOR.
Notes: You may use small black stickers instead of finger prints.
Source: : According by Davide Di Pasquale, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/multiplex-cinema-evaluation.1632/
Length: 20min
Main objective(s): To prioritize and to evaluate different aspects of a project
Materials needed: : flipchart, markers, pens, index cards
Step by step methodology: : This activity is very good to use after the first days of a project or for mid-term evaluation.
The questions might be focused on accommodation, food, organizers, support in general, group, work, programme…"
Length: 20min
Main objective(s): To evaluate e.g. in the middle or at the end of the project
Materials needed: : flipchart paper, colours, markers
Step by step methodology: : This method is good for evaluation of different aspects of the training either at the middle of the project (to check how the participants are doing) or at the end (to evaluate how it went). You can evaluate different aspects - logistics (communication, accommodation, food), campleaders, but also their learning - to what extent they have reached the learning objectives we had before the project (as on the picture).
How to do it?
Draw a big aquarium on big flipchart paper or two papers together. The aquarium should be empty - no fish inside.
The instruction for the participants is:
Evaluate the aspects we are asking for from 0% (bottom of the aquarium) to 100% (on the surface) by drawing a fish there.
On the picture, you can see we wrote objectives of a training and let participants evaluate there; but you can also ask to assess some other practical aspects such as group, project leaders, food etc."
Source: ? (we used it at Youthworker 2.0 training, from which this picture comes from)
Length: 15-30 min
Main objective(s): Give a space to everyone to evaluate
Materials needed: : a sheet of paper for everyone, a ready sheet with instructions, a pen for everyone
Step by step methodology: :
Length: 10-20min
Main objective(s): Evaluation of the day/week
Materials needed: : chair
Step by step methodology: :
Tip 1: Make a clear agree-disagree scale.
Tip 2 : Participants can sit on the chair when they have a statement on their mind, not one by one. In this case it's also important to encourage everyone/most of the group not to be afraid to say something."
Length: 45 minutes
Main objective(s): Understanding what competence means and what it consists of
Materials needed: : post-its, markers, flipchart board
Step by step methodology: : The word competence can be defined as ""the ability to do something well.""
It is a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes, that allow people to do something.
There are three components of the competence:
Knowledge is the theoretical understanding of a subject = understanding of information.
Skills are the ability to perform practical tasks
Attitudes and values are a personal perspective towards a subject based on motivation, personal goals, preferences, self-concept = internal drivers of behaviour
Let’s try to understand it better:
PRACTICAL EXERCISE 1:
Give the participants post-its (3 colours) and pens or markers. Their task will be to write knowledge on one colour of post-its, skills on second colour and attitudes on third one. (ideally one per a post it)
The question for them is: ""Imagine you are going for a bike trip. Which knowledge, skills and attitudes you must have to do that? Make a list of at least 5 of each and write them to the post its.""
Give them about 5 minutes ot time to come up with knowledge/skills/attitudes.
Then ask the participant to put all their ideas on one flicphart, group knowledge, skills and attitudes together.
Go through the post- its with the group, put together those that are the same. Discuss with the group, possible questions:
Make some examples of hard and soft competences:
“Hard competences” - something you can learn from books or by heart and practice by hands, such as math, accounting, programming or IT in general, graphic design, writing articles, statistics, etc.
“Soft competences” (sometimes referred to as “soft skills” or “people skills and self- management skills”) - are the activities that you do to manage yourself and manage or work with other people, such as communication, flexibility, independence, teamwork, or leadership.
At the end of this activity, make sure they all understand what is knowledge, skill, atttude and competence - you can ask them to show you on a scale from zero (thumb down) to 100% (thumb up) how they are understanding this now. If it's mostly above 50%, it's fine, if not, let them ask questions or explain once more."
Length: 1h
Main objective(s): Understanding what competence means and what it consists of
Materials needed: : flipchart papers or A4 papers, markers, beamer and notebook to project the video (ideally with speakers to hear the sound), internet is good but not needed - if you don't have it, download the video in advance
Step by step methodology: : The word competence can be defined as ""the ability to do something well.""
It is a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes, that allow people to do something.
There are three components of the competence:
Knowledge is the theoretical understanding of a subject = understanding of information.
Skills are the ability to perform practical tasks
Attitudes and values are a personal perspective towards a subject based on motivation, personal goals, preferences, self-concept = internal drivers of behaviour
Let’s try to understand it better:
PRACTICAL EXERCISE 2:
Here is a Cartoon called ‘Shaun the Sheep’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeQw6utcU_g&t=47s (if you don't have the internet, download it in advance)
Play it to the participants once, so they have fun and observe which characters are there.
Before the second round, split the group into 4 sub-groups - each one will get one character:
(You can do this division by drawing these characters on papers - as many papers as you have the participants - and decide on the composition of the groups by drawing lots.)
Give the participants half of flipchart paper or A4 paper and marker and ask them to work together. The question for them is: ""Observe your character in this cartoon. Which knowledge, skills and attitudes they have or need? Make together a list of at least 5 of each and write them to the flipchart.""
Play them the cartoon once again and then give them about 5-10 minutes of time to finalize.
Then ask the groups to come and present what they came up with. Discuss with the group after each presentation, questions such as:
Make some examples of hard and soft competences:
“Hard competences” - something you can learn from books or by heart and practice by hands, such as math, accounting, programming or IT in general, graphic design, writing articles, statistics, etc.
“Soft competences” (sometimes referred to as “soft skills” or “people skills and self- management skills”) - are the activities that you do to manage yourself and manage or work with other people, such as communication, flexibility, independence, teamwork, or leadership.
At the end of this activity, make sure they all understand what is knowledge, skill, atttude and competence - you can ask them to show you on a scale from zero (thumb down) to 100% (thumb up) how they are understanding this now. If it's mostly above 50%, it's fine, if not, let them ask questions or explain once more."
Source of inspiration: : https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/shaun-the-sheep-off-the-baa.1704/
Length: 10 minutes intro + 20 minutes work
Main objective(s): Understanding how IM-PROVE works and how its usage can help the participants; exploring the IM-PROVE themselves
Materials needed: : each participant or in couples - smartphone, with internet connection, if you have a beamer you can project the presentation or a video, but you will manage without it. For the internet - if you only ask them to download the app in advance, they can do it and then you shouldn't need the internet to use it during the project.
Step by step methodology: : IM-PROVE is a simple application accessible on-line (improve.inexsda.cz) or in app store for iOS and Android.
Basically, it’s the on-line tool that help volunteers in different roles (participants, leaders, trainers…) reflect on what they learnt during their volunteering activities. You can have all the volunteering activities recorded here and the app will ""translate"" your experiences into the language of comeptences, especially the soft competences.
How does it work? Easily:
Step 1 - Sign up on improve.inexsda.cz
Step 2 - The application will lead you through filling in your profile (if you want to)
Step 3 - You can enter your first project - this project you're on now. The app will lead you through it. You basically put some info about the type of project, your role in it, select few experiences you have already done in the project (such as I've come to the venue of the project by myself"") and put some details to these. After this process, the application will show you, which competences have you developed by these experiences.
Step 4 - Then, you can either add other experiences to the same project, add new projects or browse through other functionalities of the application.
Other things IM-PROVE can help you with:
To sum up, IM-PROVE will help you realize what you learnt and what you’re able to do, plan your next steps in volunteering and present your valuable experience on the outside (e.g. on the labour market) to show, that volunteering is - among other things - valuable tool how to learn important competences for personal and professional life.
Once this presentation is done, ask participants to work themselves (or in couples in case some of them don't have a smartphone), register and follow the steps you were presenting to actually touch the application and find out which competences they have already developed at this project. You can use this self-reflection time of putting experiences into the app every day or every two days to motivate the participants to use it and reflect by themselves regularly."
Length: 15-30min
Main objective(s): Participants share lessons learned and reflect on the most significant thing which was planted.
Materials needed: : seeds
Step by step methodology: :
Length: 2 min for explanation + 1 min per participant
Main objective(s): Reflect on the day, or the week. Sumamrize briefly the most important thing
Materials needed: : matches, lighter
Step by step methodology: :
Length: up to 60 min.
Main objective(s): Emotional evaluation is done by dice evaluation where volunteers have chance to steam out and say goodbye.
Materials needed: : dice, flipchart board and flipchart papers
Step by step methodology: :
Notes: You may use 6 different cards instead of dice.
Source: : According to Mara Arvai, https://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox/tool/dice-evaluation.787/
Length: 20 min
Main objective(s): Personal evaluation, saying goodbye
Materials needed: : a4 papers, pens, tape
Step by step methodology: :
Length: 20 min
Main objective(s): Personal evaluation, saying goodbye
Materials needed: : ball of wool
Step by step methodology: :
Length: 20 min
Main objective(s): Appreciation, learning reflection, saying goodbye
Materials needed: : bags of seeds (as many as participants)
Step by step methodology: :