Scenario Model for the Second Planning Day

So, after the meeting I sat down with Jeremy Y to revisit the thinking around scenarios. Very valuable insights for me about the use of scenarios, and Jeremy also has great models and experience about how to do this so that you get outcomes. The structure of the day is good. The morning is more abstract thinking which can then be used to inform and influence the sorts of thinking, activities and outcomes we get from the afternoon sessions. The scenario driven activities, which revolve around the studio/lab aspect of honours, segues nicely into thinking about the methods and communication theory subjects that are involved. This way these subjects can be thought of as helping to enable the studio/laboratory model, and are not merely an adjunct that are then experienced as outside of, or just sitting alongside of, the rest of honours.

btw, drawing credits to Jeremy Yuille.

So, brief notes.

PROJECTS
Define projects first, as this helps ground the personas and the contexts discussions. I think this will also help with a lot of the people involved in the planning day because they will, generally, have had little experience of these sorts of activities, so grounding it in a more concrete context is good. To do this invite everyone to just brainstorm or imagine possible projects, real, imagined. These go on post it notes and get put up on wall. They can be grouped around common themes or methods. Each group (a group will be defined by table size, given the classrooms we’re using, probably 6 to a group) will select one project as the basis for the next steps.

PERSONAS
As a group make a list of the people who might be particpants and the key actors involved in the project. Academics, students, research subjects, partners (industry, community, cultural groups), anyone who this project might impact on. This could include the research community too. Then work in pairs to make these people concrete, give them a persona. Name them. What sort of car do they drive (do they drive), favourite colour? What sort of music do they like? Any pets. Favourite author and what book made the biggest difference to them? Why are they involved and what do they hope to achieve because of their involvement?

CONTEXTS
Now, take these people, in this project, and think about where it would happen. What areas does it involve? Where would it have impact? These might be places, industry practices, knowledge domains. It is also, literally, where it would take place. In a classroom (what sort), in an office, in a home?

IMPLEMENTATION
Finally, how would you achieve this? What do you think your personas need to be able to do this? What problems and questions arise for you?

Then we can use a timeline for the year and do a two part process using this. The time lines can be up on the wall and used by each group, again with post it notes (different colours would be useful to help easily identify information). The first step is to note, more or less as bullet points, what might happen, who might be involved, what might be made (outcomes), and what gets assessed (and perhaps by who?). Stick this above the timeline, obviously using the timeline to put when things are likely to happen.

Under the timeline document all things you think you might need to achieve this. Resources, people, students, information, knowledge, skills. What things? What are they? This will then segue into the final two parts of the afternoon session which deal with the two required coursework components of the honours model.