22 learning methods for adults
The book "Munterrichtsmethoden" by Harald Gross, Betty Boden and Harald Boden contains 22 learning methods for adult education: How can you keep participants interested in seminars and workshops? And how can you motivate them to apply, work through, solve problems, practise and repeat? In this article, you will learn about the "chair oracle" teaching method and how to apply it in practice.
Objective
Arouse interest in the next step. Determine who will take on upcoming tasks.
Brief description
The chair oracle decides which participants should solve the next tasks or answer the upcoming questions. The participants are surprised and asked to look for signs on the underside of their chairs. Whoever finds a card under the chair is next.
Material
Colored cards, adhesive tape
Duration
3 minutes
Preparation
Stick cards under the chairs in an unobserved moment.
"Who will go next?"
The chair oracle can decide on this question, which points the way ahead and is often perceived as unpleasant or even embarrassing, in a surprising and pleasant way.
How does it work? Before the event begins, you sneak into the room and place identifying signs under some (or all) of the chairs. For example:
- Blank, colored cards
- Cards with pictures of laughing and crying faces
- Cards with numbers 1 to 5 or other clearly recognizable signs
In the middle of the teaching unit, you address the participants with an unusual request: "The chair oracle has already decided which three people will ask the next questions. To find out who in our group the oracle has chosen, I ask you to stand up and look under the seat of your chair. The three people who find such a blue card there have been chosen by the chair oracle."
Whoever then finds a distinguishing mark takes on the task at hand. As in the example, this can be the formulation of a key question, a short repetition, the moderation of the next sequence or the presentation of the advantages and disadvantages of an idea (laughing and crying faces under the chairs are suitable for this, for example).
Variant
Different colored cards or the numbers 1 to 5 divide the participants into working teams for the next task. Of course, all chairs must be prepared for this.
Harald Gross
"Munterrichtsmethoden"
22 teaching methods for adult education that have proved particularly successful in practice. For example, the "speed thesis round", the "glasses wearer vote" or the "after-work movie". Are you looking for new ideas for everyday seminars or the right method for your specific teaching situation? The book or the card sets contain many easily digestible teaching methods and motivate you to try them out.
Order "Teaching methods" by Harald Gross
