The objective of this exercise is to create a secure brainstorming space and is therefore ideal for kicking off a development process. The focus is to develop bad ideas and find out if there is any potential for converting them into good ones.
Ideation, Creative brainstorming.
There might be value in a seemingly bad idea. To give freedom to proposing them, the method of good ideas vs. bad ideas really helps. Bad ideas can then be turned into good ones, and new approaches can be generated.
Students
Videocall + whiteboard/jamboard or simliar
1
Start by explaining the rules for brainstorming (Source: D.School, Stanford University).
2 Thereafter, divide the students into groups and explain that they have 5 minutes to come up with as many bad ideas as possible. We recommend providing an example of a bad idea. While ideas should relate to the course’s subject area content, all bad ideas are welcome!
3 Afterwards, the groups have 5 minutes to choose their worst idea. They discuss why it is the worst idea and write the idea on a piece of paper/Post-it.
4 Each group quickly presents their worst idea in the plenum. This is so that everyone can hear the worst ideas, and they are often quite entertaining. Afterwards, each group gives their worst idea to another group. All groups are then in possession of a piece of paper/Post-it with another group’s worst idea written on it.
5 Groups are then given 5-10 minutes to transform the bad idea into a good one and to prepare a presentation of this idea in the plenum. The groups present their good ideas for max. 5 minutes.
6 In turn, the groups get 5 minutes to reflect on the exercise and what this exercise tells us about good and bad ideas. The groups then discuss in plenum what they have discovered and what advice they would give for the further idea development processes.
