In one of my PgCert tutorials a peer who is also using focus groups as a research method introduced me to the 1-2-4-All structure for idea generation exercises.
Looking into it further it sits as a method within a broader approach called ‘Intentionally Equitable Hospitality’ which I had never heard of before.
Bali and Zamora (2022) describe IEH as the following:
‘IEH (intentionally equitable hospitality) is a values-based approach that promotes co-learning among students, who might be different in innumerable ways, by prioritizing the needs and wants of the most marginalized among them.
IEH centers values rather than measurable predetermined outcomes. Intentionally equitable hospitality is not neutral. Rather, it prioritizes the values of social justice while fostering learner/participant agency within the learning space, while never forgetting the ways in which power and oppression work outside of that learning space, and how they influence it.’
It has a focus on making sure that every student is included and heard, and creating structured activities that allow for this. Carving out the space for students who maybe might retreat in group settings or reserve their opinions and thoughts to have a voice, to learn together and form a sense of belonging.
The 1-2-4-All structure is a way of enacting IEH, and would be perfect to implement into my focus group.
The idea is:
- you ask a question
- the participants think for 1 minute in silence and generate their own response
- they then spend 2 minutes discussing their ideas in pairs, combining or building on ideas
- then they join another pair to make a group of 4 and discuss to see if there are any similarities and differences for 4 minutes
- before finally coming together as a full group to pitch the best idea from each group of 4.
This diagram below I find a bit confusing and repetitive, and doesn’t really flow as a circle – but has some nice points around creating opportunity and equal time for everyone. With that said without a facilitator for each group I imagine when it gets to groups of 4 that making sure everyone has a chance to speak could become challenging – particularly for students.
https://www.liberatingstructures.com/1-1-2-4-all/
This structure could be good to implement for my final activity where I want the students to generate ideas for how we can increase engagement with the CAD Club resources. It could also help to almost filter the key themes to the forefront of the conversation as they they go from pairs, to 4’s to the whole group.
References
- Bali, M and Zamora, M. (2022). Intentionally Equitable Hospitality as Critical Instructional Design. In Quinn, J., Fay Burtis, M., Jhangiani, S. and Denial, Catherine J. Designing for Care. Hybrid Pedagogy Incorporated.
- Lipmanowicz, K.M., Henri (n.d.). Liberating Structures – 1. 1-2-4-All. [online] www.liberatingstructures.com. Available at: https://www.liberatingstructures.com/1-1-2-4-all/.