World Cafe

Description

Groups rotate from breakout room to breakout room after specific periods of time. In each breakout room, they interact with specific content such as an individual’s presentation, a group project summary, or another activity.

Why we like it

Rotating to different rooms and topics makes the session lively. Breakout room leaders will get more confident with their content through repeated delivery as well as with different reactions and discussions.

Process

The original World Cafe process uses 5 steps. Platform or tech additions are noted in each step.

1. Setting: Create your "cafe” by assigning breakout rooms linked to specific presenters and topics. Consider other tech tools each room might need, such as shared whiteboards.
2. Welcome: Give instructions and timing to participants and breakout room leaders.
3. Rounds: Send groups to their first breakout room. Note: Each group goes to a different breakout room. In each room, groups perform an activity (watch and discuss a presentation, evaluate a group project, contribute to a strategy plan, etc.). After a specified amount of time, groups rotate to the next room.
4. Questions: Each round is prefaced with a question related to the overall World Cafe theme. Offer this question in the main room before going to breakout rooms, or announce it through Chat or another method.
5. Harvest: Participants discuss their breakout rooms, contributions, and insights. This could happen after each round or at the end of the entire session.

Daisy chain options

Incorporate platform or tech tools into each breakout room to give breakout room leader more experience and abilities.

Variations

a) Skip steps as needed such as feedback between rounds.
b) Breakout room leaders could give quizzes, facilitate games, or other activities.

External links

Collaborative Whiteboards
Board:  https://board.net/
Limnu: https://limnu.com
Miro: https://miro.com/ 
Mural:  https://mural.co/

Attribution

Check out The World Cafe online for deeper World Cafe principles, a free World Cafe hosting kit, and community discussions.

Share using the icons below or direct link to this activity: https://knowmium.com/tools/2020/4/13/world-cafe-23j76