Jigsaw

When a topic can be broken down easily into different components participants can become familiar with one specific and then teach others about it.

Purposes

• To show how discussion can be used to develop group expertise on a topic
• To invite participants to become experts by teaching topics to each other
• To experience two very different discussion dynamics—one in which people learn together and one in which they teach each other

How It Works

• A relatively large group decides to study a topic that lends itself to being broken down into five or six subtopics.
• Small groups of five or six form around each subtopic. The number of participants in each group should be the same as the number of subtopics.
• In the first “expert” round, each small group chooses a different subtopic and each member agrees to read up on that topic.
• The small groups reconvene after a period and share what they have learned. They raise questions about the topic, explore common understandings, identify disagreements, and consider different interpretations.
• The small group members summarize what they have all come to know about their assigned subtopic and decide on the key points they wish to share and some strategies on how they might teach these in the next round.
• The second round begins as new groups form comprising one expert representative from each of the original subtopic areas.
• Each expert takes responsibility for sharing key findings and important questions regarding his or her subtopic.
• After a suitable time the whole group is convened to discuss lessons learned, enduring questions, and future directions.

Where and When It Works Well

1. Leadership development. Jigsaw provides the chance for participants to experience leadership in bite-sized chunks. For a short period they are responsible for helping others develop skill and knowledge.
2. Enhancing division of labor. It works well in teams in which a number of tasks need to be accomplished and there are limited resources for their completion.
3. Deepening learning in academic settings. This technique encourages closer reading and research because students have to become experts on a subtopic.

What Users Appreciate

1. It promotes collaboration. People practice cooperation that builds more cohesive teams.
2. Control over learning. People know the learning that occurs stems entirely from their own efforts.
3. Having expertise acknowledged. Each expert appreciates being seen as the resource person with specialized knowledge whom the rest of the group needs.

What to Watch Out For

1. Taking too much time. This technique can drag on, depending on the topic and readings. But when planned well the whole exercise takes two hours with participants feeling they have learned a lot and have been part of some worthwhile discussions.
2. Didacticism. The second round can become overly didactic, with experts assuming they need to lecture, so you will need to remind them to share a few simple points and then rely on questions to open up discussion.
3. Pointlessness. This should not be a series of teach-ins just to change the pace of a meeting, class, or workshop. It should always be linked to increasing needed knowledge and skill and, when appropriate, to preparing groups to take informed actions.

Questions That Fit This Protocol

Any question that is complex enough to be broken down into subtopics fits well, such as the following:

• “How is this data interpreted from theoretical perspectives 1, 2, and 3?”
• “How do we integrate this priority into the different aspects of our mission?”
• “What does critical thinking look like in these different disciplines?”
• “How do we improve writing across the curriculum?”
• “What are the components of effective practice?”