Goal
The aim is to make expectations of participants and facilitators regarding content and cooperation transparent. This allows a need-focused planning of content, goal and methods.
Steps
1. Work on one's own: The participants are asked to note down their own expectations regarding the seminar as on cards (1-3 keywords only on each card). [10 minutes]
2. Plenum: The cards are read aloud and sticked on a poster, which can be prepared before. The participants have the possibility to comment them and put them one after another in an order concerning the topic. [35 to 45 minutes]
3. The trainer sums up the participants expectations and comments and adds the expectations of the trainers. [10 minutes]
4. Discussion and negotiation in the plenum. The aim is to reach a consensus in terms of the planning of the seminar. If necessary the program has to be adjusted to the needs of the participants.
What's relevant?
Show the aspects to what the learners should add their expectations. This clarification helps to give more precise feedback. More: Planning
Assessment
Expectations are important information at the begin of a learning process and also for evaluation in between (formative evaluation) or at the end of a programme. When evaluating the seminar trainers and participants should fall back on the expectations to check in how far they have been fulfilled.
More: Evaluation
Expectations
The sum of results or achievements which participants intend to reach on different levels.
Needs
They are different to needs - the requirements which learners have in order to be able to work toward achievements.
Both need to be considered.
Experiences
It is open how much the trainers should position themselves in this early stage of the seminar regarding different comments.
+ Transparency what expectations will be covered by the programme and giving participants the opportunity to discuss and negotiate
- Participants might be inhibited to bring in their own, possibly completely different expectations.
Variation: Expectation Box
Use instead of a plenum an expectation box: Participants do their cards inside anonymously. Then trainers might evaluate them later during their planning sessions. Or small groups of participants go through the cards and summarize the mentioned aspects.
