Criteria forming Game

Criteria forming Game

Aims
To demonstrate the principles of criteria forming
To demonstrate problems and solutions around the use of criteria.


Game – The Aeroplane Game
Tell the group that each individual is to make an aeroplane
Each aeroplane will be flown and the best one selected from the group.
But first we need to decide on the criteria in deciding which is the best plane.

Get the group to brainstorm some criteria to assess how we could possibly assess which is the best plane.
Then get the group to pick the best five.

Then get the group to make their aeroplanes.

Once completed, each plane is to be assessed individually (?5 minutes for each). Examples of criteria might be:
Design
Length of flight
Duration of flight before fall
Etc etc

Use a scoring system… 1-5 points for each criterium (1 poor, 5 excellent)

At the End
Get the group to brainstorm problems with the criteria and method used for assessing. What redefinitions would the make. What have we learnt about defining criteria?

The Process
Illustrates that criterium setting is not simple and may need modification post trial run. Trial runs are important. Groups are better at setting criteria than one individual (more points of view).

Pitfalls
Some people are clever and can be ahead of the game! Most people will try and design an aeroplane that will fly for a long time and the furthest in it’s trajectory. The wiser ones will realise that these are only two of the five or six criteria and that by concentrating to develop their planes so that they score well on the other 4 criteria will gain them more marks. But that illustrates an important point too…..simply assigning a 1-5 score for each criterium assumes that each criterium is as equally important as the others (not always true!)