Assumptions Wall

Assumptions Wall

Purpose:

Facilitating Dialogue

Additional Purpose(s):

Generating and Sharing Ideas

Overview:

The focus of this process is to surface assumptions and provide a framework to support dialogue about those assumptions.

Procedure:

  1. Invite learners to list assumptions about a topic individually. Ensure that learners understand that assumptions are things they believe to be true about a topic without proof.  
  2. Have learners choose one that most guides their actions or responses and record their choice on a sentence strip in 8–12 words so that it will be visible from a distance.  
  3. Place learners into groups of 4-6 and invite them to post their assumption strips on the wall in designated locations in the room.  
  4. Model the inquiry frame for group dialogue: 

Individual selects one of the posted assumptions and asks: 

  • I’m curious about this assumption: ______________ 
  • Whose is it?  
  • Help me to understand. What are some reasons you hold this to be important? 

5. In each group, individuals inquire about posted assumptions in round-robin fashion. 

Materials:

  • Sentence strips (ledger paper cut lengthwise)
  • Markers
  • Painter’s tape or sticky tack

Variations:

Group learners and ask them to collaboratively list as many assumptions related to a topic as possible. After a few minutes, ask them to select 1-3 assumptions. Invite them to inquire about the assumptions they chose and identify implications of these assumptions.  

Tips:

Intervene and redirect whenever the inquiry begins to sound like interrogation and disbelief. The inquiry tone and exploration of thinking is important to facilitating dialogue.

Source:

Adapted from: https://www.thinkingcollaborative.com/as-resources