Warming up for the Prototype

Warming up for the Prototype

The aim is to strengthen the students’ competencies in converting ideas and thoughts into concrete pretotypes.

1. The teacher explains that the activity is time-controlled and they will maintain time discipline throughout the activity.  Each round of the activity has a set timeframe of between seven and fifteen minutes.
2. The teacher divides each project group into two sub-groups with two or three students in each sub-group.
3. The sub-groups take it in turns to pick three objects from the bag of different things. Alternatively, the students can spend 5 minutes gathering objects or picture cards for the activity.
4. The teacher should stress that the students are constructing a quick and incomplete pretotype from the objects/pictures which they have in the limited time available.
5. Within their sub-groups, the students build a basic model of the solution that they have developed.
6. The students in turn, take an object/picture card and incorporate it into the model they have created. The number of rounds is dictated by the time available. Normally, there should be objects remaining in the pile.
7. The teacher tells the students when the time is up.
8. The teacher and students discuss the students’ discoveries regarding the solution and the pretotyping process.

This activity acts as a warm-up for the pretotyping process. For some students this will be the first time they encounter this type of innovative process. Pretotyping is a tool that can support students in building a bridge between idea generation/idea selection and action

The activity could be done using online tools such as Padlet, virtual whiteboard and breakout rooms in Teams/Zoom.