Workshop Title
The learner is expected to evaluate the value of an idea
The learner is expected to evaluate the value of an idea
- Duration: 4 hours
The learner is expected to have evaluated one or several ideas.
The learner should be able to:
- Identify the importance of an idea evaluation
- Determine the methods and tools for idea evaluation
- Describe the main characteristics of the evaluation of an idea
- Refer to common concepts for idea evaluation
The workshop will require participants to think about how an idea can be evaluated and will give them criteria that are necessary for an idea evaluation. Additionally, participants will learn methods for an idea evaluation and be able to explain the main characteristics of it. The workshop will also include practical examples that will test the participants ability to think outside the box and be creative.
Participants of the workshop will be actively involved and will start by stating what in their opinion is necessary when evaluating ideas. This will give them insights into what they don’t know enough about or which concepts and parts of an idea evaluation they have previously not thought about.
Through the following part of theory, it is aimed at providing all participants with ideas on how an idea evaluation can take place and what factors are important. Through another exercise in the end, it is aimed that participants of the workshop will apply some of the already learnt and use it to evaluate their own ideas in the last exercise.
If participants are unmotivated or if they don’t understand the exercises – challenges can arise. Help can always be provided by the instructor if students don’t know what a criteria is for example. Another challenge could be the time, some exercises might run short of time and it is therefore crucial to stick to the times indicated.
During the last (3rd) Exercise it could be that participants are confused what is individual work and what is group work. It is therefore important that the lecturer takes this example step by step and doesn’t give all the instruction on how the exercise is to be conducted in the very beginning.
Step by step instructions for the preparation and implementation of the workshop
INTRODUCTION
Let the participants present themselves and their background then learning outcomes, short introduction and why ideas should be evaluated on Power Point. (PPT)
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS MOST IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING AN IDEA? (Exercise 1)
All instructions are on the PPT slides!
Step 1: Let the participants discuss with a partner for 10 minutes how they evaluated ideas in the past and why they made such decisions.
Step 2: Facilitate a group discussion where participants should share how they used to evaluate ideas they had in the past and if they think that they used methods or techniques. (20 min)
THEORY ON SLIDES (PPT)
Step 1: Present slides: “Is it worth it 1+2, Benefits & Costs, Identifying successful ideas” and try to get questions from the audience to facilitate communication and discussion about theory within the group.
FISHING EQUIPMENT (Exercise 2)
Participants should form groups of 3 for this exercise. They may leave the classroom.
Step 1: Groups should think and discuss what questions they can ask to determine if opening a store that sells fishing equipment can be successful.
Step 2: The Questions should be grouped into categories and the categories drawn/written on a flipchart (e.g. for categories: finances, human resources, market…)
Step 3: Each group should be able to present under what circumstances they think it is a good idea and under what circumstances it would not be a good idea and why they have selected the categories.
Step 4: Each group presents to the other teams their results
Step 5: Group discussion about factors that some teams might have missed that are however crucial for success.
THEORY ON SLIDES (PPT)
Step 1: Present the 8 points under “What to consider when evaluating ideas” (Time, Cost…)
Step 2: Summarize all points again
Step 3: Present the criteria from Tesco and the example from McDonalds and as indicated on the slide, facilitate a group discussion about other products or companies that participants know of.
Step 4: The Slide “When NOT to evalute ideas” is of course a little ice breaker and should lighten the mood and show participants with a simple example that certain decisions have very little value and are not really important.
Evaluate your business idea (Attachment 0.2)
Step 1: Divide the participants in groups of 5 and hand every group member Attachment 0.2 + 1 Extra, groups may also leave the classroom
Step 2: Let the groups come up with 4 different innovative business ideas that are realistic
Step 3: The group will write all 4 ideas on a flipchart
Step 4: Evaluation of the 4 business ideas takes place individually at first, according to the criteria set on the worksheet (attachment 0.2), a score from 1 to 3 for each business idea with 3 being the best and 1 the worst will be distributed. When all group members have evaluated all 4 business ideas, the group comes together and makes one final ranking for the group – sum up all values for each criteria and divide them by the number of group members.
Step 5: Come back together in the classroom and the first group starts by presenting their 4 ideas but doesn’t mention which idea “won” or scored best within that team. After a group presented, the other groups can guess which idea they think won within that group.
(Time distributed according to group size, if more groups -> plan more time for presentation and discussion about which idea won)
Resources
Training room, pens, paper, sticky notes in different colors, flipchart, colorful markers, Laptop with MS office, beamer
