Crawford Slip Technique (CST)

Description

The Crawford Slip Technique is a quick and useful way of collecting ideas form groups of almost any size. A key factor is the anonymity of ideas, which encourages people to express their thoughts without fear of ridicule. The method encourages team efforts and avoids the competition that can occur when some individuals try to compete aggressively.

Procedure

1. Without discussing the topic/question with anyone else, students write down as many ideas/answers as possible on sticky notes or individual slips of paper. Write one answer per slip in large, clear printing.

2. Collect the slips and place or write them on the board, so they can all be read. Allow time for the students to read all of the responses. Clarify ideas/answers if necessary, but do not evaluate or critique them.

3. As a group sort the ideas into categories which seem to be related. Agree on a title for each of these sets of ideas, and add the titles to the board above the ideas. Review the ideas in each group once named. New groups/titles may have to be added and some ideas moved around.

4. As a final check, ask are the ideas related to the title? If they are and the ideas form a list of good examples of the category, then the method has been successful.

Link to Outcomes

Students participate in creative activity of their own and understand and engage with the artistic, cultural and intellectual work of others.

Dynamic Strategies

Motivation/Negotiation

Crawford Slip Technique (CST)

Idea

Idea

Idea

Idea