Silent work is a well-known method in the classroom. The student retreats in the classroom and works intently on his or her work assignment. The opposite of silent work is probably group work, which tends to be in the noisy spectrum of work in the classroom. Digital tools can be used to combine the two method of concentration "still work" with the noisy group work and get a very concentrated form of collaboration.
The collaborative method of silent writing, we developed at ZHdK in the format Smart Settings 2019. Since then, silent writing is a method we use in different situations. Both in a pure digital setting and in a real classroom with people who knew each other well before or with people who didn't know each other before, anonymously or by name.
Silent writing is about doing a work assignment together in a document. This can be a discussion or feedback on a topic. The field of application is versatile and can be varied depending on the situation. One can also use the method as a round of introductions or for group division. Depending on the degree of application, you can work with emojis, gifs or PNGs. Important here is the concentration, the non-talking and the exchange via the written word or, if necessary, via images/icons.
Smartphone, pad or computer for text input and internet access are prerequisites. To make the technology as low-threshold as possible, we use cloud-based applications, for example Etherpad or a writing document such as Word or Google Docs. In some cases, a spreadsheet is also worthwhile, especially if participants are to work in groups.
The Etherpad has the advantage that it is very reduced. One font, no options for design - each participant is assigned a color. It can be used anonymously or you can ask people to type in their name. An Etherpad can also be used well as a chat tool.
A writing document can be used in a more complex way. Images, graphics, icons can be inserted and fonts of various kinds can be formatted. The anonymous mode can also be used playfully. Google Docs, for example, has animal avatars that can also be incorporated into the respective work as a playful intervention.
The method is very agile and solution-oriented. It is a very focused and effective method to get results. You can make silent writing as the situation demands, more serious or more fun. The key point is, even if it is sometimes difficult, please do silent work and no talking.
Before:
- Set up a document (online) and have the link accessible and ready.
- If necessary, try it out with a small group.
- In the document, if necessary, already write in the task.
- If it is a blank document, it is still worth adding a "hello", date and place.
Meanwhile:
- Share the link with the group.
- Specify time.
- Clearly describe task: Discussion, group formation, feedback, etc.
- Establish rules; anonymous or known.
After:
- Close or leave open the link after application.
- Download for documentation purposes.
- Summarize as needed and share with group.
- Rely on your intuition. The method works especially well if you don't guide it too much and let the person working on it orient himself.
- Depending on the application, it is advisable to test the technology with someone, despite its simplicity. That way, you have built up a small body of experience yourself and know how such a way of working feels.
- From our experience, it is also helpful to set a time window. In the best case, the expiring time, for example 10 minutes, is visible to everyone. That way, you don't have to interrupt the flow of others' thoughts by announcing the time.
