Mapping ideas

Where consultation participants work together to explore the ramifications of a problem, and plan alternative solutions (e.g. in a citizens' jury). Technologies supporting this task may facilitate alternate stages of creative brainstorming and organising the ideas produced. Computer technologies can help in keeping track of these ideas, generating a map participants can see. With the map, they no longer need to keep on repeating the same point, again and again, like a politician being interviewed on the radio.

• • Imagine a group tasked with exploring all the aspects of the problem, and coming up with several alternative solutions. How do you manage the meetings to use the time productively? Computer tools can help:
    • organise an agenda-driven meeting
    • allow lots of people to brainstorm ideas at the same time, without having to wait their turn to speak
    • allow pseudo-anonymity, so people are less afraid of coming up with creative, but risky ideas
    • help map out the issues discussed and the options identified.

old notes

  Use computer tools such as gropu support system to
  - organise an agenda-driven meeting
  - allow lots of people to brainstorm ideas at the same time, without having to wait their turn to speak
  - allow pseudo-anonymity, so people are less afraid of coming up with creative, but risky ideas
  - help map out the issues discussed and the options identified.