Do you often find yourself having to retain large amounts of information? Good news! The Essence activity, developed by the Thiagi Group, is the method that will revolutionise the way you memorise and synthesise content. Gone are the days of skimming and forgetting: this approach allows you to extract the essence of a document in a few punchy key words. Suitable for groups of 12 to 48 participants and completed in 40 minutes, this activity is ideal for structuring learning and encouraging retention of essential information. Here’s how it works!
Objective of the activity
The main aim of Essence is to help participants extract and memorise the central idea of a piece of content by gradually condensing it. In three successive rounds, participants gradually reduce a text to 16, then 8, and finally 4 words. This approach sharpens the ability to synthesise and reinforces retention of key elements. Far from being a simple summary exercise, this fun and interactive method encourages participants to think about the most significant words.
Discover Pages, another synthesis activity developed by Thiagi.
Benefits
For the facilitator:
- Encourage in-depth analysis of the content by the participants.
- Structure the discussion and facilitate active engagement.
For the participant:
- Develop their ability to quickly summarise content.
- Reinforce comprehension and memorisation.
- Make learning more interactive and collaborative.
How does it work?
Total duration: 40 minutes
1. Introduction to the activity (5 min)
The facilitator explains the objectives and progress of the activity after presenting new content to the participants.
2. Round 1 – 16-word summary (5 min)
- Participants are divided into teams of 3 to 6 people.
- Each team writes a 16-word summary of the content.
3. Presentations 1 (5 min)
Each team shares its 16-word summary with the other groups.
4. Round 2 – 8-word summary (5 min)
Each team works from another team’s 16-word summary. They must condense it into 8 words.
5. Presentations 2 (5 min)
The teams share their 8-word summaries.
6. Round 3 – 4-word summary (5 min)
- Again, each team works from another team’s summary. The teams reduce their 8-word summary to 4 key words.
- This final summary represents the essence of the content studied.
7. Presentations 3 (5 min)
Each team shares its final summary of 4 words.
8. Closing (5 min)
The facilitator leads a short debriefing on the activity.
Examples of use
In companies
In-house training and onboarding
- Objective: To help new employees quickly grasp the essential information.
- Process: Each team works on a section of the company guide, then extracts the key points.
Analysis of a strategic report
- Objective: To highlight the key points of a lengthy document (e.g. annual report, market study).
- Process: Participants summarise the main sections, then refine their analysis in groups.
In training
Summarising an academic article
- Objective: To enable students to extract the fundamental concepts from a text.
- Process : Each group works on one part of the article, then shares a condensed summary.
Management learning
- Objective: To identify the key principles of a book on leadership or communication.
- Process: After reading the book, the teams boil it down into 4 key words that have an impact.
Glowbl, the ideal platform for this activity
Glowbl offers an immersive virtual space perfectly suited to the Essence activity, thanks to several key features:
- Independent tables: Facilitate collaboration in small groups while maintaining an interactive dynamic.
- Global announcements: Can be sent to remind participants of instructions.
- Timer: Used to set the pace for sub-group work.
- Collaborative notes: Centralises the summaries of each team to facilitate feedback.
Take part in our Methods Academy sessions to find out more about Glowbl!
Conclusion
Essence is a fun and effective approach to transforming learning into an interactive and engaging experience. By structuring reflection and collaboration, this activity improves understanding and retention of essential information. Glowbl, with its tailored features, is the ideal platform for successfully delivering this method.
Want to give it a try? Organise your first session on Glowbl today!