Pages : a fun approach to examining complex documents

Are you often faced with complex documents? Good news! The Pages activity, developed by Thiagi, is the method that will save you. Say goodbye to hours of yawning page-turning: this method is not only effective, it’s fun too. Designed for groups of 16 to 48 participants and lasting around an hour, this method is ideal for examining and discussing the information contained in a document. Here’s how it works!

Objective of the activity

The main objective of the Pages activity is to turn the chore of reading long, complex documents into an interactive, collaborative experience. Each participant dives into just one part of the document, then discusses it with their peers who have read other parts. The idea is then to collectively extract the essential information from the whole document. This approach enables the key elements of the document to be better understood and applied, while encouraging active, collaborative participation.

Explore Letters and Numbers, another Thiagi activity.

Benefits

For the facilitator:

• Ensures that each participant explores the document in depth.

For the participant:

• Makes learning more engaging and meaningful.

The approach

Pages takes place in several steps, involving reading, discussion and collective selection of the key elements of the document. It relies on participants working together to identify the most important information.

How does it work?

Total duration : 45 minutes

1. Presentation of the activity (5 min): The facilitator explains the objective and the process to the participants.
2. Reading & Selection (12 min): Each participant reads part of the document, selects 3 key elements, then shares them with their group. Together, they select 3 essential elements.
3. Restitution 1 (10 min): Each group presents its 3 selected elements to all the participants.
4. Sharing & Selection (8 min): New groups are formed with a representative from each part of the document. They select 3 key elements for the document as a whole.
5. Restitution 2 (10 min): Final presentation of the key elements selected.

How can it be used?

In a company

💼 Analysis of a new internal policy

• Aim: To help employees understand and take ownership of a new HR policy (e.g. remote working, diversity & inclusion).
• Process: Each team analyses part of the document, selects the key points, then exchanges with other groups to summarise the essential elements to be retained.
• Benefits: Employee alignment, better understanding of and commitment to the policy.

📊 Deployment of a new commercial strategy

• Objective: To ensure a shared understanding of a new strategic plan or sales approach.
• Process: Sales staff analyse sections of the plan (target market, sales pitch, KPIs), then discuss and prioritise the most relevant elements.
• Benefits: Consistency in the application of the strategy, rapid increase in team skills.

In training

🎓 Comprehension of a technical or academic text

• Objective: To enable learners to assimilate a complex document (e.g. legal text, scientific article, industry standard).
• Process: Each group analyses a section of the text, selects the key concepts, then reformulates them and shares with other groups.
• Benefits: Progressive appropriation of the content, exchange between peers, better memorisation.

👨‍🏫 Collaborative management learning

• Objective: To integrate the principles of leadership and effective communication.
• Process : Participants work on case studies or extracts from reference works, identify the key points, and compare them with other groups.
• Benefits: Active engagement, development of critical thinking skills, rapid application.

In an event setting

Interactive conference or seminar

• Objective : To enable participants to analyse and discuss the content of a conference or panel of experts.
• Process : After a speech, participants analyse a summary of what was said, extract 3 key ideas and discuss them with other groups.
• Benefits: Encourages interaction, anchors learning and allows key trends to emerge.

Glowbl, the ideal platform for this activity

Glowbl offers an immersive virtual environment, ideal for Pages, with key features:

• Independent tables: With Glowbl, you can easily create small discussion groups around independent tables. Each group can focus on one page of the document, facilitating collaboration and discussion.
• Shared documents: Glowbl lets you share and annotate documents in real time. Participants can access the documents they need, make annotations and share them with their groups. It’s like having one big virtual work table.
• Announcements: The facilitator can send global announcements to manage timing and coordinate the different stages of the activity.
• Collaborative notes: Pages is based on the collection and presentation of key elements. Glowbl’s collaborative notes allow participants to compile and share information in real time.

Sign up for our Methods Academy sessions to try out activities on Glowbl.

Conclusion

Pages is a fun, interactive approach to examining and discussing complex documents. By encouraging active participation and collaboration, it leads to better understanding and application of key information. Glowbl, with its tailored functionality, is the ideal platform for successfully implementing this method.