Initially seen as ideal, it soon became apparent that the person whose office was being used took a dominant role and other members felt uncomfortable. Fortunately, the other members realized that their reluctance to participate freely was related to the perception that they were on the dominant member's turf and changed the meeting place. Public spaces such as cafes may be inappropriate for discussing sensitive issues or confidential information that could be overheard by outsiders. One of us was once called by an angry manager who said a student group had been overhead in a local restaurant making fun of the manager's employees. Meetings in public spaces may also be susceptible to distractions, such as food ordering or visits by passersby.
Students can use e-mail for exchanging ideas and materials.
It also may reduce group brainstorming activities due to the difficulty of conducting such activities asynchronously. Description of Activities and Approximate Time Table. Then, we will encourage participants to share and develop ideas about how to help groups go beyond classroom borders. Discussion of How Activities will Fulfill Purpose. By collecting ideas and examples on flip charts, participants will also have a set of potential solutions to these problems.