Two weeks ago, we were in the community of Hecken (North Rhine-Westphalia). We had a very intensive discussion with the residents about how to prepare the small community for the future. It was great to experience the energy and creativity in the room. Yes, we're talking about the digital space we created with the help of Zoom and a digital whiteboard.
Villages & Regions Project
Due to the current situation, we too were faced with the question: What to do if the preparatory workshop can only take place online? A workshop that is not only designed to gather information about the village and its community, but also to gain a personal impression, get to know each other, and build trust for the shared journey? In our project for the German Networking Office for Rural Areas (DVS), we tested the possibilities of digital workshop preparation out of necessity and developed them further for ourselves. Our conclusion: highly recommended.
The DVS offers this innovation program for civic initiatives in villages and regions, relying on the methodological approach of simulation games. Before implementing it, however, we took a step back and asked ourselves why the program should actually work. What happens to the participants in this setting, and what new opportunities do we offer them?
In his classic book Political Planning (1971), sociologist Niklas Luhmann outlined our social systems and how, for a better understanding of human behavior, they can be divided into three dimensions: the temporal, material, and social dimensions (see p. 144 ff.).
A digital whiteboard expands the time dimension for participation almost infinitely. We opened the board to participants one week before the preparatory workshop. They were able to add their entries, photos, and comments at their leisure, and even exchange ideas with others, at any time of day or night. This significantly freed up time for the actual workshop and allowed us to focus on questions and discussions.
In the factual dimension, the board significantly expanded the formats and quality of contributions. Participants shared personal images and links to current events or uploaded working papers. Limitations here were personal time and technical understanding. For the latter, we offered a telephone hotline in case difficulties should arise.
The social dimension was the most exciting for us, as it also carried the risk that the intervening technology might provoke a monologue or a reduced question-and-answer session. After adapting our concepts, however, we noticed that even the otherwise often silent participants now had the opportunity to contribute their ideas and suggestions and took advantage of it. By allowing time for group and individual work, contributions were immediately developed, commented on, and moved, and key statements were identified. Having the whiteboard with all questions and information accessible in advance gave the preparatory workshop a new level of transparency. The participants knew what to expect from the workshop, which was one of the reasons why it was so successful.
Based on these experiences, we now suggest always checking whether the preparatory workshop can be conducted online.