The Future Ready Learner Design Process utilizes human-centered design to provide a highly creative, people-oriented approach to solving relevant problems and developing action-oriented solutions within a school or district.

In Step 1: Radar Diagramming, you will complete a diagram that will help individuals and teams plot items according to personal significance and value in the following areas: skills, knowledge, characteristics, and dispositions.

Big Question

What are the essential skills, knowledge, characteristics, and dispositions that learners need to possess in order to be future ready?

Prepare

• Print the “Radar Diagram” template (one per group).
• Print “Key Definitions” (one per group).
• Make a copy of the FRS Learner Design Process slides.
• Provide sticky notes (15–25 per team member), black markers (one per team member), large flipchart or whiteboard to each group.
• Share previous surveys of school and district and/or data relevant to this process.

The Work

Draw/Print the radar diagram on a large piece of chart paper/whiteboard (one per group). (8 minutes)

Complete the “Radar Diagram” by:

1. While in small groups, start the discussion by asking the Big Question, What are the essential knowledge/skills, and characteristics/dispositions, that learners need to possess in order to be future ready?

2. Working individually, have each member silently write their essentials on sticky notes. One essential should be written per sticky note. Remind team members that this begins as an individual activity and personal reflection of value. (6 minutes)

EXAMPLE:
Empathy (written on a single sticky note)

3. While in small groups, take turns individually sharing one essential (sticky note) at a time plotting personal considerations on the radar diagram and responding to the topics. Briefly comment on why each essential was added. (10 minutes)

EXAMPLE:
“I am placing empathy in primary importance because….”

4. When time expires, ask team members to look for common essentials in their own group and cluster essentials into emerged themes. Emphasize the importance of this step and ask team members to look carefully and discuss all postings, as this will lead to success in the next step. (5–10 minutes)

STEP 1: 30 to 40 minutes (total time)

Tips and Tricks: It is important to note that team members should place essentials that:

• are essential to them in the Primary Importance circle of the radar diagram; 
• are merely nice to have in the Secondary Importance circle of the radar diagram; and
• you could go without, but it is worth mentioning in the Tertiary Importance circle of the radar diagram.

Tips and Tricks: Embrace the physical constraints of the radar diagram to encourage conversations about relative importance.
Discourage side conversations or sticky notes added to the whiteboard or flipchart without comments.
(This is where the facilitator turns into a coach and encourages meaningful conversations.)

Developed in collaboration with: