Ozarks Greenways, Inc. had to come up with a solution to the following problem. Land had been acquired on either side of the busy Kansas Expressway for a greenway, a bicycle and hiking path to link Springfield with Wilson’s Creek Battlefield. However, there was no traffic light where the land reached the expressway, and the city had no plans to put a light there. Your task is to come up with a solution for the greenway that will keep bikers and hikers moving and that will be safe and inexpensive.
Divide the class into groups of five or six. Appoint a facilitator to record suggestions and make sure the group follows the “no criticism” rule. Ask each group to brainstorm a list of suggestions for the greenway problem. The groups should brainstorm for 10 minutes and think of as many suggestions as possible. At the end of the period, all the suggestions should be posted at the front of the class so that all can see. The class should then address the following questions:
1. Was it easy or difficult to follow the brainstorming rules? What was the hardest to do?
2. How did members feel during the process?
3. What do members remember thinking during the process?
4. Did anything stand in the way of being imaginative and having fun? If so, how might the process be modified to encourage more imagination and fun?
As an alternative to this exercise, some groups can brainstorm in the traditional way while others use brainwriting. If this is done, class members can compare the efficacy of each technique. Groups can also use a facilitator to help members stick to the brainstorming rules.