Serious Play Forum

[Richard Gold]

Hi all

I think this may be a bizarre question. A potential client has asked whether it is possible to run an effective LSP session via conference call. He has people in three different country locations, can’t afford to fly them in to a single venue, but wants to run a team alignment activity!

Has anyone had any experience of trying this? He’s up for experimenting to see if it can work, but it’d be good to know if anyone has tried any of the LSP techniques in this way and if so with what success or otherwise.

Thanks in advance

Best wishes

Richard

[Rodrigo Borgia]

Hi Richard,

This is not a bizarre question at all!!! In fact, i have been asked previously for same similar situations……

In my humilde opinion, there is a slight way to get this done – but you will definitely loose the “in the flesh” instances and minor captions you could get when you conduct the workshop by person.

If you have a great videoconference capability, it can be an advantage. If not, my guess it that you will looooose to much of details. And of course, a videoconference that runs for 4 or 5 hours is way to long. Even using solutions as HP Halo Telepresence Solutions or similar.

But in case of need, feel free to touch base with me for any support i would be able to give. I will definitely like to hear (or read) the results if you finally go through it!

Have fun,

Rodrigo

[Stephen Dann]

Hi there. I recently did run a three location LSP workshop using video conferencing. It’s a challenge, and it takes some background preparation (including, in my case, background mistake making), but it can be done. I had a split of 8 local, 3 in remote location 1, and 1 in remote location 2. From what I’ve heard, everyone felt they got something from the session, and the two remote locations (that I called Home Team each time, and where I was standing I called Away team) did get something from the sessions.

To the technicality/practicalities that came up.

Remote deploying the LSP kits: Ensure you have everything you want someone at the remote end to have for the workshop needs to be with that kit. This is where I made my mistake – I use a set of cards for the Explain This, and didn’t think to include cards in the remote kit (hastily emailed PDF files for the recovery). It also means that you have to lock the session structure well in advance to ensure the hardware is mailed out to the location.

Visual challenge: I ran a 90 minute workshop using the Starter Kits, and when it came to the time to talk through the models, we discovered by chance that the zoom function on the teleconference gear gave people at the far end of the line the chance to say “I am ready to share now”, and get the model into full screen focus. Others would hold their models up close to the camera to show them in detail.

Problems encountered:
1) Lego is loud. If you have a strong mic set up on your home side, you can’t mute because you’re calling time and instructions, so the other teams get to hear lego in high volume. Same for when discussions are being had, people can’t move and manipulate bricks with the teleremote microphones hearing everything.
2) It’s a little unnerving, and working out where to stand and look to engage the remote audience and local audience at once is a challenge.

Success encountered: This was a crew that worked remote for a lot of their classes and coursework, so they were experienced in engaging and sharing, and they felt the connection across the line and in the room.

[Richard Gold]

Thanks Rodrigo and Stephen

That’s really helpful. It’s definitely going to be a shorter rather than longer session. I have a horrible feeling that it’s going to be more Skype than Halo. Thanks for the ‘watch-outs’ too.

I’ll report back if it goes ahead.

Thanks again and best wishes

Richard

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