Creation of Instructional Resources

Choose this exercise

Purpose: Produce a clear, standalone reference aid that translates a complex practice into actionable steps for peers.

Use it when: Use when a team needs to translate new workflows, technical policies, or project takeaways into accessible reference guides for colleagues.

Skip it when: Skip when the core material is still undetermined or when participants do not have enough shared context to teach the subject.

Group arrangement: Subgroups of 3 to 5 participants, or a single group of 4 or 5 at the minimum.

Timing: UWT 60-minute workshop sprint adapted from source range of hours to days.

Materials and tools

• 1 flipchart pad or large poster board per subgroup
• 4 chisel-tip markers per subgroup (varied colors)
• 1 pad of 3x3 inch sticky notes per subgroup
• 1 roll of masking tape
• Handout: Prompt Topics and Resource Design Planner (1 copy per participant)
• Digital alternative: 1 shared digital whiteboard canvas with breakout frames per subgroup

Before participants arrive

1. Select 2 to 4 focus topics from the provided prompt list or tailor them to the group's current project.
2. Place poster paper, markers, sticky notes, and copies of the handout at each table.
3. If running digitally, set up numbered breakout frames on the shared whiteboard with the template text pre-loaded.

Say this to open

Today we will create practical instructional resources to teach a specific practice to someone who has never seen it before. You will work in small groups to turn complex steps into a simple one-page guide, diagram, or checklist. Your finished resource must stand on its own so that another group can read it and understand the core procedure immediately.

How to run it

1. Introduce scope and select topics 10 minutes

   Deliver opening script and review handout topics. Divide participants into groups of 3 or 4, with 5 permitted when group size requires it (e.g. 5 total participants form one group of 5). Each group picks one topic and format: checklist, decision tree, or dos-and-don'ts guide.

2. Draft core content 15 minutes

   Groups complete the Resource Design Planner on their handout. They identify the target user, write down the single key goal, and draft three to five essential actions on sticky notes. They sequence these notes and eliminate secondary details that could confuse a beginner.

3. Construct the instructional tool 20 minutes

   Groups transfer their drafted content onto their poster board or shared digital canvas. The finished tool must include a bold title, an intended user line, three to five clearly defined steps or rules, and visual structuring elements such as numbered boxes or arrows.

4. Peer review gallery walk 10 minutes

   Groups post their charts on the wall or navigate to other frames on the digital board. Working in pairs or individually, participants review at least two other resources. Reviewers leave one sticky note with a question about an unclear step and one sticky note highlighting the clearest instruction.

5. Debrief and close 5 minutes

   Reconvene the whole room. Select one or two questions from the debrief list and invite two or three volunteers to answer. Do not require every person or team to speak. Collect all physical posters or export digital frames for distribution.

Debrief questions

• What specific layout choice made an unfamiliar process clear in under two minutes?
• Where did your group have to cut technical detail to protect readability?
• How can your team put these reference tools to direct use this week?

Finished output: Physical or digital single-page instructional job aids explaining target practices to peers.

Remote

Run in video breakout rooms of 3 to 5 participants. Assign each breakout room a dedicated frame on a collaborative whiteboard (such as Miro, Mural, or Google Slides) pre-populated with the design planner template. For the peer review, bring everyone to the main room while participants scroll through peer frames and leave digital sticky notes.

Hybrid

Form separate in-person tables and remote breakout rooms. In-person tables take high-resolution photos of their physical posters and upload them to the shared digital whiteboard so remote attendees can read and comment on them alongside digital submissions during the gallery walk.

Access and participation choices

• Participants may choose roles such as writing, drawing layout lines, organizing sticky notes, or tracking group time.
• Participants who prefer not to draw can use simple numbered text blocks.
• Individuals may pass on speaking during the final plenary debrief without providing a reason.

If the session gets stuck

A group attempts to fit an entire policy document or manual onto their poster.

Prompt them to define the user as a new team member on day one. Tell them to cut the content down to the first three actions that person must take.

Group members stall over artistic design or visual polish.

Direct them to abandon drawings and use a high-contrast numbered list with boxed steps.

Terms used here

• Instructional resource: A practical job aid, poster, checklist, or guide designed to explain a specific procedure or concept.