Begin by arranging students into small groups (4-8 per group), if needed. Then pose the question, ‘What might make someone feel different from their peers?’

Give students about 10 minutes to discuss, then invite groups to share their suggestions with the whole group. The facilitator should composite the individual group responses onto a whole-group diagram since subsequent questions will build on this question. Foreshadowing the next question, the facilitator may want to ask participants why they included specific suggestions, e.g., ‘And what made you choose that?’ ‘How do you see that contributing to a feeling of difference?’.

The activity will build up a three-tiered ‘spider diagram’. Here is an example screenshot of students building up the first-tier using Padlet:

Next, ask students ‘What issues or barriers might they face as a result?’ (of each difference). Groups should be invited to add differences contributed by other groups that they would like to explore to their diagram. The facilitator may choose to pick one or two differences to model or explore with the whole group.

Give groups 10-15 minutes to exploring the associated issues relating to the differences on their diagram, adding them as the second tier of their diagram. Bring the groups back together to discuss, during which the facilitator may choose to further explore particular issues or barriers with the group.

Here is an example screenshot of students building up the second-tier using Padlet:

Finally, ask students ‘How can we support them, or help to overcome those barriers?’. You may wish to limit or expand who ‘we’ refers to – does it refer solely to students as their peers, or also to the University? Again, modelling or exploring an example as a whole group may be beneficial.

This third question can be explored initially in small groups, but facilitators should allow enough time for whole group discussion. As part of the final discussion, share the Warwick Values page so students can see the five values. Encourage students to reflect on their understanding of the values and of the Warwick community having just participated in this activity.

Here is an example screenshot of students building up the final-tier using Padlet:

The activity has three aims:

1. Understand how students may differ and/or feel different from their peers.
2. Explore issues or barriers students may face as a result of their differences.
3. Investigate ways in which students can support their peers and/or help to overcome barriers experienced by their peers.

The activity can lend itself, if desired, to the creation of a 'group charter' or pledge relating to proactive inclusive behaviours and community values.

In advance of the session:

• Arrange an appropriate physical space to accommodate your group size:
  • Adequate space for students to move in. You can book and view rooms at Rooms and Spaces.
  • Allow time to arrange/rearrange the room (students usually help).
• Plan your timings (how long for movement, how long to discuss). We recommend approximately 20-25 minutes per section.
• Arrange to bring and use flip chart paper, post-it notes and markers/pens.

 During the session:

• Communicate the culture of the session: be non-judgemental, find out what we have in common, appreciate differences, respectfully listen, and discuss opinions.

When facilitating the activity online, consider using the following:

• Padlet. This is a sample padlet set-up for this activity. Use the ‘remake’ option to duplicate it as many times as necessary to set up Padlets for your small/medium groups.
• For larger online groups, you may need to make use of breakout rooms on TeamsLink opens in a new window.

This activity has previously been used to train mentors taking part in peer mentor projects, as it supports students to better understand and empathise with the experiences of others, particularly relating to the struggles new students may face. However, it is expected that the activity would benefit students as peers more generally, by providing space to consider how our differences affect our experiences, and how we can support one another within the university community.

It also provides an opportunity to discuss inclusion more broadly than activities based upon the 9 protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, including differences specific to the student context e.g. first in the family to attend university. Experiences facilitating this activity suggest that it provides a more ‘organic’ and intuitive introduction to the topic of ‘inclusivity’ than other more direct approaches. By first building a better understanding of the concept of difference, rather than pre-supposing an arbitrary or narrow set of differences (e.g. the “9 protected characteristics”), participants find the discussions better rooted within and more broadly encompassing of their own experiences.

Should you wish to include a focus on particular differences, based upon pre-identified priorities or concerns, ensure they are included in everyone’s first-tier diagram (e.g. by including them in the initial facilitator examples of differences) and they will naturally form part of each group’s subsequent discussions. The facilitator may then linger on discussion related to these differences in each feedback round.