Abstract for: Practical tools for Group Model Building

Several practical tools for Group Model Building (GMB) are introduced: Cling sheet whiteboards in combination with self-adhesive facilitation cards; the Modeling Tray and the use of digital pens for recordings. Cling sheets are plastic-foil whiteboards that provide vast workspaces limited only by available wall-space. Self-adhesive facilitation cards allow for easy rearrangement of variables to clear up visual clutter and make feedback loops easier to pick up. In the whiteboard-&-pen mode of GMB, the facilitator is usually the person editing the model, whereas it is normally the content coach editing the model in the computer-projector-mode. The Modeling Tray This allows for shifting role of the group- model-editor can back to the facilitator. Furthermore, the Modeling Tray allows for using the computer-projector-mode when conducting a workshop alone. Digital pens combine the functionality of hand-written notes with the advantages of audio-recordings. They allow for more meaningful notes and decrease post- processing time after the workshop.