Homework

Preparatory Homework

We very much want every workshop participant to arrive at the workshop with the same basic skills. When everyone has the same basic knowledge, we can have more fun and learn more! Listed below are three highly recommended homework assignments to complete before the workshop. They are designed to get all the participants up to speed on the mapping software, Compendium, and to become familiar with IBIS, the notation behind Issue and Dialogue Mapping.

1. Do the Compendium Basics Exercise. This takes about 30 minutes after installing Compendium. Instructions for downloading and installing Compendium are in the exercise document.

2. Read Chapter 4 from Dialogue Mapping, "IBIS-A Tool for All Reasons" This takes 30-60 minutes. If you do not have the book, you can purchase one here, or you can download a pdf of the chapter here.

3. Use Compendium to create a map of a problem, issue, or decision that is of genuine interest to you personally. It might be a personal challenge or a global issue or anything in between. The problem needn't be "wicked", but it should be complex and abstract in nature, and not a simple choice between a couple of given options. "What should I do for the next phase of my career?", for example, but not "What color drapes should we get for the living room?". Your map should show significant reflection on the dimensions of the problem, and even some insight into implicit (formerly hidden) questions. The goal of the exercise is not to produce a great map or demonstrate your skill in IBIS, but for you to have a direct experience of the power and value of thinking, creating, and learning within the Compendium visual framework. When you have completed your map (and no later than 2 days before the workshop starts) please send the JPEG of it to . (Follow the instructions on page 8 of the Compendium Basics Exercise PDF above.)