Facilitation Guide
Recipe for Process: An R&Dinner
A three-hour structured evening for the future of educational R&D. Best hosted in an innovative, creative space — like Stanford d.school's Studio C — that moves participants from surfacing strengths to designing visions together.
“How might we co-create future visions for educational R&D in a time of rapid change in technology and society?”
Evening at a Glance
Total Duration
3 hours (5:00 – 8:00 PM)
Group Size
20–30 participants
Setting
An innovative, creative space
Facilitation
2–3 co-facilitators
Course Breakdown
Expand each course to see its activities, timing, and facilitation notes.
Arrival Setup
Setup / Logistics5 minGuests arrive to a set table with a "My Ingredient" placemat at each seat and colored dot stickers on name tags (gold = researcher, red = practitioner) to enable intentional pairing.
Opening Frame
Full Group3 minFacilitators welcome the room and share the focus question for the evening, framing the three courses ahead.
"Yes, And..." — Our R&D Kitchen
Interactive7 minA quick improv-style stoke that gets everyone speaking and builds the collaborative, generative energy the rest of the evening depends on.
Design Principles for the Evening
These principles guide every decision in the facilitation plan — from the seating arrangement to the one-sentence closing round.
Dinner Party Energy
Warmth, intimacy, real exchange — not panels and Q&A.
Strengths → Gaps → Visions
Map what exists, name what's missing, then design for the future.
Artifacts Before Arguments
Leading with work creates common ground faster than any icebreaker.
Move the Body
Every transition involves standing, walking, building, or clustering.
Constraint = Clarity
60-second limits. One sentence. One headline. Tight frames sharpen thinking.
Make It Physical
A newspaper you can hold. A sticky note you placed. An object you brought. Embodied thinking sticks.