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Tips from CET for adapting this activity to other disciplines

When students face unusual constraints—limited language, information, time, or tools—they engage more deeply in problem solving. This strategy invites students to work together under playful limits that mirror real-world communication or collaboration challenges. It is a flexible, high-energy way to reinforce key course concepts, while also strengthening collaboration skills and providing opportunities for students to build community with one another

Steps to implement a collaborative activity with artificial constraints:

1. Choose your constraint. For example:

• No spoken language.
• No shared terminology (ban key terms).
• Only yes/no questions allowed.
• Only visual gestures or written notes.
• Only non-dominant hand or unfamiliar tool.
• No one can touch the materials—must give instructions verbally.

2. Define the collaborative task. What do you want students to build, plan, analyze, or interpret? The task should:

• Require input from multiple students.
• Have a clear “output” (e.g., physical object, shared idea, short explanation, visual, etc.).
• Be doable in 5-10 minutes.

3. Assign roles. For example:

• Who has access to the instructions?
• Who performs the action?
• Who observes, documents, or debriefs?

4. Debrief with purpose. Ask students to reflect on:

• What strategies worked?
• Where did communication break down?
• How does this mirror real-world challenges in the field?

Discipline-Specific Examples of Collaborative Activities with Artificial Constraints:

• “No Numbers” Challenge (Math, Data Science):
  Pairs or small groups must collaboratively explain how to solve an equation or interpret a graph using only shapes, colors, or analogies—no numbers, symbols, or technical terms allowed. Teammates must agree on a shared visual or metaphorical language before presenting their interpretation.
• Black Box Debugging (Engineering, Computer Science):
  Teams receive a malfunctioning system and must diagnose the issue using only constrained outputs (e.g., yes/no feedback, blinking lights, or error codes). Students rotate roles—tester, communicator, documenter—to replicate distributed problem-solving in remote engineering teams.
• Molecule Charades (Biology, Health Sciences):
  Groups work together to act out molecular processes (e.g., enzyme-substrate binding, photosynthesis) without using speech or writing. One team performs; another must interpret and explain the underlying mechanism, reinforcing both comprehension and peer explanation.
• Word Ban Debate (Humanities, Social Sciences):
  Pairs or teams prepare and deliver arguments on a course-related topic but must avoid a list of banned key terms (e.g., “freedom,” “truth,” “power”). Teammates help each other reframe claims with more precise or metaphorical language and vote on the most effective rewordings.
• Cultural Simulation (Humanities, Social Sciences):
  Students form small groups and must complete a task—such as assembling a simple object or solving a puzzle—using only a constrained or invented language (e.g., gestures, pictograms, or limited vocabulary). Roles rotate to ensure shared problem-solving and language negotiation.
• Global Pitch Constraint (Business, Communication):
  Teams pitch a product or idea using a randomly assigned limited vocabulary list (e.g., 100 words or only Tier 1 English). Students collaborate to draft, revise, and deliver the pitch, deciding together how to communicate core ideas within imposed linguistic limits.
• Restricted Palette Creation (Visual arts, Design):
  Students collaborate to design a shared artwork or visual prototype using a restricted set of materials (e.g., only straight lines, only two colors, or only recycled objects). Teams reflect on how constraints shaped their choices and interpretation of the creative brief.

References

Aga, K. (2024). Comfort in active learning spaces – students’ perceptions and preferences. European Journal of Engineering Education, 49(4), 785–806. USC Libraries Link.

Betti, A., Biderbost, P., & Domonte, A. G. (2022). Can active learning techniques simultaneously develop students’ hard and soft skills? Evidence from an international relations class. PloS One, 17(4), e0265408–e0265408. USC Libraries Link.

Pengelley, D. (2020). From lecture to active learning: rewards for all, and is it really so difficult? The College Mathematics Journal, 51(1), 13–24. USC Libraries Link.