Do, pair, share

One of my favorite activities to use in class is a short sequence of “do, pair, share.” Some teacher friends introduced me to the idea, and you can find some version of it anywhere teachers congregate, often going by the name “think, pair, share” or “write, pair, share.”¹

I first started using this approach in my design classes in 2015. I was skeptical at first. I had tried a couple of strategies before, recommended to me by teachers who were used to working with kids—like cold calling, and keeping a visible timer on the projector—and these seemed condescending to adult learners. I had the same doubt about “do, pair, share,” and I felt uncomfortable the first several times I tried it. But—I could almost immediately see the benefits, and it motivated me to practice and improve my approach.

Now I use it all the time. It’s the first thing I reach for when I have a doubt about what students understand, or when I want to get everyone participating in a brainstorm. I also find it helpful in meetings, workshops, and retrospectives—it’s a flexible tool. Try it with anything that participants could spend a few minutes doing independently, and get the ideas flowing.

Summary

What

Participants perform a short task alone, then compare with a partner, and finally share with the whole group.

Why

To get everyone involved in a discussion; to discover the current level of understanding of the whole group.

Materials Needed

Writing and drawing tools, plus any materials needed for the task

Difficulty

Easy

Time Required

10–20 minutes

How to do it

Example use

At the beginning of a lesson on planning user interviews, I like to give students a prompt such as, “Imagine that you will be doing research to learn more about people’s movie and series watching habits. Take 2 minutes to write down at least 3 different things you’d be curious to find out.” After the activity, as partners share their questions, I can collect these on a shared board, to use as a starting point for the next part of the lesson.

Considerations for use

• Keep the activity small and manageable in scope
• Give clear instructions for the activity; consider showing them in writing where everyone can see
• Depending on the activity, it may help to provide participants with a template or worksheet
• A visible countdown timer can help keep participants on task during the activity

Considerations for use in person

• If possible, arrange the room so you can walk around and observe without disturbing participants
• Ask participants to find a new partner, or someone they don’t know well, each time you have them pair

Considerations for use in remote

• Do the solo part of the activity quietly together in the primary room, then split into randomized breakout rooms for pairing
• Use a shared digital canvas for the activity, where everyone can see everyone’s work
• Consider creating a template with a space for participants to put their name and work in the shared canvas
• At the end, share your screen to drive the focus of the group toward whichever pair is sharing what they came up with

Additional resources

• Pair and Share Research by Danxi Shen, Harvard Graduate School of Education