Details about ENVELOPES

What is an ENVELOPES game?

An ENVELOPES game is a framegame that requires two or more teams to solve the same problem and another team to evaluate the different solutions on a comparative basis. The flow of the game keeps all teams busy at all times and assigns the problem-solving and evaluation functions to every team.

The problems are written on the front of stimulus envelopes. During the first round, teams receive different problems. Each team works within a time limit to write its solution on a response card, then places the card inside the envelope. During the second round, the teams exchange stimulus envelopes and solve the new problem they received. This procedure is repeated for a few more rounds. During the last round, instead of solving the problem presented on the envelope, each team reviews the response cards inside the envelope and awards points to reflect the relative merits of the responses. To determine the winner, each team collects all its response cards and adds the score points.

What is in this booklet?

Detailed descriptions of three ENVELOPES games
Descriptions of 10 other ENVELOPES games
Generic instructions for the basic game
Guidelines for modifying the ENVELOPES game to suit your needs and constraints
Guidelines for designing your own ENVELOPES games

How can you use ENVELOPES games?

ENVELOPES games can serve different training, testing, and teamwork functions. Here are some examples:

Analysis

Problem situations and identification of root causes
Documents and identification of organizing structures
Photographs and identification of safety violations
Arguments and identification of fallacies

Problem solving

Alternative solutions
Creative solutions
Cost-effective solutions
Rapid solutions

Evaluation

Evaluative criteria
Rating scales
Alternative points of view

Factual information

Categorizing
Summarizing
Organizing

Transfer and application

Rules
Policies
Values
Principles

What supplies are needed to play ENVELOPES?

ENVELOPES can be played anytime, anywhere. All you need are envelopes, index cards, and pens.

ENVELOPES games can be used for different purposes:

Before a training session or a team meeting

to motivate
to pretest

During a training session or a team meeting

to structure the session
to encourage participation

After a training session or a team meeting

to review
to plan for action

How many people can play ENVELOPES?

This game is best played with 12 to 30 participants. The booklet gives you strategies for modifying the game for play with 1 to 100 participants.

How long does it take to play ENVELOPES?

ENVELOPES is best played for 30 to 45 minutes. The game can be designed for play in as brief a period as 10 minutes or as long as 3 hours.

How long does it take to design your own ENVELOPES game?

If you are a subject-matter expert, you can prepare a ready-to-play ENVELOPES game in 10 to 15 minutes using the framegame approach.

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