A symbolic line is drawn across a room representing a spectrum of ideas. Participants move to the point on the line which best represents their stance, discuss the reasons for their position, then reconsider their standpoint on hearing other views.
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A spectrum line is a tool that can be used in workshops to give a quick physical representation of where participants stand on a topic. It can help participants get clear on their own thinking, see where the similarities and differences are with other people’s thinking, and reconsider their viewpoint.
The facilitator introduces a topic and demonstrates which parts of the room correspond to different points of the spectrum - for example, one end of a symbolic line represents ‘strongly agree’, and the other end represents ‘strongly disagree’. They then ask participants to consider where they stand, and then physically move to the point in the room that best represents their viewpoint. This is followed by a discussion, during which participants may choose to move again if their mind has been swayed by what they have heard.
Spectrum lines can be used to get a sense of where people in the group stand on a topic and to understand the diversity of viewpoints. This can help participants to better understand different perspectives, as well as helping them to identify and connect with other like-minded individuals. They can also help people to get a clearer understanding of their own point of view on the topic, and the reasons for their stance, and provide people with a simple and effective tool to reconsider their opinions and change them if appropriate.
They can also be useful for considering complex and nuanced issues, and for creating discussion around ethics or philosophical debate. This can be achieved by using leading statements with an ‘agree - disagree’ spectrum, for example ‘violence is never justified’, or ‘the only thing you can change is your own behaviour’.
Spectrum lines can also be used within collaborative decision making processes where there is a choice between two alternatives, to help the entire group get a felt sense of the majority preference as well as any strong feelings on either side of the issue.
Spectrum lines are part of a facilitator’s general toolkit, and are useful in a variety of workshop and group learning scenarios
If the group is new to Spectrum Line, low in energy or if the topic is very controversial, it might be helpful to get the group moving by introducing first a few topics that are easy to answer and don't need a discussion, such as "I am an early-bird / I am a night-owl" or "I have a lot of experience with this topic / I am new to this topic”. You can also use this to help the group get to know each other better and feel more comfortable before they discuss more difficult topics.
Decide on the topic and formulate a question, specifying what will be represented by each end of the spectrum. Examples include ‘agree - disagree’, ‘like - dislike’, ‘easy - difficult’, ‘violent - non-violent’, etc.
Explain these clearly to participants, and indicate where in the room you are drawing the line and where the ends of the line are. You may choose to use physical markers to indicate this (for example, pieces of paper on the floor at each end of the line) or you may use a rope or length of string to mark out the line.
Ask participants to express why they chose their particular position. Make sure to get a cross section of viewpoints from different parts of the room, including the two extremes and the middle. Sometimes participants in the middle hold some aspects of both sides of the issue simultaneously.
Remind the participants that they are encouraged to move at this point if it feels right to do so. If you notice participants moving it can be good to ask them to explain to the group why they’ve moved.
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