Fishbowl (conversation)

A fishbowl conversation is a form of dialogue that can be used when discussing topics within large groups.

Once the final group has concluded, the moderator closes the fishbowl and summarizes the discussion.

To include them, it is possible to break the dialogue down into much smaller groups to make them feel comfortable to discuss a topic.

The participants reconvene, exchange cards, and form two circles with one subgroup inside the other and both of them facing inwards.

This version is a good party game for groups of thirty to sixty people.

This allows all the participants in the outer circle the opportunity to share their thinking in the public online forum without needing to wait turns.

The online forum is also projected in the room for the inner circle to use as additional talking points or building ideas from.

Fishbowls are commonly used as a teaching method in late-primary and secondary schools as an alternative to traditional large-group discussion.

In these cases, educators typically use a closed fishbowl format, and the central circle is usually widened to allow all students to participate in the span of a single class period.