Hi there,
Welcome to Field Notes from Refined Learning Design. Whether you’re back from last month or joining in for the first time, I’m glad you’re here.
Each month, I share an idea I’ve been exploring and something that’s sparked reflection or shaped how I design professional learning. You’ll also find at least one resource recommendation, a quote I can’t stop thinking about, and a peek into what’s happening in my community of PL designers.
This newsletter is grounded in the values I carry into every project: from designing with purpose, nurturing connections, to honoring the people and the process. (Discover my guiding principles here.)
This month’s field note explores how the small design decision of forming groups can create conditions for connection.
📓 Field Note: Adults sometimes need assigned seats, too!
📍 Sparked by: Kristin’s grouping strategies
💡 Big idea: Facilitate with generous authority
The Power of Visibly Random Groups
As a former math teacher, my entry into Twitter began with the incredible community of math educators who modeled what it meant to connect and share online. Through that network, I first discovered the “vertical non-permanent surfaces” and “visibly random groups,” strategies from Dr. Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) research.
In 2023, I attended a colleague’s BTC sessions and read Peter’s book. Although his work focuses on math classrooms, the concepts inspired me to apply his strategies to adult learning experiences. (Later that year, I helped plan a BTC conference featuring Dr. Liljedahl himself, so I was able experience his research brought to life!)
Although I haven’t tried it often, his practice of visibly random groups really resonates with me. Learners choose a card as they enter the room, and that card directs them to their table group for the start of the session. I even designed whimsical cards and table tents to use in my own sessions. (“Use Template” for your own copy!) My former colleague Julie prefers a deck of playing cards, which is equally effective and easy to implement.
visibly = transparent about how groups are chosen
random = luck of the draw
groups = trios work best (according to Peter)
My favorite leader, Kristin, uses the grouping cards to foster connection and collaboration across teams. Her reminder about random groupings, along with a recent day of presentations, made me realize how intentional grouping can shape a learning experience.
In nearly all of my sessions, I include opportunities to connect. There is at least one turn-and-talk. (See my first newsletter, Design for Connection.) But lately, I’ve noticed how easily people slip into isolation when seating is unstructured. I’d see participants sitting alone, few invitations to join others, and little movement to form groups. After several similar sessions, it was clear: I needed a more intentional plan for how people come together.
Some communities naturally foster connection, but others need a nudge. I’ll never forget someone telling me after a day-long event, “You’re the first person who asked us to talk to our neighbor all day long!” That comment has stayed with me and reminded me (again!) that connection must be designed.
So this month, I’m asking:
When should we intentionally “design” collaboration rather than leave it to chance?
Insights on Gathering and Belonging
If you’re familiar with my work, it’s no surprise I connect this idea of grouping to The Art of Gathering, specifically Priya Parker’s reminder not to be a “chill host.” In the book, she asks:
Does your talk-to-whomever-you-want approach help the quiet guest speak at all if not given a protected turn? Does open seating at a teachers conference help the three newcomers who end up sitting clumped together at the end of the table every time?
Visibly random groups can prevent some of these barriers.
Not being a chill host also aligns with the idea of intentionally equitable hospitality and the belief that facilitators are hosts responsible for creating spaces where everyone feels welcome. It requires noticing who feels included and who might be left out.
This connects closely to Brené Brown’s distinction between fitting in and belonging.
Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be to be accepted. Belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.
Fitting in is an individual effort. Belonging is a collective one. It’s on us, the designers, facilitators, and hosts, to cultivate conditions where people can truly belong.
For many participants (especially introverts 🙋🏻♀️) the moments before a session can feel like a quiet test of fitting in: a mental calculation of where to sit, who to approach, and how to belong. Even before learning begins, energy is spent navigating the social setup.
I’ve felt that myself, and I’m often grateful when a facilitator takes that decision off my hands. When we intentionally design how people come together, we remove that barrier and make connection the starting point, not the challenge. I learned this the hard way when my own unstructured seating left several participants without partners for a turn-and-talk. Visibly random groups could have prevented that and set a more inclusive tone from the start.
There’s also a difference between known and unknown groups. Within established teams, intentional mixing can help break down silos and spark new collaborations. As an outside consultant, I often walk into sessions without knowing the group dynamics, but my goal remains the same: to create a space where everyone feels comfortable, connected, and part of something larger.
Back to Dr. Liljedahl’s research: when teachers (or facilitators) assign groups, it’s often an act of control; when students (or adult learners) self-select, it’s usually for comfort. Visibly random groups remove both forms of control, allowing participants to enter with fresh roles, open minds, and shared ownership of the learning.
💡 Facilitation Move: Group with Intention
Working with adult learners requires balance. Preferences vary from “Please don’t make me talk” to “Let me meet everyone in the room!” That’s why my reflection prompts often offer options like “Reflect silent-solo or chat with a shoulder partner.”
Still, I believe learning is social, and I don’t want anyone to sit alone who’d rather be part of the conversation.
You can form visibly random groups as people arrive (“Pick a card and find your table”) or during the session (“Find your sole mate: someone with shoes like yours”).
Here are a few other ways to mix things up:
Line-ups: Form a line (birthdays, years in education) and group people by proximity.
Card sorts: Use materials like large Uno cards; sometimes pair by color, sometimes by number.
Pairing cards: In this classroom, students matched glossary terms with definitions, which is an easy-to-adapt idea for adults.
Four corners: Ask a multiple-choice question, have participants move to a corner, then pair with someone new.
(🤖 Here’s a ChatGPT thread that may spark even more visibly random grouping ideas.)
Each of these simple strategies can shift the energy in the room and invite new voices into the conversation. The goal isn’t to mix people at random, but to group with intention, and create combinations that align with your purpose and support the learning goals of your session.
Try This in Your Next Session
In Design for Belonging, Susie Wise asks,
What are the mechanisms for authentic participation in your group or place? How does participation happen, and what makes it feel good?
To nurture connection and belonging, try one (or both) this month:
Use a visibly random grouping strategy, either as people enter or mid-session.
If you’re a participant, look around before the next turn-and-talk. Is anyone nearby un-partnered? Invite them in.
Small, intentional micromoves can elevate engagement and strengthen the sense of community in every learning experience.
These moments of intentional design, small as they seem, help transform participation into belonging.
I’d Love to Hear
Do you assign seats in your PD sessions?
What grouping strategies have you tried or experienced as a participant?
How do you feel about assigned seating in adult learning spaces?
Reply and share your thoughts, or post on social media and tag me. I’d love to see how you’re designing for connection and belonging in your professional learning world.
Noting, reflecting, connecting,
Kathryn
PS: If something here sparked an idea, please forward this post to an EduFriend who’s also designing professional learning. ✨
Highlights from the Community
Here’s what’s happening in our community spaces this month:
November’s Mindful Musings prompts are invitations to share moments of gratitude.
Several of us are planning a new book experience over an “old favorite.” We’ll begin in early 2026!
Learn more about my online minicourse, Begin with Intention.
The Refined Design Learning Community is a space for curious, collaborative educators who design learning experiences for other adults. Our members are professional learning providers, educational coaches, PLC leads, admin, and aspiring PD leaders.
I use the Circle platform to host the community, and it’s free to join and participate. In our spaces, you’ll find thoughtful discussions, book clubs, and virtual meetups, which are open to all in the community. While I plan to offer paid courses in the future, nearly everything available now (except one minicourse) is completely free.
Belonging helps us to be fully human. It gives us permission to share our talents and express our life force. It enables cooperation, collaboration, and the ability to work across difference. It emboldens our creativity and our problem solving abilities. When people feel like they belong, they are able to be their best and do their best.
Reflecting • Connecting • Refining
📓 Why Field Notes?
This newsletter is inspired by the idea of self-anthropology from Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. Just like field notes help researchers make sense of what they observe, these monthly reflections help me capture ideas, tools, and questions from my own work designing professional learning. I share them here in the spirit of experimentation, connection, and ongoing refinement.
🤖 AI helped polish this post, but the ideas, intention, curation, and care are all mine.
