Faculty    : Dr. Siva Prakash C S

Course    : Project planning

Batch      : 2023-25

Activity   :  Paper Boat Making

Objectives:

  1. To encourage students to work in teams to foster cooperation, communication, and the utilization of each team member’s strengths.
  2. To enhance the students’ ability to manage time effectively by setting a strict 15-minute limit for the activity, teaching them the importance of prioritization and quick decision-making.
  3. To challenge students to use their resources (paper, scissors, etc.) efficiently, ensuring that they produce the maximum number of boats within the time constraint.
  4. To emphasize the need for each paper boat to meet the specified size criteria to ensure that students understand the importance of quality control and meeting customer requirements.
  5. To encourage students to think creatively and employ innovative strategies to produce the most boats while maintaining the specified size.

Team:  2 teams consisting of four members

Course Outcome:

  1. Students will develop the ability to work under strict time constraints, fostering effective time management and quick decision-making skills.
  2. Students will learn to efficiently allocate available resources, such as paper and tools, to achieve the maximum output within the given time frame.
  3. Students will understand the importance of maintaining quality standards by ensuring that each paper boat meets the specified size criteria.
  4. Students will demonstrate creativity in optimizing their approach to achieve the task’s goals while working within constraints.
  5. Students will enhance their teamwork and collaboration skills by working in groups to accomplish a common goal, leveraging the diverse strengths and abilities of team members.
 

Overview:

The “Paper Boat Challenge” is a fast-paced and engaging activity designed to develop critical skills while working under time constraints. In this 15-minute challenge, participants are tasked with creating as many paper boats as possible using only one sheet of paper while ensuring each boat meets a specific size criterion. This activity combines time management, creativity, resource optimization, and quality control, making it an enriching and multifaceted learning experience. Participants work individually in this task, allowing them to focus on their creativity and efficiency. There where certain rules that each participant has only 15 minutes to create as many paper boats as possible from a single sheet of paper each boat must meet the specified size requirement.

As the timer begins, participants dive into the challenge, employing a delicate balance between speed and precision to maximize the number of boats created within the time limit each participant ensures that every paper boat they create conforms to the specified size criterion. Failure to meet the size requirement disqualifies the boat while speed is vital, participants are encouraged to showcase their creativity in their boat designs, provided it doesn’t compromise the specified size standard. Participants are ranked based on the number of paper boats successfully created within the time limit that meet the size criterion. This session allows participants to discuss their strategies, the trade-offs between speed and creativity, and how the skills and insights gained can be applied to real-life scenarios, particularly in decision-making and resource optimization.

Activity:

Step:1

Students were divided in to two teams consist of 4 members in each group, each team members where provided with one paper, there were certain conditions that the students are shown with a sample paper boat, students were given specific time to make maximum paper boat.

Step:2

The students are given 15 min to make maximum boat using one paper. The paper boat should be similar to the sample one shown to them, likewise maximum boat should be produced by each students, after the activity the boat made by each team members will be analysed.

Benefits:

1. Enhance participants’ ability to manage their time effectively by setting a strict 15-minute time limit for the activity, instilling the importance of prioritization and quick decision-making.
2. Encourage participants to utilize a single sheet of paper as efficiently as possible, fostering creative problem-solving and resource management skills.
3. Emphasize the need for each paper boat to meet a specified size criterion, illustrating the significance of quality assurance and meeting predetermined standards.
4. Encourage participants to express their creativity in boat design, provided it doesn’t compromise the specified size requirement, fostering innovation within constraints.
5. Challenge participants to strike a balance between speed and precision, aiming to produce the maximum number of boats within the time limit, reinforcing the importance of efficiency in task completion.
6. This is a session where participants can discuss the strategies employed, lessons learned, and how the skills gained can be applied to real-world scenarios, particularly in decision-making and resource allocation.

Conclusion:

In the “Paper Boat Challenge,” participants engaged in a whirlwind of creativity, time management, and resource optimization, all while adhering to stringent size criteria. Within a mere 15 minutes, this exercise not only tested their ability to produce a maximum number of paper boats from a single sheet but also emphasized the value of quality control. The activity encouraged participants to think on their feet, strike a balance between speed and precision, and find innovative solutions within constraints. Furthermore, the post-activity reflection session allowed for the application of these skills to real-world scenarios, reinforcing the significance of efficient resource management, creative problem-solving, and adherence to standards. The “Paper Boat Challenge” exemplifies the multifaceted benefits of hands-on learning and equips participants with skills that extend far beyond the realm of paper boats, making them more adept decision-makers and resource optimizers in both academic and professional spheres.