Continuous Improvement: Three Tries to Cut the Group Time

Groups solve a transport challenge with constraints and use the plan, do, check, adjust cycle between attempts to beat their time. Students practice cooperative problem solving and process analysis, the way high-performance teams do.

How to play

1. Form groups of six and explain the challenge: move 10 tennis balls from a start hoop to a finish hoop 20 m away; each ball must pass through everyone's hands and can't touch the ground or be tossed more than 1 m (3 min).
2. Plan the first attempt: 3 minutes to decide positions and system (3 min).
3. Timed attempt 1; if a ball drops, it goes back to the start hoop (4 min).
4. 3-minute review: the group writes down what failed, what worked and one single change for the next attempt (3 min).
5. Attempts 2 and 3, each preceded by its review and its recorded change (12 min).
6. Share-out: each group shows its time graph and explains which change led to the biggest improvement (5 min).

Rules

• Every ball must touch the hands of all six members before reaching the finish hoop.
• Players may move without a ball, but no one walks while holding one.
• Only one change per review, so the group can tell what works.
• Short passes go no farther than 1 m to avoid getting hit.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student holds a fixed spot in the chain and the group designs the system around them.
• Visual impairment: use a large beeper ball instead of a tennis ball, and teammates call out before each pass.
• Autism: the student runs the stopwatch and the worksheet while also taking part, which gives them a structured task.

Learning goals

• Use a continuous improvement cycle to solve a movement problem as a group.
• Analyze group performance data and justify changes in strategy.
• Cooperate by offering and accepting suggestions for improvement.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tennis balls: 50
• hoops: 10
• cones: 10
• stopwatch: 5
• worksheets: 5

Teacher tip

Stick to the one-change-per-review rule: it's what turns the game into real analysis. Groups that change everything at once often get slower, which is a great discussion point.

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