Bubble Sheet

The bubble sheet is a qualitative coding tool that can be used to track a design process, whether your own or a team’s. The student marks the bubble(s) corresponding to the description that best fits the time frame observed. The bubbles can be filled per minute, every five minutes, 15-minutes, etc.

This bubble sheet uses a particular design model and is made to be filled in every 30 seconds, for a total of 10 minutes.

• Uses pen and paper, providing a written experience
• Results instantly in a visual timeline that other students can see
• Can be helpful for comparing timelines across groups in the classroom

Materials needed

• Printed-out bubble sheets, one for each team (or, for an individual student activity, one for each student).
• Markers, pens, or pencils.
• Optional: A bell or some noise-alerting device, to chime at each 30 second interval

To use the sheets

1. Distribute the printed-out bubble sheets and markers, pens, or pencils to your students.
2. Set up a timer: 10 minutes.
3. Have your students begin their activity, and start the timer. Every 30 seconds, call out to your students to make a recording on their bubble sheet (if you have a bell, this is when you would ring it, to grab your students' attentions.)