Pinball, not Ping Pong

I learnt this analogy during my trip in Singapore. I like it a lot. It is a good reminder when we have to stay learner-centric. Basically, the argument is that being a facilitator or a facilitative trainer, we should lead the interaction in a workshop to be like a ‘Pinball’ game but not a ‘Ping Pong’ game. If the interaction is like a ‘Ping Pong’ game, it means the participants talk to the facilitator. So, it is like the facilitator is playing ping pong with the participants. The facilitator holds the conversation. On the other hand, for a ‘Pinball’ game, the participants have the discussion with each other.