Inner & Outer Circle
Start: begin immediately. Prepare: save your settings for reuse.
Two circles facing each other. Short conversation with your partner — then the outer circle rotates to a new partner.
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Step-by-step instructions
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Steps
- Form two circles: an inner and an outer circle, facing each other.
- Show a question. The facing pairs talk about it (timer).
- After the time, the outer circle rotates one seat — everyone gets a new partner.
- Show the next question (or round) and repeat.
- Close with a short reflection.
Settings
- Mode — choose Questions (with your own questions) or Rounds (just a number of rounds, no questions).
- Questions — required in Questions mode. One per line.
- Number of rounds — in Rounds mode.
- Conversation time — optional, default 60 s.
Tip: generate questions with AI
Out of ideas? Ask Microsoft Copilot: “Give me 6 discussion questions about [topic] for students aged [age], one per line.” Paste the lines into the Questions field.
Tips for the facilitator
This activity creates conditions for short, sequential conversations in pairs — each participant meets many different partners in a short time. Choose it for discussing open questions, gathering a range of opinions, or as a structure for peer feedback.
An even number of participants — otherwise someone is left without a partner.
Space for two concentric circles (standing or on chairs).
Questions or discussion topics prepared in advance — enter them into the system, one question per line.
If there are no prepared questions — simply enter the number of rounds (rotations).
The rotation signal and timer — are available in the system.
Standard: the inner circle stays still, the outer circle rotates after the signal.
With roles: one person asks a question, the other answers — then they swap.
With notes: after each conversation, the participant writes down a key idea.
Two rows of chairs facing each other — for smaller spaces or when there is no room for circles.
Social studies: exchanging arguments for and against a statement.
Literature: each participant shares their interpretation of a text.
Foreign languages: conversational practice on a given topic.
Training and teams: sharing experiences or giving feedback to colleagues.
Start of a course or introduction: a structured way to get to know everyone.
The structure comes from cooperative learning and is known as Inside-Outside Circle (Spencer Kagan). It is also widely used in facilitation as a tool for structured dialogue within a group.
Pairs well with
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