Normlabs - Breaking Fences

NORMLABS

Short Films: ARE YOU NORMAL ENOUGH?

Use our films for inspiration and norm-lab reflections. Are you an educator or healthcare professional looking to spark meaningful conversations about norms, inclusion, and change? Explore our collection of short Breaking Fences films – designed to inspire, educate, and challenge perspectives.

Perfect for use in classrooms, workshops, team meetings, or personal reflection – and to support the education within the Norm-lab, where norms and values are explored through dialogue, creativity, and critical thinking.

Link to films: https://studenthv-my.sharepoint.com

How to: Build Your Own Normlab

In this project, we aim to implement an educational tool targeting social norms and health equality using the Norm-Lab as the focal point. The Norm-Lab is a defined analog/digital surface where faculty and students work together on themes regarding social norms and health. It offers participants the chance to reflect and contribute their own expressions, creating an evolving exhibition over time.

Three Key Principles for Using the Norm-Lab in Teaching

Focus on the word “Us”: The Norm-Lab is about the students and teachers (us), not about other people (them).
Non-Judgmental Environment: The Norm-Lab does not judge. No question is too small, too big, or too silly to be asked in relation to social norms and health.
Continuous Evolution: The Norm-Lab is always evolving. It stays in constant contact with its surroundings and grows through interaction and reflection with its users (students and teachers).

A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Preparations

Access to Norm-Lab:

Ensure you have access to the printable files of the Norm-Lab on the Breaking Fences website above on download.
The full-scale Norm-Lab consists of six canvas files, each measuring 1.5 x 1.0 meters. You can print anywhere from one to all six. We suggest starting with at least two.
Files for digital use on course platforms or other online educational contexts are also available for download on the Breaking Fences website.

Printing Materials:

Prepare paper/canvas or any other material of your choice.
Ensure you have a color printer capable of handling canvas images. Check that the printer has enough ink.

Step 2: Printing the Canvas Images

Choose the canvas images that fit the current theme or subject you are teaching.
Download the selected canvas images to your computer. Download on the breaking fences website above.
Send the images for printing or print them yourself. Ensure you select the correct paper/canvas size (1.5 x 1.0 meters) and print quality for the best results.

Step 3: Lecture/Workshop and Norm-Lab Preparation

Plan the Lesson:

Decide how you want to integrate the canvas images/Norm-Lab into your lectures/workshop.
Think about how the images/Norm-Lab can stimulate discussion and reflection.

Prepare Materials:

Gather any additional materials needed, such as whiteboard markers, post-it notes, notebooks, or print materials from the Breaking Fences website.

Step 4: Conducting the Lessons

Introduction:

Start the lessons by introducing the Norm-Lab and the purpose of the canvas images.
Explain how they will be used during the lesson.

Activity:

Use the canvas images to lead discussions and activities.
Encourage students to reflect on the images/Norm-Lab and share their thoughts, initiating a process of reflexivity.

Note: When working with the full-scale Norm-Lab, you can ask students (in groups) to suggest or create an artifact that raises awareness and challenges norms regarding health or within the healthcare sector. Set a goal for their proposed artifact to promote norm-consciousness and contribute to a more equal health and healthcare environment.

Reflection: