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Evidence for Enhancement

A Paku Paku, sometimes called a paper fortune teller or chatterbox, is an origami game that uses questions and answers. You might have played with one at school but didn't know its Japanese name (パクパク), which describes the action of a mouth opening and closing. It's the same term that gave Pac-Man its name!


As it's based on asking questions, you can use it as a prompt to get people talking - either as an icebreaker or for a longer discussion session. They are inexpensive to produce and fun to use.


As part of the 2017-20 Enhancement Theme (Evidence for Enhancement: Improving the Student Experience), QAA Scotland designed a Paku Paku to use at events and to promote the Theme.


Paku Paku - Evidence for Enhancement Edition

Publication date: 12 Jun 2019

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Want to create your own Paku Paku?

We've created a pack of materials to help you use the version we have created or design and use your own Paku Paku activity. The pack includes:

  • guide to designing, populating and using a Paku Paku in an educational setting
  • blank design template
  • customisable Word document with tables for planning your activity
  • customisable PowerPoint slides with folding instructions.

Guide to designing, populating and using a Paku Paku in an educational setting

Publication date: 12 Jun 2019

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Blank design template for a Paku Paku

Publication date: 12 Jun 2019

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Customisable document for planning your Paku Paku activity

Publication date: 12 Jun 2019

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Customisable slides with folding instructions for Paku Paku

Publication date: 12 Jun 2019

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How might this be used?

A Paku Paku is flexible, in more ways than one! With a bit of creativity, it can be used for a range of different purposes. This might include:


  1. Icebreakers. Populate it with ‘getting to know you’ type questions for a short activity at the beginning of a session.
  2. Student induction and orientation. Populate Levels 1 and 2 with questions about your institution; get students to populate Level 3 with answers during the session.
  3. Tutorials. Populate Levels 1 and 2 with questions you want students to consider or answer; get them to populate Level 3 with answers during the session.
  4. Student representative training. Populate Levels 1 and 2 with questions about representation and policy development; populate Level 3 with signposts to more information.
  5. Conference workshops. Populate Levels 1 and 2 with questions you want delegates to consider or answer; populate Level 3 with signposts to more information.
  6. Promotion. Simply use it as an unusual leaflet!

Please send us your feedback

We would love to hear about how you’ve used your Paku Paku. What did you find worked well? What advice would you give to other people who are designing a Paku Paku activity? Share your thoughts with us.

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