The following are example activities that can be used in online synchronous class sessions.
Whole Class Group Activities
Whole class activities can be as simple as having students raise their virtual hand to share their ideas with the class using their microphone and/or camera or share their ideas in the chat.
Think-Pair-Share
If you’re using a virtual classroom tool that allows students to send private messages to each other, Think Pair Share can easily be replicated in the virtual classroom.
- Pose a question for students. Give them time to think about and prepare a response. Silent wait time is best. Give the students 30sec-2min.
- Have students share their response with a partner. Students should send a private chat to the person below them in the participant list of the synchronous session. If a student is at the bottom of the participant list, they will send their chat to the person at the top of the participant list.
- Students will be managing two chat conversations – the person they are sending a chat to and the person that is sending a chat to them. Give students 2-3 minutes to complete their conversations.
Brainstorming
Students write ideas on a shared whiteboard (if your virtual classroom has that feature) or work in a collaborative document that all students have access to
Student presentations
Students share their screen and deliver a presentation using their microphone and/or camera. Students will need to be given moderator permissions to share their screen.
Polls
Polls provide an opportunity for instructors and students to receive real-time feedback. They also support the introduction, clarification, and reinforcement of concepts introduced in the learning. They can be used to start a discussion, periodically throughout the session, or as a closing poll to set up the next assignment or class session.
Waterfall Chat
Ask a question and tell your students to type in their answer but wait before hitting send until you tell them to. This allows for students to not see each other’s answers until all are shared. It will show common answers and keep your students from being influenced by other’s perspectives.
Prediction polls
Ask students to make a prediction about data, rules, outcomes, or future events
Reflection polls
Ask students to consider implications, connections, and application of concepts to what they have just learned
Survey polls
Ask questions to gather information about student behaviour, tasks, and experiences that can help you with course planning or identifying needed learning support resources.
Building Community
Check in
Ask students to share how they’re feeling today through the chat or a word cloud through Slido.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers can focus on personal background, academic topics, or fun topics that are light and easy to answer (ie. what is a boring fact about you?)
Small Group Activities Using Breakout Rooms
Breakout rooms require thoughtful planning and facilitation in order for them to be meaningful. Simply putting students into breakout rooms without other thought or consideration will lead to a poor experience. Read the Getting Students to Participate in Breakout Rooms guide for excellent evidence informed practices.
Create and Present
Ask students to create, design or summarize an artifact that will support the intended learning outcomes of the class. For example, provide each group with their own Word Doc, Google Doc, PowerPoint slide, or Google Slide (with the prompt at the top) and ask the breakout groups to:
- Present a summary of ideas (Google/Word Doc)
- Brainstorm ideas (Google/Word Doc)
- Create a mind map (Google/PowerPoint slide)
- Post annotated resources (Google/Word Doc)
- List characteristics or features related to a concept (Google/Word Doc)
- Create a case study (Google/Word Doc)
- Solve a problem (Google/PowerPoint slide)
Case Study
Ask students to work as a team to solve a case study. Having students discuss or create case studies encourages them to consider various factors influencing a particular situation which helps them become aware of the complexities of real-life decision-making. Good case studies can bring learning to life and help students understand, synthesize and apply their knowledge to authentic, relevant situations.
Jigsaw
Identify 4-6 topics you want students to teach each other. Break them out into expert groups. Reorganize rooms so that there is 1 expert of every topic in a group. Or identify a spokesperson who will teach the topic to the whole class.