Icebreakers that Support Online Class Engagement

For students, the new year means a new semester and a fresh start. As an instructor, you can play a pivotal role in ensuring it’s a positive one by using ice breaker activities to introduce learners to your online course and each other

Without the in-person social interactions we’re used to, virtual social activities are important. Syllabi are jam-packed but taking time to ‘break the ice’ will resonate with students. You’ll be more approachable, you’ll support student-to-student connections, and you’ll sow the seeds for a virtual community to grow. Students are more likely to succeed in an online course when they feel a sense of community. Making the effort to build that connection right away will pay off throughout the semester.

Finding the right ice breaker for your online course isn’t necessarily hard, but it does take a bit of reflection. The most important place to start is with your goals. Consider the course objectives, who your students are, and how you want students to be engaged with each other and the course content throughout the semester. Choose an activity that may ignite that type of participation and relationship building. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Asynchronous activities

Without a live class, use the course discussion board to inspire dialogue and connection. Prompts may be related to the course or personal interests. Consider the wealth of questions you can ask, like:

• What is your experience with the topic of this course, and what do you hope to get out of this class?
 
• What is a [T.V. show, book, movie — the list goes on] that has stuck with you, and why?
 
• Describe yourself in three words or images.
 
• Share a favourite meme (or create one and share it).
 
• Post an image of where you are. (Students sharing pictures of the view from their window or backyard is a great way to connect across neighbourhoods, cities, and countries.)
 
• Rank 10 items, such as movies, vacation ideas, activities, and/or meals. (As each student posts their ranked preferences, they will be able to spark conversations with each other over shared — or differing — preferences.)

Synchronous small group activities

When classes are synchronous, the easiest way to build stronger connections with classmates is through small group activities.

• Share a story about an object nearby: Students show an object and tell a story about it. That could be as simple as the tale of how they got it or what it reminds them of.
 
• Play the one-word game: Students describe a theme in the course using one word. This is a great way to spark new ways of thinking about major course concepts and to get a sense of how each student’s experience reflects on the content.
 
• Find common ground: Students break into small groups and spend five minutes writing a list of things they have in common (such as interests, favourite activities, places traveled, etc.). Together as a class, the groups can share their lists and see what items are unique or common within the cohort.
 
• Be thankful: Ask students to share one thing their thankful for. They can type it in the chat, share a picture of it, or take turns talking about it.

Synchronous large group activities

Creating personal connection in large classes is logistically more challenging, but you’ll be able to host an engaging and successful ice breaker no matter your class size.

• Run a pop quiz: This doesn’t have to be course-related, but it can be! A for-fun pop quiz focused on the course’s themes is a great way to broadly assess the knowledge level of students. This can also help demonstrate to learners how much they know already (a great confidence boost) and where the course will take them.
 
• Create a ‘would you rather’ poll: Many video calling platforms have polling capabilities. Use this feature to ask a series of ‘would you rather this or that’ questions to encourage students to relax, have fun, and interact with the class in a more personal way.
 
• Use the chat feature: Ask students to respond to a question in the chat. Questions like, “What is one thing you’re grateful for?” “What city do you live in?” “Where would you travel right now if you could?” are quick and short to answer. Seeing many responses light up the chat can enliven a virtual platform. It may even encourage students to reach out to one another who are in the same city or share a common wanderlust.

Using an ice breaker at the start of the new semester will help encourage student participation throughout your online course. You can reintroduce these activities anytime to reenergize students and strengthen your online class community.