Icebreakers

How to do this 

This activity is best created in the Get Started module in your Canvas course (find out more about this module in the Canvas subject shells resource).

You can create the activity by following these steps:

1. Use your UTS email to create a Padlet account.
2. Describe what the students will be doing in the activity. Suggestions include:
   • Share a photo from where you were born or a workplace
   • Respond to a question (e.g. what will you do with the knowledge that you’ll gain from this subject?)
   • Create an inspiring and motivational video, add wise quotes or share songs that describe your academic life.
   • Introduce yourself, your hobbies, or talk about your idol in life.
3. Go to your Canvas course and create a new page in the Get Started module.
4. Embed the Padlet in the page (1:26min YouTube).
5. Post the first response and revisit the Padlet to engage with students.
6. Ask your tutors to engage with the Padlet by liking posts and contributing to the conversation.

What tools can you use? 

We’ve suggested using Padlet in this activity, but be aware it is not currently a supported technology at UTS.

If you’d prefer to use a UTS-supported technology, take a look at what you can do with Discussions on Canvas.

When and where to do this 

This activity is suitable during the beginning of the session for the following classes:

• Online learning
• Block mode
• Large cohorts

How long will it take? 

What research tells us 

In a blended learning environment, nurturing student-to-student relationships within a learning community can contribute to establishing well-functioning groups. As Gilly Salmon (2000) has suggested, online socialisation is the main foundation where the learning journey starts, and can be built through familiarising and providing bridges between cultural, social, and learning environments. 

References

• Salmon, G. (2000). Computer mediated conferencing for management learning at the Open University. Management learning, 31(4), 491-502.