Running Head: Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY
ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
Learner: Zachary W. Binkley
THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETELY FILLED IN
ELT7003
Glen Gatin
Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning
Activities
Assignment 4- Introductory/Icebreaker
Activities
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Faculty Use Only
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Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
Zachary W. Binkley
Northcentral University
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
Activities:
Activity One
Introductory Video
Activity Summary
In this activity, students will create their own Animoto video to introduce
themselves to their classmates and instructor. Animoto is a web application that produces
videos from user selected photos, video clips and music (www.animoto.com).
Animoto analyzes the provided photos, video clips and music, and automatically
generates a movie trailer‐like video from them (www.animoto.com). According to the
Animoto website (2011), every nuance of the video is analyzed which produces a
completely unique video every time.
Goals
Learners will be able to properly use and implement a Web 2.0 tool.
Learners will introduce themselves in a creative and innovative format.
Learners will correspond and become more familiar with their classmates and
instructor by sharing their experiences, interests, and expectations
Learners will identify course objectives and present them in their presentation
Collaborative Learning
Large Groups (all learners in a course)
Recommended e-Learning Experience
Learner- Novice. Some YouTube or embedding video experience may be handy.
Facilitator- Novice
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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Mode
Asynchronous
Time Required
One week: creation of video and posting during the first half of the week with responses
during the latter half.
Materials
Learner and facilitator access to an online discussion board. The discussion board
must have the ability to embed videos
Preparation
The activity will be outlined and detailed in the initial discussion board post and the first
course announcement. The initial post will include a sample video that introduces the
facilitator to the course and outlines the expectations and lessons for the course.
Process
1. Students will log-in to the course and proceed to the first discussion board
assignment. In the first discussion board, the following information will be present:
a. Outline of the first discussion board assignment: Introductory Video. Outline
includes:
i. Rubric
ii. Instructions
b. Instructor Introductory video.
c. Sample Student Introductory Video
d. Link to instructions on creating an Animoto Video (document housed in
Course Materials)
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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2. Students will proceed to Animoto and create their slideshow video. Step-by-step
instructions are provided in the course materials.
3. Students will embed their video into the discussion board.
4. Students will respond to at least two other students’ posts.
Facilitator Notes
Animoto promotes the use of personal photos in creating slideshows. For this
assignment, students do not have to include photos of themselves. They can create a text
only slideshow or add videos and photos provided by Animoto if they want.
SAMPLE Video: http://animoto.com/play/epAqT02J8piSax0P4Bg6dg
Activity Two
Past, Present, and Future!
Activity Summary
Students will assess their past learning, their current learning, and their future
learning in the course subject during this introductory assignment. The past learning part
of the assignment will require the student to complete a pre-course survey/quiz. This
survey will include questions on the subject of the course (biomechanics, exercise
science, pre-requisite course material). The second part of the assignment will feature a
reflection on the survey results and what they are most excited about learning in this
course. The last part of the assignment will include reading the course objectives and
planning an action plan based around those.
Goals
Learners will be able assess their current knowledge and pre-requisite knowledge.
Learners express their excitement and interest in the subject matter.
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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Learners will demonstrate their knowledge for the course objectives and expectations.
Collaborative Learning
Large Groups (all learners in a course)
Recommended e-Learning Experience
Learner- Novice.
Facilitator- Novice
Mode
Asynchronous
Time Required
One week
Materials
Learner and facilitator access to an online discussion board.
Survey created with the LMS’s Test/Quiz function.
Preparation
The activity will be outlined and detailed in the initial discussion board post and the first
course announcement. The initial post will include a link to the survey and a link to the
syllabus that will have the course objectives and goals listed.
Process
1.
Students will log-in to the course and proceed to the first discussion board
assignment.
2.
Students will take pre-course survey/quiz
3.
Students will view course objectives and goals.
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
4.
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Students will write a 300-word essay on their thoughts on the content, their
current knowledge of the content, and their strategies for obtaining the course
objectives in the course.
Students will respond to at least two other students’ posts.
5.
Facilitator Notes
This assignment is universal for most courses. It gives assessment, reflection,
preparation, and direction for the upcoming course.
Assignment derived from Watkins (2005, p. 74-76).
Activity Three
Wiki Welcome
Activity Summary
Students will create a wiki page using wikispaces.com that introduces themselves
to the instructor and other students in the course. This activity will serve as an
introductory/icebreaker activity and as a web tool educator.
Goals
Learners will be able to properly use and implement a Web 2.0 tool.
Learners will introduce themselves in a creative and innovative format.
Learners will correspond and become more familiar with their classmates and
instructor by sharing their experiences, interests, and expectations
Learners will identify course objectives and present them in their presentation
Collaborative Learning
Large Groups (all learners in a course)
Introductory/Icebreaker Activities
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Recommended e-Learning Experience
Learner- Novice.
Facilitator- Novice
Mode
Asynchronous
Time Required
One week
Materials
Learner and facilitator access to an online discussion board.
Instructions on how to create a wiki page using Wikispaces.com
Preparation
The activity will be outlined and detailed in the initial discussion board post and the first
course announcement. The initial post by the instructor will include a couple links to a
few sample wikis. One example will be the instructor’s wiki introductory page with the
other being a sample student’s.
Process
1. Students will log-in to the course and proceed to the first discussion board
assignment.
2. Students will read the instructions on how to create a wiki page
3. Students will view the two provided example wiki pages: the instructor’s and a
sample student’s.
4. Students will be required to create a wiki page featuring the following information on
different web pages within the site:
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a. About me
b. Course Objectives
c. Past experience with the content
d. Comment section
5. Students will respond to at least two other students’ wikis by commenting in the
section portion of the sites.
Facilitator Notes
This assignment is universal for most courses. It gives assessment, reflection,
preparation, and direction for the upcoming course. In addition to ordinary introductory
assignments, the students will also learn how to use a web 2.0 tool in wiki pages.
Reflection
Most introductory or icebreaker assignments feature the same concept over and over:
basic introductions about the student’s life. Furthermore, some curriculums, like Northcentral
University’s ELT courses, all feature the same or similar introductory assignments for each
course. These assignments certainly serve their purpose in introducing the student to the
instructor and fellow classmates but there is so much more that can be accomplished. As showed
in the three above activities, introductory assignments can be used to teach other concepts like
using a Web 2.0 tool or to assess current knowledge and plan for future learning. Most
introductory assignments will share the same characteristics and requirements but how they are
distributed is where they can be changed. The effectiveness of these assignments lie in this
distribution.
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References
Watkins, R. (2005). 75 e-Learning Activities: Making Online Learning Interactive. San
Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.