Inclusive Engagement Activities

How

1. The instructor sets up different stations around the classroom with a discussion question or scenario at each station.
2. In small groups, students move from one station to the next, adding their input at each station as they progress through the stations.
3. The instructor allots a certain amount of time for students to spend at each station, and signals when to move on to the next.
4. When each group of students has been to each station, invite students to share their responses.

Why

• A gallery walk engages all students in the reflection and feedback process. Students can develop higher order thinking skills such as analysis and synthesis during the activity. One advantage of a gallery walk is the integration of movement during the activity.

Other thoughts

• If conducted in-person, this activity would be best suited for small to medium sized classes with a classroom that offers ample room to move around in. Be mindful of students who may have mobility issues and provide an alternative way of engagement for them. A possible alternative would be to provide an online version of the gallery walk activity by using collaborative documents (e.g., Google docs). Another option would be for the student groups to remain in one place as the instructor rotates the stations around the groups (i.e., a seated gallery walk).

How

1. Have students evaluate their peers’ work and discuss their thoughts and ideas rather than handing them into the instructor as a basis of discussion.

Why

• Peer evaluation helps students to critique and provide feedback to each other on their work. It helps students to develop skills in assessing and providing feedback to others and allows students to think critically about how they might improve their own work.

Other thoughts

• There are different ways to facilitate the peer evaluation process, ranging from traditional pen and paper to a specific edtech tool designed for this activity. Consider contacting your CTE Faculty Liaison for pedagogical support. 

How

1. Have students take on a different role in a discussion. Examples of roles are leader/facilitator, arbitrator/monitor, encourager, notetaker/timekeeper, and advocators for alternative perspectives.

Why

• Offering different roles from which to start engaging in a discussion helps to build upon students’ strengths. It also lets students choose roles that suit their needs. Depending on the nature of the discussion and activity, the instructor can ask students to rotate through the roles so they can develop skills beyond their comfort zone.

Other thoughts

• For larger groups, the roles could be fulfilled by more than one student (e.g., two notetakers). This strategy could also be adapted for online discussion forums to potentially enhance student engagement and depth of responses.

How

1. Incorporate small group discussions to analyze different case studies from course readings, including but not limited to journal articles and textbooks.
2. Provide prompt questions for students to work through and answer to help them effectively analyze the case studies.
3. Ask each small group to share key highlights and findings with the rest of the class.

Why

• Some students prefer to share their perspectives within a small group setting. Providing opportunities for students to work in small groups increases the chances of students’ voices being heard and potentially reduces the anxiety that some students may feel with large groups. 

Other thoughts

• Be intentional about choosing case studies that reflect diversity and inclusivity. It is important to choose case studies that resonate with the course content and learning outcomes, and being critical about which case studies are chosen can help foster inclusivity and motivate students to engage with the content.

How

1. Divide the class into three (or more) small groups.
2. Give each group a different topic to learn. These topics might be a different aspect of the main topic. These subgroups are called “expert” groups.
3. Create jigsaw groups that includes one person from each “expert” group. The jigsaw group members then teach one another about their topic.

Why

• Students can work together in their “expert” group to collaborate and develop knowledge on a topic. This format can help students to build confidence, practice speaking up, and ask questions before teaching to a new group. Because the jigsaw group involves sharing information from their expert group, all students are involved in the activity.

Other thoughts

• This activity can be adapted for the online teaching context. One way to set up the jigsaw activity would be to use the Groups tool in LEARN and create corresponding group discussion forums.

How

1. The instructor introduces a question or issue, then selects an equal number of students for the pro side and an equal number of students for the con side.
2. Let the rest of the students know that they will act as judges.
3. Invite the students to debate the two sides of the argument.
4. After the debate, ask the observing students to judge and assess the debate.

Why

• Offering students the opportunity to consider different sides of a question or issue can encourage them to participate by speaking out loud. Having students assume the role of a judge encourages them to listen to others and acknowledges that deep learning can happen through observation and equips them with analytical skills by observing their peers.

Other thoughts

• The number of students selected for each side of the question or issue can be determined by the class size. Other factors to consider include existing knowledge of the student dynamics (i.e., are there dominant speakers who might benefit from acting as a judge first?) and the appropriateness of the chosen question or issue.

How

1. Give students a topic and ask them to brainstorm and illustrate a concept map or mind map of the topic (either through paper or digital application).
2. After the students have completed the map, ask them to explain their ideas by sharing with a partner or to a larger group.

Why

• Some students prefer to think about concepts, processes, and relationships through visual means. The concept map is a way to illustrate ideas and connections through a low-stakes, diagnostic activity.  

Other thoughts

• Depending on the purpose of the concept map, let students know that the goal of the activity is to help them generate ideas and thoughts, rather than assessing their artistic abilities. Some students may feel anxious about not being able to produce an aesthetically pleasing product – be explicit about the intentions of the activity.
• There are edtech tools that can support the development of concept maps, such as Miro and Padlet. If you are interested in exploring available tools, reach out to your CTE Faculty Liaison.

How

1. Give students a topic that is related to the lesson or course in general.
2. Let students know that they have 2-5 minutes to write as much as possible on the given topic within the allotted time.
3. Invite students to share their ideas or collect their work at the end of class (if students are comfortable) for further reflection and debrief.

Why

• The process of writing helps stimulate thinking and provides an outlet for students to express their ideas, thoughts, and questions without needing to speak out loud. This activity gives students the freedom to express without being concerned about writing conventions such as spelling, grammar, and sentence structure (particularly if the activity is not graded).

Other thoughts

• This activity works in both small and large classes. If teaching online, ask students to do the activity through a Word document or personal notepad. Students can also complete the activity using traditional paper and pen, and perhaps take a photo of the product to share with the instructor for reference or even a participation grade. 
• Keep in mind that some students with disabilities use technology to write. To promote accessibility, let all students decide which tool they prefer to use for the activity.  

How

1. At the end of the class, have students submit a cue card on which they have written a question or relevant thought based on the class. Alternatively, ask students to submit an electronic cue card to you or post their summary on a restricted discussion board.

Why

• This activity can help students consolidate their learning and pose a question they may have about “muddy points” without the pressure to share any gaps in knowledge in front of the class. Depending on the class size and context, the instructor can ask students to include their name on the cue card or keep the responses anonymous.

Other thoughts

• The questions and thoughts shared on the cue cards can help the instructor understand the key concepts that may need to be revisited or expanded upon in subsequent classes. Conducting a thematic analysis of the thoughts and using the questions as a learning opportunity for the entire class can help foster community in both small and large classes. By seeing and/or hearing the questions shared by their peers, students can self-assess their own level of understanding and potentially offer responses to their peers’ questions.

How

1. Allow students time to solve problems individually by giving them a question or situation and allowing them to individually brainstorm thoughts or questions.

Why

• Some students prefer to work individually and require time and space to process their thought processes. Giving students a learning environment that supports individual problem solving can help them develop confidence in their abilities and perhaps even share their work with others following the activity.

Other thoughts

• This activity can act as part of a larger problem-based learning strategy in a course. For example, the instructor can invite students to work on solving problems individually, then proceed with inviting students to work in partners and eventually in small groups. The instructor can ask students to share about their individual problem-solving process and set up a peer-to-peer activity where students compare and contrast processes.

How

1. Create discussion boards on course-specific topics to gather thoughts and questions from students who may not be comfortable speaking up in class.
2. Depending on the purpose of the discussion boards, students can be placed in student-chosen or randomly assigned discussion groups.
3. The instructor can choose to provide discussion prompts and a corresponding rubric so students can better understand expectations around participation and quality of responses.
4. The instructor can add structure to online discussions by implementing formats such as “Save the Last Word for Me.”

Why

• When used effectively, discussion boards can be a tool to generate critical thinking and reflection from students. Some students prefer to express their thoughts and questions through writing rather than speaking out loud, so in these instances, discussion boards can be an outlet for them.

Other thoughts

• The use of discussion boards is not limited to online teaching; instead, the instructor might use discussion boards as an opportunity to complete a diagnostic assessment (e.g., provide a prompt question or problem for students to discuss or solve before attending class in-person).
• The instructor may choose to adjust the settings of the discussion boards to align with the learning outcomes of the activity and/or course. One example is to set a restriction so that students must post their response first before seeing the responses from other students. Keep in mind that it is very important to set expectations around discussion boards – students appreciate examples, word limits, and requirements for the number of posts and responses to make.

How

1. Create poll questions using available tools such as iClickers, Mentimeter, and polling features in Teams and Zoom. Additional tools that offer gamification features and creative visuals are Kahoot! and AnswerGarden.
2. Present the poll questions to students during class time. If appropriate, let students know that their responses are anonymous.
3. Use the class results as a launching pad for debrief. Make note of any patterns and/or discrepancies and invite students to engage in the follow-up conversation.

Why

• Polling is an effective way to generate student engagement as the activity is done in real-time and responses can be anonymous. Since students’ responses can be detached from their name, students may feel more compelled to answer questions without the fear of judgement or anxiety associated with speaking out loud. The gamification aspect of polling as well as the immediate gratification of seeing results adds another layer to the effectiveness.

Other thoughts

• This activity is suitable for classes of any size and can be effectively conducted in in-person or online settings. Polling can be integrated as a teaching and learning activity and used as a formative assessment (e.g., the instructor wants to gauge the level of knowledge students have on a course topic at the start of a new lecture series).

How

1. Set up a digital workspace on an online collaboration tool such as Padlet or Miro. Both tools offer templates that can help simplify the creation process. Perusall is a social annotation tool that allows the instructor to upload readings and/or videos for students to review and add questions and comments directly on the platform itself.
2. Provide instructions for students so they know how to access and engage with the tool, then ask students to respond to a reading, question, or topic on the platform.
3. Follow-up on the contributions during class time. 

Why

• This form of engagement creates an avenue for students to share their questions and ideas in an online context. Students can engage with their peers by reading and responding to their comments with the advantage of having time to process. Padlet and Miro also have capabilities to save the work as a separate file, so students who missed the class or activity can access the file at a later time. 

Other thoughts

• Online collaboration activities can be thoughtfully incorporated before, during, or after class. For example, the instructor may choose to ask students to jot down their thoughts on a Padlet before class so they can use the Padlet as a bridge-in activity. Alternatively, the instructor can offer the Padlet to students as a reflection exercise to consolidate learning after class.

How

1. Allow students to record themselves presenting their thoughts on readings or their projects at home instead of presenting in front of the class.

Why

• Some students experience anxiety when presenting in front of an audience. Providing an alternative way of submission addresses the requirement of students needing to complete the assignment while offering a reasonable accommodation.

Other thoughts

• Consider whether demonstrating presentation skills is a course learning outcome that needs to be assessed and measured. If providing the option for students to submit video recordings, be sure to outline the technical requirements and details (e.g., file format, total length, where to submit the file).

How

1. Provide students with a question or statement and give them a few sticky notes.
2. Ask students to write an idea on each sticky note in response to the question or statement.
3. Once students are finished writing on the sticky notes, ask them to put the sticky notes on a wall or whiteboard.
4. Invite the students to work collaboratively to sort the sticky notes into categories.

Why

• This activity provides time for students to work individually before collaborating in a group setting. Carving out time for individual brainstorming can help decrease the likelihood of “groupthink” scenarios and allow students to compare ideas. 

Other thoughts

• It is possible to customize this activity to address more than one question or statement. For example, the instructor could divide the class into multiple groups and ask them to do the affinity cluster within their own small groups. If adapting the activity for multiple small groups, the instructor could invite students on a gallery walk so students can see the work of the other groups as well.
• Different-coloured sticky notes may be used if suitable for the goal of the activity.
• Consider taking a picture of the completed affinity cluster for future reference and posting the picture on an online discussion board. Students who were unable to attend class would be able to access the file, and students who attended class could refer to the picture for further analysis and reflection.