EL7003+Icebreakers


 * ** EL7003-8 ** ||  ||
 * ** Instructional Design and Engaging E-Learning Activities ** || ** 4 Introductory/Icebreaker Activities ** ||
 * Overall, a good job on the paper. I've included some advice on writing your thesis statements and conclusions effectively, as well as some evocative questions you may want to employ. The paper was well-developed and was an above average achieved of learning outcomes. Substantially integrated key concepts from the assigned materials and provided excellent examples. Well written in academic English. **
 * Overall, a good job on the paper. I've included some advice on writing your thesis statements and conclusions effectively, as well as some evocative questions you may want to employ. The paper was well-developed and was an above average achieved of learning outcomes. Substantially integrated key concepts from the assigned materials and provided excellent examples. Well written in academic English. **

=Introductory Icebreaker Activities = The purpose of this paper is to present the design for three introductory activities for inclusion in the online XML Publisher course in a synchronous environment with access to audio (telephone conference call), video (webcam), two-way chat, question and answer pages, and the ability to demonstrate, collaborate, and present information from participants computer screens. Included in this paper is a reflection on the selection of, potential student responses to, and the rationale for these activities.*

Icebreaker Activity One: My Classmate Is
**Task:** Introductory exercise for the beginning of the XML Publisher course **Objectives:** Introduce learners to each other and to the environment in an innovative way.* **Method:** Synchronous **Time required:** Depends on the number of students, but usually less than a half-hour. **Materials:** This activity will utilize the Prior to this activity I will mute all learners on the audio conference call (Audio), will select the environment al properties to allow students to be able to chat between themselves, and will type on the whiteboard the following list for display to the class on their computer screens: At the beginning of class, the producer will introduce all students to the various features of the WebEx learning environment; including how to use chat, question and answers, and the muting and unmuting features of Audio. After that introduction, I will greet the students using Audio, and instruct them that the following activity is designed to help them use the features available in the learning environment and the classroom better. I will instruct each student to look in the right window of the environment, and identify the student directly below them. For the student at the bottom of the list, I will have them identify the student at the top of the list. These will create the working pairs for this activity.* I will instruct each student to use the two-way chat window to ascertain the answers to the four items listed on the whiteboard, and any other interests they may have, from their identified partner. Students will have ten minutes. At the end of ten minutes, I will direct each student to do two things. First, use the chat to broadcast the name and time zone of their partner to all participants. Second, in order of the student list, use Audio to introduce their partner. This activity will work with virtual classes of any size, but may become cumbersome with classes of more than 16.*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">WebEx whiteboard feature
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Two-way chat feature, and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Audio conference call
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Preparation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Name
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Location and time zone
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Expectations and experience*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">An interesting or different experience*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Process: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Facilitator’s Notes: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Icebreaker Activity Two: Provoke Me!
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Task:** Introductory exercise for the beginning of the XML Publisher course <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Objectives:** Introduce learners to each other in an innovative way.* <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Method:** Synchronous <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Time required:** Less than 45 minutes, but depends on number of students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Materials:** This activity will use the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Prior to this activity I will mute all learners on the audio conference call (Audio), and will type on the whiteboard the following list for display to the class on their computer screens: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">At the beginning of class, the producer will introduce all students to the various features of the WebEx learning environment; including how to use chat, question and answers, and the muting and unmuting features of Audio. After that introduction, I will greet the students using Audio, and instruct them that the following activity is designed to help them use the features available in the learning environment and the classroom better. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I will introduce this activity by stating that each person’s introduction over Audio will be followed by them asking a provocative question about something they are interested in knowing about two other students. The question must be clearly enunciated, and then followed by that person’s answer to the question. This student will then choose two other students to also answer that question. The first can be any student who will answer the question immediately. The second student must be one who has not yet introduced him- or herself. That student will answer, and then introduce him- or herself. Following this introduction, he or she will also ask a new question, answer it, and choose two students to answer the question. This process will continue until each student has had the opportunity to introduce themselves. Each student must pay attention to those who have and have not introduced themselves as the process continues. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This activity would be difficult to fit in a class with a large number of students because of the time and amount of discussion that it can engender. Since this environment does not have an asynchronous component for classes with more than 12 students it is not advised.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">WebEx whiteboard feature, and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Audio conference call
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Preparation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Name
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Location and time zone
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Expectations and experience
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">You need to come up with a provocative question that you will first answer, and then ask of two other students.*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Process: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Facilitator’s Notes: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Icebreaker Activity Three: If I Were a Sandwich
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Task:** Introductory exercise for the beginning of the XML Publisher course <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Objectives:** Introduce learners to each other in an innovative way.* <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Method:** Synchronous <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Time required:** Less than 30 minutes, but depends on number of students <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Materials:** This activity will use the <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Prior to this activity I will mute all learners on the audio conference call (Audio), and will type on the whiteboard the following list for display to the class on their computer screens: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">At the beginning of class, the producer will introduce all students to the various features of the WebEx learning environment; including how to use chat, question and answers, and the muting and unmuting features of Audio. After that introduction, I will greet the students using Audio, and instruct them that the following activity is designed to help them use the features available in the learning environment and the classroom better. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I will introduce this activity by stating that each participant will introduce him- or herself in the order that he or she appears in the student list in the right window, and that they will relate relevant information based on information on the whiteboard. I will then explain that each participant will then complete the following sentence, “Based on my technical experience I would be a ___ sandwich because. . ., and this class will add__ __ to my sandwich.” I will then type that sentence on the whiteboard, and introduce myself demonstrating the level of response I envision. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">This activity can replace the sandwich construct with any metaphor that can describe at a high-level how students see themselves in the context of the class.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">WebEx whiteboard feature, and
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Audio conference call
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Preparation: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Name
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Location and time zone
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Expectations*
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Process: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Facilitator’s Notes: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Reflective Paper
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">The initial experiences in a class mold the learning climate for the entire class ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008; Watkins, 2005; Zigmond, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). Just as an icebreaker is a ship that opens passages through ways that are closed, these activities allow participants to open channels of communication. In the remainder of this paper I will discuss the criterion that I used in designing the preceding activities, and describe the reactions that students have had to them in recent classes, while also explaining my rationale for why I believe they are effective.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Selection Criteria
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">There were a couple considerations for why I designed the activities that are included in this paper the way that I did.* First, my learning environment is synchronous and has no features for asynchronous use of discussion boards, which limits capabilities for long or involved discussions. Second, the preferred means of communication in the class is designed to be Audio, rather than the other synchronous tools; I emphasized Audio for this reason in all of the activities. Third, the amount of time that I have with the students in this class is 14 hours or less, and the hands-on activities take approximately eight hours. I need activities that will engage students, allowing them to interact with their peers and use the learning environment in a short amount of time.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Student Reactions
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">I have had the opportunity in recent classes to try these activities, both online and in-classroom. Each activity has received very positive reactions. The interactions between students after the introductions are livelier, and chat messages between students have increased, from classes that had standard introductions. The learning environment is more upbeat, and participation in the class seems to have increased as well.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Rationale of Effectiveness
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Beginning a class with an icebreaking activity has a number of benefits; (a) it helps learners get to know one another ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008; Watkins, 2005; Zigmond, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (b) it acknowledges learners ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (c) it reinforces the value of learners experience ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (d) fosters creativity and interactivity ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008; Watkins, 2005; Zigmond, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), (e) intensifies the effectiveness of the learning environment ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">DeSilets & Dickerson, 2008 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">), and (f) creates a positive tone ( <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 90%;">Watkins, 2005 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">). The student reaction to these icebreaker activities in my classes has noticeably made a positive difference in the atmosphere. Many of the factors identified in the literature were observed in the classroom, which supports my rationale for creating them, and including them at the beginning of class activity.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">In this paper three activities were presented for introducing students to each other in the online XML Publisher course.* The activities were similar because they are conducted in a synchronous environment, and the preferred means of communication for the course is Audio. Each has a unique means of encouraging interactivity between students despite being similar to the others. In the first activity, two-way chat is used for students to interview other students. In the second activity, students can chose two students to answer a provocative question that they have already answered. In the third activity, students are asked to create a metaphor for their technical knowledge and experience using food. All introductions use Audio, but the components of the introduction differ based on the activity. Each activity encourages students to communicate verbally in the class, and foster the results expected from an introductory activity.*

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP1] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Avoid this type of introductory sentence, it is considered an announcement. You want to have more of a thesis statement. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> Check out this link on writing thesis statements []. Any time we write things like “in this paper" or "I will cover" or "the paper will address" or "the purpose of the paper is"…these are weak introductions. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP2] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Generally speaking we want learning objectives to be learner focused – this is more teacher focused. This is also what the assignment should accomplish, but we are looking to be more specific. The learner will be able to describe a fellow learner. The learner will be able to identify differences in a fellow learner, etc. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP3] Of whom, and of what? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP4] This is a bit vague. You may want to be more specific – the scariest event in their lives, what happened the first time they drove a car, etc. You may want to give them a list to get started. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP5] Good way to do this – totally random! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP6] Unless you combine them into groups of four… <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP7] See previous comment. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP8] I would suggest giving them a choice. Here’s a great list - http://jimhough.com/cf/ibquestions.html <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP9] See previous comments. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP10] Of class? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP11] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">More announcements…these sentences do nothing but add to the wordiness of the paper! Keep it concise, clear, concrete and complete! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP12] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Awkward sentence structure <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP13] Awesome! <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP14] <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">Redundant and unnecessary. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> [PP15] A good source to look at writing effective conclusions, especially important as you get closer to writing your dissertation.


 * = References ||
 * * DeSelits, L. D., & Dickerson, P. S. (2008). Using icebreakers to open communication. //The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 39//(7), 292-293. Retrieved from http://www.slackjournals.com/jcen
 * Watkins, R. (2005). //75 e-learning activities: Making online learning interactive//. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
 * Zigmond, R. H. (2008). Ask a provocative question to break the ice. //College Teaching, 56//(3), 154-155. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/87567555.asp ||