Online learning activities for college students..docx

Online learning activities for college students.
Online Learning activities are those activities in which students interact with resources, or other students,
or both, using the capabilities of the Internet or other computer-based communication networks. It is also
studies that we perform online like debating, Storytelling, online classroom games, online self-
assessments etc.
Online Debating
The highest level of student engagement. Two persons debating. Mobilizing debate virtually could be a
challenging task, but it’s totally worth it. Debate stimulates student engagement, critical thinking, and
helps develop speaking skills. Create small groups of 4-5 people, assign debate topics, and raffle a position
for each group. To provide insight into the case, you can create a comparison infographic with some ideas,
resources, or data. Every debate comes together with a gamification and competition element that urges
students to learn the topic, stick together, prepare bold arguments, make a great speech, and win. Enjoy
the battle! Online Debates bring intercultural teams together to work hand-on-hand on relevant debate
topics across the region. It is for young People Following the Team Leaders Training session, on the
necessary debate skills, teams engage with each other in an online debate. The activity builds on the great
success of the Young Medediterranean Voices programme. Participants develop critical thinking skills and
explore subjects that can lead to advocacy impact. Each debate features two teams of young debaters
from the north and south of the Mediterranean who will present evidence to validate arguments for or
against a motion chosen by the participants themselves. The session is hosted by a Debate Trainer, and
the debates are moderated by the two Team Leaders of each team. In order to take part in the Online
Debate activity it is expected that at least one team leader is trained prior to the debate event taking
place. After the Online Debates, Debate Team Leaders and their team members will meet again in the
Post- Debate Dialogue session one week after the Debate, to reflect on the motions they debated.
How to carryout online debating
You’ll need to use some good video-calling software, and be comfortable with how it works. We
recommend Zoom but Skype, Google Hangouts, or Microsoft Teams can also work fine. Follow all security
and safeguarding advice, such as password protecting your call. Make sure you get set up properly,
everyone has a log in and knows what they are doing, and before you start, TEST YOUR CONNECTION
WITH SOMEONE ELSE. If in doubt, find someone younger who can help! If using Zoom, make sure you
enable breakout rooms.
Team: Given this is a bit of an experiment, start small. Pick a few interested or committed students, ideally
some might have done Debating Matters before, a chair who’s prepared to be patient and flexible, and
up to three judges you can get hold of. Once you’re comfortable with how its working, expand it out.
Technique: Holding a debate virtually requires some different etiquette. Face to face, it is usually clear
when you can speak, how to interrupt politely, etc. To make things smoother online strongly recommend
that people wait to be invited to speak by the chair and avoid interrupting. You can either wave or use the
messaging / raise hand functions in your program to ask to speak. In short, you can change it how you
like. This guide is based on what we have found works and we do recommend that you follow it. But you
may have your own constraints or needs, such as:

Fewer judges: If you can’t get three judges, you can make do with two or even one. If you have two judges,
make sure you avoid a tie by letting the judges know they HAVE to come to a decision.
Shorter sessions: You might not have time to run the full format. Or, if you use a free Zoom account, you
might not be able to run a longer call. If so, you can remove the audience questions, shorten the length
of speeches, or consider using fewer judges
More audience involvement: If you want to involve more of your class, you might decide to allow more
audience questions. You could skip the team exchanges to make room, or allow more time for the whole
debate
HOW IT WORKS ONLINE
If you’ve done Debating Matters before, the format should be familiar. Look out for the additions and
changes in red to help you when doing DM virtually.
Log in and welcome: minutes -10 to 0. Ask everyone to log in 10 minutes or so before the scheduled start
time. This will allow everyone to informally meet each other. It’s also an opportunity to make sure the
main participants are visible and audible. If you are chairing, ask some informal questions to break the ice.
Once everyone has joined, ask any audience members to turn off their video and mute themselves (this
will allow debaters and judges to focus their screen on each other).
Introductions by the chairperson: minutes 0-5. The chairperson welcomes everyone, asks debaters to
introduce themselves, introduces the judges, and welcomes any audience to the debate. Doing this will
ensure everyone’s microphones and cameras are on, and everyone has a good connection.
Opening presentations: minutes 5-20. Each debater is allowed up to three minutes to make their opening
presentation. Presentations alternate between the two teams, beginning with the first debater arguing
for the motion.
Judges’ questions: minutes 20-35. The chairperson will ask the judges to put one (brief) question each to
the team arguing for the motion, who are then asked to respond. The same then happens for the team
arguing against the motion. The purpose of the judges’ questions is to push debaters to substantiate their
statements and to demonstrate a greater understanding of the key issues at stake. The judges can ask
follow up questions if there is time.
Audience questions: minutes 35-45. The chair invites any audience members to signal that they want to
ask a question (on Zoom, you can use the ‘raise hand’ function). The chair will then invite three or so
questions (remember to unmute them and turn on their video).
Team exchanges: minutes 45-55
The chairperson invites the FOR team to put one question to the AGAINST team. They then have a chance
to briefly respond, and the FOR team can follow up. The chair then invites the reverse. Aim to get each
debater in for each round, e.g. someone on the FOR side asks a question, one person on the AGAINST
responds, the remaining FOR side debater then follows up, and the final word goes to the remaining
AGAINST side debater – then reverse this.
Final remarks: minutes 55 – 60

Each debater is then allowed up to one minute to sum up or to make a brief closing point.
Judges feedback: minutes 60 -70
The judges will give some brief initial feedback to the debaters, one team at a time, without giving away
who they think won the debate. They will note what worked well for the teams, how their speeches
worked, how they answered questions from judges and the audience, which arguments were strong, and
what they missed or didn’t respond to well enough.
Judges’ decision: minutes 70 – 80
The chair will instruct the judges to deliberate. They can either drop out of the call and start a new call.
Those using Zoom can organise a breakout room, with a guide here. They will discuss BRIEFLY who they
think won and come to a QUICK decision. They will then rejoin the call and announce the results. While
the judges deliberate, start a brief informal chat about how things are, tips on staying busy and connected,
etc.
Thanks and close: minutes 80 – 90
End on a positive note, noting especially the valiant efforts of the losing team. Thank all the judges,
debaters and audience. Keep the call open if you like and carry on the conversation
Storytelling
Merging storytelling and data visualization can make a difference by triggering your students’ visual
perception. Empower your students with visual learning by using creative infographics, charts,
presentations, and other data visualization formats. That can add massive value to every story you tell, as
65% of all of us are visual learners.
2. Go beyond traditional online lessons with Prezi Video. Instead of sharing your screen, use Prezi Video
to connect to any video conferencing platform and show your content right alongside you as you present.
Prezi Video will surprise your classroom and keep them focused. You will no longer be a small rectangle
in the corner of students’ Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or any other video meeting. With your
slides appearing next to you on screen, you can grab students’ attention and boost online student
engagement. Prezi will inspire you to try new formats in storytelling, presenting, and creating
assignments. Also, students will develop their creative and presentation skills with every homework
assignment. You can use Prezi Video to present in online lessons (regardless of the video conferencing
app you’re using), and easily record videos for students to watch and rewatch anytime. Students love
Prezi.
3. Encourage accountability in the classroom: A culture of accountability plays a vital role in society. In the
classroom, it means that every student knows their role and accepts responsibility for fulfilling it, whether
it’s a group project or individual work. Engage your students in group projects to teach them all the
necessary skills of teamwork, such as dealing with responsibilities, showing initiative, staying accountable
for assigned tasks, learning time and quality management, communicating with different people, and so
on. Not everyone feels comfortable when working in groups, but it’s crucial to practice accountability now
in order to be a better team member later in life.

4. Update and improve online lessons: While the facts and history may not have changed, the approach
on how to express them has. There’s nothing unusual about sharing the same .pdf files or presentations
with students year after year, but a little format experimentation never hurt anybody.
Here are some tips:
a. video to explain complex ideas like math formulas or Newton’s laws. By that, you will help
students understand the material thoroughly and have a video they can rewatch whenever they
forget something.
b. Create an infographic to tell a story in an engaging and easy-to-understand format about a specific
event, person, or process. You can include texts, charts, timelines, maps, images, videos, and even
GIFs and stickers to catch students’ attention.
c. Express geographic information with customized maps. Students will learn the geography of
countries and cities and understand the data better because they can visualize it.
d. Build zooming and engaging presentations that emphasize the story in-depth, not just move
from one slide to another.
e. Use dashboards and reports to build comprehensive material with plenty of data, numbers, and
charts, like regional financial development reports or election results.
f. Create posters to draw attention to important messages like equality in society, cybersecurity, or
fun events.
g. Take a look at this in-depth, interactive solar system infographic made with Infogram. Try different
feedback methods to engage students. Feedback is something that tends to be underrated among
students. Giving and receiving constructive feedback is actually a kind of “art for better social
living,” so it’s a great idea to include it into your online lessons.
h. Ask students to evaluate your work. Let them rate the lesson material and their feelings during
the lesson. Their answers will help you improve the material or your approach, and bring new
ideas to your online classes.
i. Ask students to give feedback to each other using the traffic light approach or any other feedback
method. They can highlight good things about classmates, areas of improvement, and learn to
express criticism in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone.
j. Give feedback to your students. This one is critical – an individual approach will engage students
and make them feel important and appreciated. Feedback will build trust between you and
students and motivate them to work on their weaknesses.
k. Collect quantitative feedback and create a dashboard with results at the end of the semester.
You’ll see what’s changed and how you’ve developed. The sooner students start to develop the
skill of giving feedback, the easier it will be to become team leads, communicate with others,
express their opinions, and deal with criticism.
l. Engage students during online lessons with live reactions
Video Player 00:00, 00:13
Interactivity can be a headache for every virtual presenter. Many video platforms allow you to add
reactions during a virtual call like applause or a thumbs up or down, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Take student engagement to the next level, allowing them to instantly show a picture, video, GIF reaction,
or sticker right next to their face with Prezi Video. Here’s an idea: Ask students to share a GIF expressing

how they feel when the lecture starts. That’s a great way to break the ice, lift the level of energy, and
choose an approach based on how they feel today.
m. Mood boards for online student engagement. A person creating a moodboard in the computer. A
mood board is a well-known type of collage with text, images, objects, and compositions. It is
often used in interior design, event planning, and fashion to visualize a particular style or concept.
It’s also a fun idea to use in education. When you make mood boards, periodically ask your
students to visualize what they’ve learned, what emotions they experienced, or whatever is on
their minds right now. How? Encourage students to sign up in visualization tool like Infogram and
create a mood board with images, icons, fun GIFs, videos, and text. In this way, they can express
themselves in endless ways, showing their creativity, wit, and knowledge, and you’ll have valuable
feedback about your work.
n. Mini TED talk contest
Happy girl presenting presentation on the computer: Presenting is a set of skills, ranging from time
management and information analysis to visual content creation and public speaking. Everyone should
begin to develop presentation skills during their school time. Inspire your students by offering a collection
of the most remarkable TED talks about topics they might find interesting, such as science, nature,
relationships, technology, and design. Let them see what a great TED talk looks like, discuss the
components of a successful presentation, and encourage them to create one by themselves. Make a list
of topics (plus a free choice), set the deadline and speech requirements, and give them tools to create an
outstanding virtual presentation like Infogram’s slide templates or Prezi’s student software. And what’s
most important – make the day of virtual presentations a celebration! Presenting in front of an audience
is not easy. It’s a huge step your students will make towards their growth.
o. Flipped classroom for deeper discussions: In the flipped classroom model, traditional ideas about
classroom activities and homework are reversed. Students interact with the lesson materials individually
at home as text, pre-recorded video, or data visualization projects. Online classroom time is reserved for
discussions and interactive projects. The goal of a flipped classroom is to make a virtual class an active
learning environment. Students are able to learn at their own pace, and the educator has more time for
one-on-one time with each student.
p. Student collaboration for increased engagement: Encourage students to collaborate and work together
with each other. It’s especially crucial in online learning. Offer a wide range of group activities: Fun
sessions to get to know each other, breakout rooms for discussions, group projects, “study buddy”
programs, and more. All these group activities provide students the socializing experiences they miss out
on because of remote learning and give them the chance to improve communication and problem-solving
skills and learn from each other. Student at the computer joining a virtual team meeting.
q. Assign interactive homework:
Homework is the most important aspect of learning process. Do students like it? Not always. But there
are ways to offer practical projects that can engage students. Here are some examples:
Encourage students to create a synopsis about the topic in any form they like. For example,
comprehensive infographics, blog posts, animated or recorded video, presentation, web page, essays.
Assign group projects that encourage students to express their creativity to its fullest and acknowledge

when they make extra effort. If it’s a research project about cultural diversity, inspire them to wear
suitable clothes and makeup, try out an accent, learn some rituals. Help their creativity thrive! Involve
social media by letting them discover and explain how the TikTok algorithm, Twitter hashtags, or
Instagram feeds actually work. Social media is where most students spend their time every day, so you
can use their natural interests for educational benefit. Make the students to have interest in analyzing
information, find the central message, and create dashboards, charts, and reports even without design
skills.
Use different education tools for digital engagement and deeper learning like Brilliant and ixl. Prepare for
class before the class. Bring the knowledge to students before the online course starts with pre-class
quizzes to evaluate their knowledge, add gaming elements, and create a hook for further learning. Make
students’ concerns and questions part of your lecture plan. Create a form where they describe a situation
that you’ll later solve during the class, for example, some confusion about personal finance or pet care.
PARTICIPATING IN ONLINE GAMES
Competitions are a what makes people to get excited and invested in lessons. From creative challenges
to debate-based matches, here is our list of online classroom games.
1. Digital Scavenger Hunt
Digital Scavenger Hunt is a game where the teacher compiles a list of items and activities that students
complete by a given time. For an educational spin, teachers can match the items and activities to the
lesson. For example, if you are a science teacher, consider adding simple experiments to the Digital
Scavenger Hunt, such as putting Mentos in Diet Coke. Here are some free virtual scavenger hunt templates
and scavenger hunt puzzle ideas. We also have a list of apps for scavenger hunts.
2. Virtual Pictionary
Virtual Pictionary is an online version of the classic game, where one player illustrates a word, while
teammates attempt to guess it. Split your class into two teams, and text the word to the illustrator using
Zoom’s private chat feature. The illustrator can then use the video conference software’s screen share
abilities to show their drawing, while the other team members guess. Teachers can use Virtual Pictionary
to teach vocabulary, and develop creative skills.
3. Virtual Trivia
Virtual Trivia is a fun way to test your class’s knowledge on a particular topic. First, amass a list of trivia
questions and answers. Then, divide the class into teams, who will compete to answer the most questions
quickly and correctly. Virtual Trivia is a fantastic online classroom game because it is an exciting way to
confirm whether your class retained the knowledge they needs.
4. Virtual Musical Chairs
Sitting in front of your computer all day to attend class can be draining. However, teachers can get their
class moving through Virtual Musical Chairs, which adapts the idea behind the in-person game for a
remote class. To play, broadcast a song, and have your students get up and dance. Then, periodically shut

off the music. Once the music stops, students should rush to sit down. The last person to get to their seat
loses the round.
5. Ambassadors
For classes that miss Model UN, Ambassadors is an educational game where students act as ambassadors
of a randomly assigned country. Great for geography classes, players describe their country with facts, as
everyone else guesses what country they represent. The winner is the student who guesses the most
countries correctly. After a few rounds, your students will learn all sorts of fun facts about nations of the
world.
6. Summer Book Club
To keep your students occupied over the summer, enlist your reading class for Summer Book Club, an
activity where students log the number and a brief summary of pages they have read. The winner of
Summer Book Club is the student who reads the highest number of pages by the end of the summer. To
make winning more appetizing, prepare rewards for the winner. Teachers can also compile a suggested
reading list to keep students on track.
7. Geography Puzzles
Another game for geography class, Geography Puzzles tests your class’s knowledge of the world. Send
students a blank copy of a world map. Then, ask students to fill out the map as completely and accurately
as possible. To make Geography Puzzles a collaborative effort, teachers can also pair up students and
reward the team that finishes filling out their map first.
8. Virtual Game Show
Virtual Game Show is an online version of the popular show Jeopardy, where students attempt to guess
the answer to questions. Using this Jeopardy builder or Google Slide template, assemble your board. Then,
split the class into teams and share your screen to display the board. The team that collects the most
points by the end of the game wins. Teachers can use Virtual Game Show as a lively way to quiz the class’s
familiarity with a variety of subjects.
9. Alphabet Chain
Alphabet Chain is a terrific online classroom game for expanding students’ vocabularies. To play, choose
a category. Your students then name words that fit that topic, except that every proposed word needs to
start with the last letter of the previous word. If a student is unable to think of another word, then they
are out. The last student standing wins.
10. Class Limericks
Limericks are a whimsical poetry form with a specific rhythm. Class Limericks is a wonderful game for
online English classes that asks students to compete to write the most amusing limerick. Teachers can
choose a particular subject or let students choose what they would like to write about.
11. Virtual Show and Tell
Suitable for younger classes, Virtual Show and Tell is an online version of the classic classroom activity,
where students share an item with everyone and explain its significance. Teachers can set a theme for

your show and tell to help students decide what to bring. This online activity can be educational, and also
bring the class closer as each session reveals more of your students.
12. Would You Rather
Would You Rather is a simple icebreaker that gets students talking. To play, compile a list of prompts.
Then, open the online lesson by asking students what they would rather do. Here are some examples of
great Would You Rather questions: Would you rather go back in time and experience the Revolutionary
or Civil War? Would you rather live without gravity or the laws of motion? Would you rather go back to
the dinosaur age or explore the depths of the ocean? Would you rather be a character in Bram Stoker’s
Dracula or Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein? Would you rather go on a pilgrimage with the characters from
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales or Wu Cheng’en’s Journey to the West? Would You Rather gives
students an opportunity to divulge more about themselves, and liven up discussions. Because these
prompts rely on prior knowledge learned in class, teachers can use Would You Rather to check students’
retention of information as well.
13. Desert Island Intelligences
For teachers running an online psychology course, Desert Island Intelligences borrows from Gardner’s
Theory of Multiple Intelligences, which are:
Visual-spatial, Linguistic-verbal,
Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical-mathematical, Musical, Body-kinesthetic, Naturalistic
The premise of this activity is that a natural disaster strands eight people representing each intelligence
on a desert island. Due to limited resources, the class must vote one person from the island each round
by determining the intelligence’s value for survival. Teachers love Desert Island Intelligence because it
adapts well virtually, and serves as a fun conversation starter.
14. Rube Goldberg Off
Rube Goldbergs are intricate machines that people program to complete a simple task. Rube Goldberg
Off is a challenging online classroom game for science classes that asks students to compete to design the
most inventive machine. Teachers can set the parameters of the activity by instructing students to create
machines to complete a certain task.
15. Utilitarian Test
According to the University of Texas, utilitarianism is a philosophical concept that values the choice that
brings the greatest amount of good to the group. Utilitarian Test is an online classroom activity, where
students discuss the ethical nuances of famous utilitarian questions, such as the trolley problem, fat man,
transplant surgeon, and Heinz dilemma. Teachers can use Utilitarian Test to get students to reveal the
logic behind their decisions, and see if students truly understand the concepts. Online instruction is a
completely new experience than in-person lessons. To help bring your plans to the virtual classroom, here
are some online classroom ideas to maintain your students’ productivity level, despite the distance.
16. Virtual Field Trips

A great way to have fun with an online classroom is to get out of the classroom. You can take your students
on a virtual adventure of places like the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal and Machu Picchu. Some locations
of live facilitated options, while others are fully digital. Either way, virtual field trips provide an excellent
and engaging learning opportunity for students.
17. Use entrance and exit cards
When students and teachers are apart, it may be difficult to keep students on track. To help set the tone
of your lesson, use entrance and exit cards at the beginning and end of class. These cards consist of
questions regarding the lesson’s content. The entrance cards prep students for your lesson, while exit
cards check comprehension.
18. Working with synchronously and asynchronously
An important virtual classroom idea is that learning is not restricted to the time when your students are
online. Students can collaborate synchronously, which is when they are all online at the same time, or
asynchronously, which is when they are not necessarily online at the same time. Examples of synchronous
learning include: Discussion in breakout rooms, Listening to the same lecture, Giving presentations
together.
Discussions in forums or message boards, Readings that students complete on their own, Pre-recorded
video content that students view on their own Using both of these methods helps enrich your students’
learning experience, and lets students continue thinking about the lesson, even after the class video call
ends.
19. Break up your lesson into manageable chunks
When people are not in person and rely on video for connection, their attention span shortens. To prevent
students from becoming disengaged in class, break up your lesson into manageable chunks. As a teacher,
try to avoid speaking to students for extended periods because your students will become disengaged.
Instead, pepper in activities or challenges throughout your lesson to encourage participation.
20. Check understanding with the chat feature
Another way to maintain student engagement is to periodically ask students to answer simple questions
through the chat feature on the class’s video conferencing software. Teachers can use these questions to
check comprehension among students, and see who is still actively listening to the lesson.
21. Think, pair, share
For teachers, think, pair, share may already be a familiar concept since it is a learning strategy that is used
in in-person classes. However, with video conferencing software’s breakout rooms feature, teachers can
capitalize on this characteristic by having students collaborate in small groups before sharing answers to
discussion questions. Using think, pair, share in an online classroom maximizes participation and keeps
students focused on the lesson.
CONCLUSION

Online learning basically boost the students performance in terms of thinking capacity. It enhances
thinking analogy in students, making sound and clear mind to be virtualized.
Teaching online is a tough adjustment to those that requires teachers to think deeply about how to best
adapt their methods for distance learning. With these online classroom games, debating, storytelling,
activities and ideas, you can take your lessons to the next level and increase student productivity.

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