Learning Activities

Examples of learning activities that support the strategies in phase 1

“What shaped you?”: Students share what shaped them as a person, or changed their perspective. Depending on course content, students can be asked to share a book, movie, political event or conversation that had an impact on their lives. (An example could be: “I became vegan after watching the documentary Cowspiracy”) It is important to emphasize that students are asked to share only what they are comfortable with.

Supports: Reducing anonymity, exploring own frame of reference. Good practice from the faculty of Humanities.

“Card system”: Every student name in the group is written down on a card. The instructor uses the cards to randomly select someone to answer a question. These questions can be posed by the teacher as well as other students. All students can get called on, which means they have to stay alert and listen to each other’s explanations. The focus is taken away from providing a single right answer. Instead, students build up on each other’s answers.

Supports: Reducing anonymity. Good practice from the faculty of Science.

“Circle of trust”: Students receive a hand-out and are asked to list the five people they trust most besides their relatives; their “circle of trust”. They fill in the rest of the hand-out by listing each person’s characteristics: gender, age, ethnicity, political views, sexuality, social economic class, etc. What patterns do they notice? Are they missing perspectives in their circle? This exercise can also be a good starting point for a conversation about the existence and validity of these categories.

Supports: Exploring of own frame of reference, exploring values and assumptions

“Exit slips”: Students write down how they experienced class climate on post-it notes before they leave the classroom. They can answer a specific question, for example “Did you feel included?”, “How did you contribute to a safe learning climate?” or “What worries you?”. Having students stick the post-its to the door as they leave, makes this way of collecting feedback feel anonymous, and therefore safe. For very large groups, an online tool like Mentimeter can also be used to this end.

Supports: Monitoring class climate

“Personality Tree”: Students are asked to map their identity according to the different parts of a tree. Roots depict beliefs and values, the trunk depicts life structure and pattern, branches are used to describe interests, the leaves depict sources of energy. Flowers are be added to depict strengths, whereas thorns can be added to depict weaknesses and challenges. Students can then either share their tree with other students in the form of a gallery walk, or discuss them in small groups, depending on what they are comfortable with.

“Personality Rose”: In addition, the exercise can be scaled down and simplified using a different metaphor (for example a rose), having students add what they perceive as their strengths (i.e. planning, creativity, punctuality) as the petals and their challenges (i.e. stubbornness, procrastination etc) as the thorns. This activity can be used to start of any group project where students are asked to collaborate on something, and can be used as a starting point for a conversation about how the group is going to collaborate, what rules and agreements they will follow during the project (for example; “Now we know that some of us have the tendency to procrastinate, we will have daily WhatsApp contact to update each other on our work”).

Supports: Induction of identities, exploring own frame of reference, starting point for conversation about ground rules for collaboration

“Tiles”: Students think of a saying, proverb or phrase that summarizes their youth and upbringing, for example, “Actions speak louder than words” or “Keeping up appearances”. After writing down their proverb, they discuss in pairs what they have chosen and why, before they share their proverb with the rest of the group. Doing this exercise may reveal deep rooted beliefs and values, that can then be discussed. Note: the proverb does not have to be in English, as long as the gist of it can be translated.

Supports: Exploring own frame of reference. Good practice from the faculty of Social Science.

“Fifty seconds”: The teacher randomly divides students in pairs, and they get fifty seconds to write down as many things in common as they can (avoiding physical traits). By adding the element of time pressure, students are forced to think outside the box. After the timer goes, new pairs are formed. Another game-element can be added by having the different duos compete: which duo can find most similarities?

Supports: Reducing anonymity

“Buddy system”: Buddy systems are well documented to lead to more inclusive learning environments. Students are paired up, and function as each other’s safety net, first contact, mentor, and guide. The way students are paired up depends on the goal. Second year students can pair up with first-years, or mobile students with Dutch students, or a complete mix. Students report more sense of belonging and a general feeling of inclusion. This is not technically a classroom activity. The existence of such a system, however, can be used in classroom activities, for example asking students to do a certain assignment with their buddy.

Supports: Reducing anonymity. Good practice International Office and Social Science.

“Getting to know you”: Students are divided in subgroups and draw overlapping circles for the equal number of participants in their group on flip-over sheets. They write down what they all have in common in the centre where the circles overlap. Each member then fills in their own circle with something they bring to the group that is unique to them (avoiding physical traits). Students can focus on experience, knowledge, skill or perspective; depending on the context and learning goals for the course. This exercise can be useful to do at the start of any group collaboration.

Supports: Induction of identities, reducing anonymity

“Contract”: Using a tool like Mentimeter, Google doc or a flip-over chart, have students come up with their own ground rules for interaction. The discussion can be guided with questions like: “What do you need from the group to participate in discussions? If we have to collaborate, how will we do that? How are we going to disagree with each other?”. This exercise can be used for project groups to establish ground rules for interaction and collaboration, or for big groups to establish ground rules for discussion during lectures or tutorials. (Examples of such ground rules can be: All statements/questions must be stated respectfully; we address sensitive remarks; we allow room for mistakes and learning, etc.)

Supports: Establish ground rules for interaction, setting up processes to get feedback on class climate.

“Dotmocracy”: This learning activity is a technique for voting and recognizing levels of agreement among a group of people in an open and non-threatening way. Example: a number of statements/strategies to deal with something are placed on flip-over sheets around the room (possibly the result of a group brainstorm in smaller sub-groups). Students receive a number of round stickers that they can stick to the option they prefer. After every student has placed a sticker, the “votes” are counted. This activity can also be used to establish ground rules for interaction, making sure all students are heard, or it can be a shorter exercise half way the course to determine what students still need in order to feel safe and included.

Supports: Establish ground rules for interaction, monitoring learning climate.

“From judgement to question”: This activity can be part of the ground rules, or a separate exercise. Students are asked to rephrase any judging statement as a question. For example, the statement “I don’t think diversity adds value to the learning process”, could be rephrased as “Could you explain why you think diversity adds value to the learning process?”

Supports: Establish ground rules for interaction

“Three-step-interview”: Students work in groups of three, an interviewer, an interviewee and a notetaker. The teacher assigns a topic, for example class climate, and students interview each other about what they want and need from the teacher and the group. After five minutes, roles are switched. When all students have been interviewed, the notes are condensed and become input for a class discussion. This exercise can be repeated halfway the course, to check how students feel about class climate, and what they would like to adjust.

Supports: Establish ground rules for interaction, monitoring learning climate.