Online classes are here to stay. Getting your students engaged in an online class setting can be a bit hard, but don’t worry! I have a couple of suggestions for online activities that you can incorporate in your COIL courses for a more interactive experience.

Virtual Show and Tell

This is a really fun one. This easy-to-do activity can be a form of introductory activity for the first day of class. Ask your students to bring in household items or any item near them, and to tell the class about how these items relate to their culture or just them in general. 

This is a great way to learn about the diverse cultures in your classroom, and to get your students more engaged with each other despite the cultural differences.

Autobiographical Writing

Write a short biography of yourself, and share it with your students. Make it about a paragraph or two long, and include one of your favourite things to do in your free time. Encourage your students to do the same.

After they have written their piece, group the class into small groups and ask them to talk about what they have written. After the discussion, they have to pick a representative to talk about the similarities they have and what they have learned about each other. 

Not only will your students get to know each other, but they will also know the different customs and practices of their international classmates. Talk about hitting two birds with one stone!

Virtual Debates

Debating is a great way to enrich your classes with the variety of different perspectives and opinions of your students. For this activity, present a current worldwide issue to them and then split the class into two groups; the “affirmative” group, and the “negative” group. Students can choose which group they want to be in.

Separate the group into different breakout rooms where they can discuss their thoughts about the topic for a couple of minutes. Then, each group should pick a representative to present their collated opinions to everyone. This activity would encourage a healthy discussion between your students. It will also give you an insight on the differences of opinions between cultures.

Looking for ways to spice things up inside your virtual classroom? Add these activities to your curriculum now in ImmerseU!