Learn at a Distance

Affinity Mapping: A synchronous or asynchronous brainstorming activity where students categorize ideas, concepts, or responses into clusters based on common themes. This activity helps organize complex information and identify patterns in data or student insights.

Annotated Readings: An asynchronous activity where students highlight and comment on key points within articles or excerpts to demonstrate understanding and analysis.

Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) Sessions: A synchronous, live event where students can ask the instructor or guest speakers open-ended questions on course-related topics in an informal, interactive format.

Asynchronous Discussion Videos: An activity where students record and post short video responses to prompts, allowing for more personal and dynamic discussions compared to text-based forums.

Breakout Room Discussions: A synchronous activity where students are divided into smaller groups during live sessions to collaborate on prompts, solve problems, or share insights before returning to the main session.

Case Studies: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students analyze real-world scenarios and propose solutions based on course concepts. This encourages critical thinking and application of knowledge.

Case-Based Peer Teaching: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where groups of students are assigned specific case studies and asked to present the findings and lessons to their peers, often using multimedia tools. This approach reinforces content mastery and enhances presentation and communication skills.

Classroom Polling: A synchronous activity where instructors use polling tools (e.g., Zoom polls) during live sessions to gather instant feedback, gauge comprehension, or spark discussion.

Collaborative Group Projects: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students work together using online tools (e.g., Google Docs or Microsoft Teams) to create a final project, fostering teamwork and communication skills.

Collaborative Mind Mapping: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students work together in real-time or asynchronously to create visual mind maps that capture key ideas and connections from course discussions or readings.

Collaborative Problem-Solving: A synchronous or asynchronous task where students work in groups to solve a complex, open-ended problem. This activity enhances critical thinking, teamwork, and the ability to synthesize diverse perspectives.

Concept Debate: A variation of traditional debates, where instead of taking sides on a policy or social issue, students argue for the importance or validity of specific theories, frameworks, or methodologies. This fosters analytical thinking and an understanding of disciplinary perspectives.

Concept Mapping: An asynchronous or synchronous task where students create visual representations of the relationships between key concepts to deepen their understanding of complex topics.

Consensus-Building Task: A synchronous or asynchronous group activity where students work through differing opinions and perspectives to reach a collective decision or statement. This task builds negotiation, collaboration, and active listening skills.

Conver-Stations: A synchronous or asynchronous variation of small group discussions where groups engage in a brief conversation on a specific question or topic and then rotate to a new “station” (discussion thread or breakout room) to add insights from the previous group. This approach fosters idea-sharing and community-building.

Critical Incident Reflection: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students reflect on and analyze a significant event or challenge from their own experiences, connecting it to course concepts. This fosters deeper learning through personal connection and real-world application.

Debates: A synchronous or asynchronous structured activity where students take opposing positions on a course-related issue, present arguments, and respond to counterarguments. Debates develop critical thinking, public speaking, and the ability to construct evidence-based arguments.

Digital Poster Sessions: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students create digital “posters” or presentations summarizing their research or findings and present them to their peers for feedback.

Discussion Forums: An asynchronous space for students to share insights, respond to prompts, and engage with peers through thoughtful dialogue.

Fishbowl Discussion: A synchronous activity where a small group of students engages in a live discussion or problem-solving session while the rest of the class observes. The “observers” later reflect or provide feedback, and roles can be rotated to ensure participation. This approach fosters active listening, critical analysis, and thoughtful contributions.

Gallery Walk (Virtual): An asynchronous activity where students post work (e.g., presentations, infographics, or posters) in a shared space, such as a discussion forum or collaborative board. Peers “walk” through the gallery by viewing and commenting on each entry, promoting peer feedback and collaborative reflection.

Gamified Learning Modules: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students complete interactive, game-like challenges (e.g., leaderboards, rewards, or progress tracking) to stay motivated and engaged.

Infographic Creation: An asynchronous assignment where students design visual representations of key ideas or data from the course, helping them synthesize information creatively.

Infographic Feedback Exchange: An asynchronous or synchronous task where students share their infographics with peers and provide structured feedback on design, clarity, and content.

Interactive Case Walkthroughs: A synchronous activity where the instructor guides students step-by-step through a real-world or hypothetical scenario, prompting discussion and analysis at key decision points.

Interactive Quizzes: An asynchronous activity where students answer questions and receive instant feedback to reinforce key concepts and self-assess their progress.

Interactive Whiteboard Sessions: A synchronous activity where students and instructors collaborate using online whiteboards to brainstorm, solve problems, or map out ideas visually.

Jigsaw Activity: An asynchronous or synchronous collaborative learning strategy where students are divided into “expert groups” to master a specific piece of content. Afterward, they return to their “home groups” to teach their peers what they’ve learned, ensuring comprehensive understanding through peer teaching and cooperation.

Journaling: An asynchronous activity where students document their learning experiences and personal reflections in a private or shared format.

Live Demonstrations: A synchronous activity where instructors perform demonstrations in real-time, allowing students to observe, ask questions, and follow along.

Live Q&A Sessions: A synchronous activity where students can ask questions and receive real-time answers from the instructor to clarify concepts and address concerns.

Mini-Presentations: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students create and share short presentations or explainer videos on course-related topics.

Peer Reviews: An asynchronous or synchronous task where students provide constructive feedback on their peers’ work, promoting critical evaluation and collaborative learning.

Polls and Surveys: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students respond to live or pre-recorded questions, providing input and fostering interactive discussions.

Portfolio Submissions: An asynchronous activity where students compile a collection of their work throughout the course to demonstrate progress and reflect on their learning.

Problem-Solving Challenges: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students apply course content to develop creative solutions to real-world or hypothetical problems.

Reading Circles: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where small groups of students are assigned different readings to analyze and then come together to discuss their findings collaboratively.

Recorded Demonstrations: An asynchronous learning activity where instructors share pre-recorded tutorials or demonstrations to guide students through processes, workflows, or complex concepts.

Reflective Learning Logs: An asynchronous activity where students maintain a regular log of what they’ve learned, including reflections on challenges, accomplishments, and connections to course goals.

Research Show-and-Tell: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students share a key takeaway or artifact from their independent research (such as a relevant article, dataset, or infographic) with the class, explaining its significance and how it relates to the course material.

Role Reversal Activity: An asynchronous or synchronous task where students take on the instructor’s role by designing a quiz, discussion question, or mini-lesson. This fosters deeper content engagement and metacognition as students think about how to teach or assess their peers.

Role-Playing Scenarios: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students adopt assigned roles in hypothetical situations to practice empathy, decision-making, and problem-solving.

Round Robin Sharing: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students take turns contributing an idea, solution, or perspective on a topic, either live in class or in a discussion thread. This method ensures that everyone has a chance to participate and helps generate diverse viewpoints.

Scenario-Based Role Assignments: An asynchronous task where students are assigned roles (e.g., stakeholders in a case study) and respond in character to prompts, encouraging analytical thinking and perspective-taking.

Self-Assessments: An asynchronous activity where students complete reflection prompts or checklists to evaluate their understanding and identify areas for improvement.

Social Annotation: An asynchronous activity where students collaboratively annotate digital texts using tools like Hypothes.is, leaving comments, questions, and insights that foster a shared understanding of the material.

Socratic Seminar: A synchronous or asynchronous discussion format where students respond to open-ended questions using textual evidence to support their arguments. The instructor acts as a facilitator, encouraging deeper inquiry and discussion rather than providing direct answers. This method enhances critical thinking and analytical discussion skills.

Structured Controversy: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students are assigned to small groups and given opposing viewpoints on a controversial issue. After arguing their initial position, they switch perspectives to argue the opposing side, fostering empathy, critical analysis, and the ability to understand multiple viewpoints.

Study Group Check-Ins: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students form small study groups to check in on their progress, share notes, and collaborate on challenging assignments.

Synchronous Debates: A live activity where students present arguments on a course-related topic, fostering real-time discussion and critical thinking.

Think-Aloud Protocols: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students verbalize their thought processes as they work through a problem, explaining their reasoning step-by-step. This can be recorded as a video or performed live and helps develop metacognitive awareness and problem-solving skills.

Think-Pair-Share Online: A synchronous or asynchronous adaptation of the classic classroom technique where students first reflect individually, then discuss in pairs or small groups, and finally share insights with the larger class.

Video Reflections: An asynchronous task where students watch a video and submit a reflection connecting its content to learning objectives and personal insights.

Virtual Field Trips: A synchronous or asynchronous activity where students are guided through virtual tours of relevant sites (e.g., museums, data centers, historical landmarks) to enrich course content.

Virtual Panel Discussions: A synchronous activity where multiple participants, such as guest speakers or student groups, present different perspectives on a topic, followed by an interactive Q&A session.

Virtual Simulations: An asynchronous or synchronous activity where students engage in simulated environments to practice skills or explore concepts in a risk-free setting.

Whip-Around: A quick synchronous activity where each student shares a brief response to a prompt in rapid succession. This is often used as a warm-up or wrap-up activity to generate diverse insights and ensure everyone contributes.

Wiki or Collaborative Glossary Building: An asynchronous activity where students co-create a resource, such as a shared glossary or wiki page, to reinforce key course concepts and terms.