Spark Ideas for E-tivities

Stage 1
At stage 1 offer easy e-tivities that are quickly achieved whilst giving practice in the
use of the technology. Expect to offer one-to-one help and acknowledgement to
ensure positive attitudes towards the start of the experience.
Icebreakers :Each of these will take around 2-3 weeks online. They are easy to set
up and run and will enable your students to get to know each other, to contribute
rather than ‘lurk’ and to become more familiar with the platform in use in a fairly safe
and fun way. Students can be encouraged to find others with similar interests to share
ideas with online, as well as to find learning partners who have different kinds of
ideas and support to offer. With sharing and support, more serious topics and
discussions go well.
Quiz: Ask each student to put up a maximum of one-screenful, which reveals a little
about themselves. Offer them a possible structure, such as the choice of 3 or 4 from,
for instance, job, home location, personal interests, family, what they hope to get out
of the course, what they hope to put in, something they‘re good at and something they
need to get better at. If they know their prefered When every student has contributed,
set up a little quiz, based on the group, with a prize, e.g. Who has twin girls? Who has
a spaniel dog? Who lives in XXX area? Who works in company Y as a product
manager? Publicise the quiz and offer a prize (piece of software?) for the most
accurate response or the fastest, or both.
Images: Ask each student to post a url into the conference that tells the group
something about themselves. Put one up about yourself. Triggers might be a hobby, a
personal web site, an organisational or corporate web site, a picture of a favourite
beach, a favourite rock band, a favourite country, a favourite book, and so on. Ask
each person to post a message saying why they have chosen to share their particular
url with other students. Run this e-tivity for a week or so only, and then archive it.
My brand: Ask each student to mention a brand of something that they always use
and what it says about them. Start a discussion on these brands.
Hall of Mirrors: Explain how Web sites of organisations often present a more up-todate
image of them, compared to their annual reports, brochures or other print based
publications. Post five Web sites and call it "The Hall of Mirrors". Ask students to
take a wander round them and post a message saying:
(i) What are the similarities between the Web sites?
(ii) Which one would encourage them to buy online and why?
(iii) Which one would put them off buying the product or service and why?
(iv) Which one made them feel confident and which one made them feel nervous?