Introduction, warm-up and ice-breaker activities

Introduction, warm-up and ice-breaker activities are individual, pair or group activities that perform a number of diverse functions, typically at the beginning of a lesson. These functions include developing or sustaining a cohort experience for students, promoting a collective, constructivist and collaborative learning environment or priming/provoking students when a new topic is being introduced (such as personal experience, prior knowledge).

Activities may include introductions, role-play, peer-to-peer interviews, quick presentations of an image or object. These activities are well-suited to a teaching space designed around ‘pods’ or small tables for on-campus students (aka ‘roomies’) and and can be considered for remote students in breakout rooms in Zoom (aka ‘zoomies’).

How to implement

Step 1: Determine the timing of the activity

Your activity may require some preparation prior to the class time. This may include providing the brief or spark for the activity beforehand via the LMS and allowing students to prepare. However, if spontaneity and surprise are integral to a warm-up activity, then encourage students to arrive at class on time.

Although these activity types would typically take place at the start of a lesson to prime, provoke and personalise, a warm-up activity might effectively break-up a lengthy class with some physical movement and imaginative play.

Be prepared to tightly regulate the timing, or alternatively be ready to adapt the session if there is a benefit in letting the activity run over time.

Step 2: Prepare and introduce the activity prior to the teaching session

In order to prepare students to engage in the activity, provide a brief for the activity in the LMS so that students are aware of what is required before the session. This is particularly important if the activity is in Week 1.

This brief can contain clear instructions on what is expected, the steps needed to complete the activity, and a statement explaining the learning purpose (such as aligned to outcomes or authentic and inspiring). If relevant to your teaching situation, you may wish to provide instructions for both campus and remote students which include any online tools to be used.

Wherever possible, provide students with options on how they engage. Prepare ahead with the expectation that some students may have visual impairments, hearing impairments, or need to communicate with written text rather than orally. Providing students with the option to express themselves orally or in text, for example, can signal to your students that you care about their access needs.

Consider introducing the activity by modelling it yourself. This allows you to demonstrate the format or standards you expect students to aspire to. However, it is worth being conscious of not intimidating the students by being ‘a hard act to follow’. Self-deprecating humour can be a terrific ice-breaker and help establish the tone and mood for your classes.

Step 3: Manage time during the session

Regulate the time so that all students have the opportunity to participate, and to fit in with the rest of your planned teaching and learning activities.

Check in with pairs and groups as they engage in the activity, if appropriate, and be available for questions.

Step 4: Facilitate feedback

Icebreaker activities provide a great opportunity for self-feedback and reflection.

Feedback rewards students for participating and encourages them to think further on a topic or problem. It may also prompt reflection at the end of the class or the following week. This could be facilitated by asking students how their position on a topic or their proposed solution to a problem has changed (or strengthened) at the end of a class.

Suggested introduction, warm-up and icebreaker activities