In this teaching method, students indicate their opinion or preference non-verbally by literally taking a position relative to each other in the virtual or physical space.
Suited for an endless number of topics; from getting an idea of how your students are feeling (tired, energetic) to finding out which philosopher they feel most connected to!
- Activity goal
- Activate prior knowledge | Exchange knowledge | Recap / Summarize | Reflect
- When
- In class
- Where
- Offline | Online
- Duration
- < 10 minutes| < 30 minutes
- Group size
- Small | Medium
- Materials
Mentimeter, Kahoot, Miro, Zoom
Step-by-step
Step 1
Consider which questions you want to ask the students. You can find examples in the Variations, tips & tricks section below.
Step 2
Produce a slide with the layout of the (virtual) space (eg a line with left ‘for’ and right ‘against’).
Step 3
Explain the different positions in the (virtual) space the students can choose from.
Step 4
Ask your question and give students time to consider where they want to stand.
Step 5
After your starting signal, they move to the place they had decided on.
Step 6
Afterwards, hold a discussion on the choices they made.
Variation 1
The line
- have students respond by standing on a line that has a scale of 1 to 10 (to measure their level of prior knowledge, opinion about a statement)
- have students respond by standing on a line that has variable scales for such things as age, length, travel time, average alcohol consumption per week, how tired-energetic they are, etc.
Variation 2
Divide the space into corners or sides for choices A, B, C, D, True/False, Agree/Disagree, etc. An example: You want to know the philosopher with which your students feel the most connection. Divide the virtual or physical space into 4 sections, with each section designating a philosopher and have the students choose.
Variation 3
Icebreaker: with which cartoon figure/activity/pronouncement do you identify the most? Sweet or savoury? Outdoors/indoors? Etc.
Variation 4
Other shapes can be used with comparable applications including: grid, circle, matrix. Or online using a map with the question, where were you born? Or, where do you want to go on holiday?
Offline
Use masking tape to make a line or another partition on the floor.
Online
This activity can be used online with e.g. Mentimeter, Kahoot, Miro or use the 'stamp' tool via de Annotate function in Zoom.
Consider the tools and materials mentioned here as suggestions. In many cases it’s possible to use alternative tools. Please turn to the Learning & Innovation team of your faculty first to see which online and offline tools are available and how to apply them.
