Course Introductions: Forums, VoiceThread, Padlet

Course introductions provide instructors with the first opportunity to connect with their students on a personal level. Traditional methods often fell short in fostering meaningful interaction, creativity, or capturing students’ personalities.

Course introductions are more than just an administrative step; they are a critical part of the learning journey. These initial interactions help to create a welcoming environment, build trust, and foster a sense of belonging among students. When thoughtfully designed, course introductions can spark curiosity, encourage collaboration, and lay the groundwork for a vibrant learning community. With the right approach, they can also provide valuable insight into students’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expectations, allowing instructors to tailor their teaching strategies for maximum impact. Today, a variety of instructional tools are available that promote stronger engagement and connection with students. In this article, we will explore tools such as VoiceThread, Padlet, and forums, along with practical strategies for transforming course introductions into an engaging and impactful experience.

What are Course Introductions?

Course introductions are a best practice primarily in online courses, but they are increasingly being used in all types of courses as a way for instructors to get to know their students and for students to get to know the instructor. Traditionally, these introductions are done through a discussion board or a “get to know you” board within the learning management system, where students are asked to share their names, some personal details, and their motivation for joining the class. However, these posts often result in generic responses that provide only a surface-level glimpse into who the students are.

Our goal is to make these introductions more meaningful, offering a fuller picture of each student rather than passive posts that are quickly forgotten. Introductions should go beyond a few sentences and instead reflect the unique life experiences, skills, and interests each student brings to the classroom. All of these aspects should be recognized and shared in any educational setting.

So how do we create meaningful opportunities for authentic interaction? First, we must design prompts that encourage students to share relevant and engaging information. Then, we can leverage the technology at our disposal to create dynamic ways for students to connect. Finally, we must ensure that these introductions serve as a reference point for ongoing communication and connection, encouraging students to revisit them throughout the course, not just in the first week.

Strategies For Success

  • Craft Thoughtful, Open-Ended Prompts
    Design prompts that require more than basic facts, encouraging students to reflect on their experiences, goals, or perspectives. Questions like, “What motivates you in this course?” or “How do your personal experiences shape your approach to learning?” allow students to share something meaningful about themselves.
  • Incorporate Multimedia Options
    Allow students to share introductions using multimedia formats such as video, audio, or images. This enables them to express their personalities and interests in ways that go beyond text, making introductions feel more personal and authentic.
  • Encourage Peer Interaction
    Create prompts that ask students to respond to each other’s introductions, focusing on shared experiences or insights. This helps build connections early on and fosters a sense of community within the course.
  • Relate to Course Content
    Link the introduction activity to the subject matter of the course. For example, you might ask students to share how their background relates to the course content or to discuss what they hope to gain from the class. This helps students see the relevance of their contributions from the start.
  • Model the Interaction
    As the instructor, share your own detailed introduction to set an example. Include personal insights and encourage students to ask you questions. This can set a welcoming tone and demonstrate the level of engagement you expect.
  • Use Introductions as a Living Document
    Encourage students to update or revisit their introductions as the course progresses. This could be through reflection prompts later in the semester or by incorporating introductions into group work or discussions. Making them a reference point helps create ongoing connections.
  • Create Low-Stakes, Fun Elements
    Incorporating a light, fun element such as asking students to share a surprising fact, a favorite hobby, or a dream project can make the introduction activity more approachable and enjoyable, helping students relax and open up.

Digital Tools For Successful Course Introductions

Moodle Forum

Moodle forums are an excellent starting point for course introductions, providing a platform for instructors and students to connect and get to know one another. However, we want to ensure that introducing a course forum doesn’t become a one-time event where students post their introductions and never return. Instead, we should explore creative ways to encourage active participation, allowing students to engage with each other throughout the course.

Moodle forums are a feature within Moodle that enables both instructors and students to post threads and engage in discussions. While they are primarily designed for discussion board questions and responses, they can also serve as a valuable space for students to introduce themselves and build connections with their classmates.

Advantages of Forums

  • Foster community-building and engagement among students.
  • Allow for asynchronous participation, giving students time to reflect on their responses.
  • Enable instructors to monitor and guide discussions.
  • Embedded directly into Moodle for easy access and prolonged engagement.

Limitations of Forums

  • This may lead to surface-level interactions if not facilitated effectively.
  • The asynchronous nature can sometimes delay responses, making it harder to build real-time connections.
  • Collaboration between students may need to be encouraged and managed to ensure authentic interactions. 

Tips for using Forums for Course Introductions

Personalized Prompts
Create unique prompts that encourage students to share meaningful aspects of their lives. These can include but are not limited to, passions, favorite activities, career goals, or experiences that shaped who they are today. This approach takes introductions beyond the generic and makes responses more personal and dynamic, reflecting the individuality of each student.

Structured Follow-Ups
Schedule follow-up activities throughout the course that reference the initial introductions. Course introductions are often highly active at the beginning but rarely revisited. Prevent this by asking students to reflect on their introductions or on the connections they’ve made with their peers, turning the forum into a living document rather than a static conversation.

Highlight Common Interests
After students post their introductions, facilitate discussions around common interests or shared experiences. Encourage students to explore how their backgrounds and experiences can contribute to the course and support their peers. This approach fosters a dynamic learning community where students feel valued and see themselves as integral members of the class.

Threaded Conversations with Follow-Up Prompts
Moodle forums allow threaded replies, so follow up the initial introduction prompt with a secondary task a week or two into the course. For instance, ask students to revisit one classmate’s introduction and share how they’ve seen a connection between that person’s goals or experiences and class discussions.

Moodle Forum Resources

VoiceThread

VoiceThread is becoming a popular platform for course introductions, effectively bridging the gap between in-person and online learning. With VoiceThread, instructors can introduce themselves through video and audio, bringing introductions and conversations to life. It offers a unique way to foster authentic introductions in both online and face-to-face courses.

VoiceThread allows for the creation of multimedia slides, which can include video, audio, or text. Both students and instructors can leave comments on these slides using video, audio, or text, enabling dynamic and interactive communication. This makes VoiceThread a powerful tool for enhancing course introductions, allowing students to not only introduce themselves but also to get to know their classmates on a more personal level.

Advantages of VoiceThread

  • Creates a more engaging, multimedia-rich environment for introductions.
  • Supports multiple modes of communication (video, audio, text), accommodating different student preferences.
  • Encourages more authentic, personalized interactions compared to traditional text-based introductions.

Limitations of VoiceThread

  • Some students may feel uncomfortable recording video or audio introductions. Requiring this type of interaction could cause anxiety or stress for different types of preferences. 
  • Requires some general familiarity with the platform.
  • May take more time to set up and manage than traditional discussion boards.

Tips for using VoiceThread for Course Introductions

Storytelling Introductions
Encourage students to share a story from their life that shaped who they are, using VoiceThread’s video or audio features. Storytelling is a natural way for students to connect on a deeper level, and having them speak or show their faces adds a layer of authenticity that text alone can’t capture.

Encourage Audio and Video Responses
With VoiceThread, students can respond using audio or video, allowing for richer, more personal communication compared to text alone. Encourage students to choose whichever mode of response they’re comfortable with, promoting a diversity of communication styles.

Integrate Slide-Based Introductions
VoiceThread allows students to create a series of multimedia slides. Have them design an “introduction slide deck” where they can introduce themselves through a combination of text, images, and even voice annotations. This gives a dynamic and layered approach to self-introductions.

Leverage Commenting Features for Conversations
Unlike static forums, VoiceThread allows threaded commenting through different media. Encourage students to respond to each other’s introductions using the video or audio commenting feature. This can turn what might have been a simple introduction into a conversation, bridging the gap between online and in-person interactions.

Visual and Verbal Engagement
Because VoiceThread supports both visual and verbal engagement, consider asking students to share something meaningful visually—like a photo that represents a key life experience—and explain its significance through audio or video. This approach uses the multimedia capabilities of the platform in a purposeful way.

VoiceThread Resources

Padlet

Padlet offers a unique way to create personalized and creative course introductions. Like other digital tools, Padlet allows students to showcase their personality, creativity, and individuality, helping foster more authentic connections from the start. It serves as a conversation board in addition to a flexible whiteboard-like feature, referred to as a “sandbox,” where students can post content freely.

Padlet is a flexible, online collaborative tool that allows students to post multimedia content, including text, images, videos, and links, on a shared digital board. It can be used to create interactive spaces where students introduce themselves, share ideas, and collaborate with one another. Padlet’s flexibility allows instructors to create structured or open-ended spaces for students to introduce themselves and engage with one another. This versatility makes it easy to use Padlet in various ways to suit the needs of your course.

Advantages of Padlet

  • Allows students to create multimedia-rich introductions, incorporating text, images, videos, and links.
  • Offers customizable layouts that help structure introductions in a way that promotes interaction and engagement.
  • Provides a visually dynamic platform that encourages more authentic and personalized student contributions.
  • Facilitates interactive discussions by allowing students to comment directly on each other’s posts, fostering community and connection.

Limitations of Padlet

  • Requires students to navigate outside of Moodle, which can interrupt the flow of the course within the LMS.
  • The wide range of multimedia and layout options can overwhelm some students, particularly those less familiar with technology.
  • Free access is limited, so extensive use may require a paid subscription depending on your needs.

Tips for using Padlet for Course Introductions

Custom Categories and Layouts
Use Padlet’s flexible layout options like columns, grids, or timelines to create organized sections for different aspects of student introductions. For instance, set up columns for students to post about their academic background, hobbies, and one unique fact about themselves. This structure provides a clear way for students to interact while allowing you to organize and customize how content is shared.

Pinning and Highlighting Posts
Take advantage of Padlet’s ability to pin or highlight certain student posts. You can showcase particularly creative or insightful introductions, providing recognition and encouraging others to engage more thoughtfully. This feature can help spotlight common interests or serve as an icebreaker for class discussions.

Interactive Visual Boards
Encourage students to create visually appealing introductions by adding images, gifs, or drawing directly on the Padlet board. This creates a shared space that feels like a collaborative canvas rather than a traditional text-only introduction. Students can map out their experiences or even create vision boards for their future aspirations.

Collaborative Introductions
With Padlet, you can have students build off each other’s introductions in a collaborative way. For example, ask students to leave sticky notes on their peers’ posts, adding a word or image that represents something they have in common. This visual, interactive exchange helps break the ice and form stronger class connections.

Padlet Resources

Additional Resources

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