Study Strategies & Engagement Tools
Study Groups
Learning is better together! During the course kick-off, please ensure students form study groups of 3–4 people. These groups are a core part of the learning experience at ReDI.
We encourage forming groups early to support collaboration and, when relevant, align final project teams or provide a support system if the teaching team opts for individual final projects.
Students should use their study groups outside of class for:
Homework and additional exercises
Practice
Mini and final projects
Study groups also foster peer learning and act as the first point of contact when students are stuck.
Encourage students to meet regularly outside of class and to use the weekend Zoom links to collaborate.
Note: Breakout rooms during class should not be based on study groups. Mixing students encourages broader interaction and keeps coordination simple.
By promoting study groups, you help students build essential teamwork skills for their future careers.
This does not apply to Circles courses. Bootcamps follow an individual project structure supported by coaching sessions.
Platform Tools
We provide additional tools that you can use to engage students more in your sessions! At ReDI, we like to use the following tools and icebreakers:
Mentimeter (Interactive Polls)
Create live polls, word clouds, and Q&A
Perfect for:
Icebreakers: Ask students about their expectations or background knowledge.
Quick polls: Check understanding of a topic in real-time.
Exit tickets: Gather feedback at the end of a session.
Login credentials in teachers' Slack channel
Kahoot (Learning Games)
Quiz-based learning with competitive elements
Perfect for Revision & Recaps - You create a quiz, and students participate live in class via browser or cell phone.
Login credentials in teachers' Slack channel
Icebreaker Ideas
You can use quick icebreakers at the start of your sessions to energize participants, build connections, and create an engaging and interactive learning environment. Here is a list of icebreakers. They shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to run.
1. Two Truths and a Lie
Description: Participants share three statements about themselves—two true and one false. The group has to guess which one is the lie.
How to Run: Use breakout rooms for smaller groups or let everyone participate in the main room.
Objective: Participants get to know each other in a fun way.
2. Virtual Scavenger Hunt
Description: Give participants a list of items to find in their home within 1-2 minutes (e.g., something red, something that makes noise).
How to Run: Ask them to bring the items back to the camera and share a quick story about one of them.
Objective: The activity is an energizer.
3. Emoji Reactions
Description: Pose a question or statement (e.g., "How are you feeling about today’s session?") and ask participants to respond using emojis only.
How to Run: Use the chat in Zoom.
Objective: It is an easy way for participants to share how they are doing.
More Resources
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