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Quiz and switch

Short description

Students move around the room with a question printed on a card. They ask each other their questions and then swap cards. 

              

Objective

THE OBJECTIVE

ACTIVATE STUDENTS
  • The activity creates space for movement and an opportunity for students to talk to each other. It can loosen things up a bit and activate students in a different way to what they’re used to.  

ICEBREAKER
  • Use the activity as a social icebreaker by asking non-academic questions. This is particularly useful at the beginning of the semester and in electives where students of different academic backgrounds are combined. 

EXAM PREPARATION
  • Use the activity as a way for students to prepare for exams by asking academic questions. 

DISCOVER KNOWLEDGE GAPS
  • The activity can start with today's topic and texts and be used for students to discover gaps in their understanding if there are questions they cannot answer.

Execution

PREPARATIONS

TEACHER'S PREPARATION

 Prepare questions that can be handed out to the students. It can either be academic questions to discover gaps in the students' knowledge, repetition or to test students' pre-understanding, or in the form of personal questions if the activity is to be used as an icebreaker activity. Find inspiration for icebreaker questions in the handout (in Danish).

IN CLASS

IN PLENUM

(15min)

  1. All students are given a question. 

  1. Students move around the room and find a partner. 

  1. One student reads out their question and the other student answers it. 

  1. The students swap roles.  

  1. When both students have asked and answered the questions, they exchange cards and move on among their fellow students until they find someone else who is free.  

IN PLENUM

(10min)
  • Ask the students whether there were any questions that were particularly difficult to answer. Let other students answer the question in plenum or answer the question yourself. 

Considerations

CONSIDER

LET STUDENTS ASK THEIR OWN QUESTIONS
  • Ask the students to prepare a question about something they are particularly unsure about before the lesson, e.g. about a text or topic in the course.  Consider whether the students should still swap questions, or if they should keep their own questions throughout the exercise, so that they can get several answers from their peers. 

Options to vary the activity

OPTIONS TO VARY THE ACTIVITY

ONLINE
  • The activity can be carried out on Zoom. Create a list of numbered questions and share it with the students. Start by giving each student a question. Create breakout rooms equal to half the number of students. The students must be able to choose their own rooms.
  • The students enter a room with 0-1 participants. When a fellow student shows up, they ask each other the questions and swap numbers. Make sure the students have access to the entire list of questions, so they can refer back to it when they swap with other students.
  • Students choose a new room with 0-1 participants.
  • When time is up, close the break out rooms and gather the students in the main room.

STUDENTS PREPARE QUESTIONS
  • Ask students to prepare a question for today's class, such as something they are particularly curious about or something they didn't understand from today's topic or texts. That way, the activity is based on what the students find relevant to inquire about.

Overview

Time frame 30 minutes
When will the activity take place? In class
Format Pair
Teaching format Classroom instruction
Type of activity Information and knowledge, Communication and discussion
How Presence, Online

Contact

Revised 16.04.2026
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Nina Bang Morgensol