What are waterfall chat activities?

Waterfall chats are an opportunity to engage students during Zoom lectures or sections. Sometimes called a “chat waterfall,” it is a universal response strategy that allows instructors to ask an informal questions that can be used to generate idea, assess student understanding, and share the knowledge and expertise of the group. Students can see each other’s answers, gain deeper understanding of the material, and share their ideas.

How can you use waterfall chat activities in your course?

A waterfall chat begins with the instructor asking a question and asking everyone to type out their response in the chat, but to not hit submit until they are given the signal. After students have had enough time to right out their answers, the instructor leads the class in hitting submit at the same time (“on the count of 3.”) This creates a waterfall effect in the chat where everyone’s responses come in at the same time. Then students and instructors take time to read the responses. This can then lead into a discussion about the responses.

What results can you expect from incorporating waterfall chat activities into your course?

By pausing during a course and asking students to respond to a question, it can help students reflect on what they have learned and put the materials into their own words. It also provides an opportunity to clarify complex ideas and to check for understanding. Even in large courses where it may not be possible to read every student’s response, instructors will still be able to have a general feel for how students are understanding the materials, if there needs to be clarification, or what questions students have.

Who can help if you’re interested in incorporating waterfall chat activities into your course?

If you would like to explore how you could use this in your course, please reach out to the Center for Teaching for assistance and guidance on how best to implement these activities.