Getting students used to Harmonize: Low-Stakes Introductory Video Discussion

Overview

A powerful way to help students get comfortable with Harmonize—while also building community—is to start with an introductory video discussion that connects the course to their real lives. Think of it as a “mini authentic assessment”: they introduce themselves and show how the course matters to them.

Goal

• Give students a low-stakes opportunity to practice:
  • Recording a short video or screen share in Harmonize
  • Watching and responding to classmates’ posts
• Ask them to tie an early course idea to their own experience, so each introduction is unique, relevant, and interesting.

Setup

1. Create a Harmonize discussion assignment, e.g. “Introduce Yourself and Connect to Our Course.”
   • Make it low-stakes (small points or complete/incomplete).
   • Optionally enable milestones:
     • Milestone 1: Post your intro by mid-week.
     • Milestone 2: Reply to at least two classmates by the end of the week.

2. Use an authentic, course-tied prompt in the topic instructions. For example:

   “Record a 1–2 minute introduction using video or a screen share. In your video, please:Tell us your name, major/program, and where you’re joining from.

   • Share one real situation from your life, work, or community where you’ve already seen a connection to this course.
   • Explain in your own words why this course topic matters to you or might matter in your future.

   After you post, watch at least two classmates’ introductions and reply with:

   1. One thing you learned about them, and
   2. One question or follow-up related to the example they shared."
3. You can tailor the “real situation” part to your discipline. For instance:
   • Business / economics: “Describe a decision you or your workplace made where you think economic or business principles were at play.”
   • Health / nursing: “Describe a moment where you saw health, wellness, or patient care play an important role in someone’s life.”
   • STEM: “Describe a time you noticed this subject in the real world—at work, in the news, or in something you use every day.”
   • Humanities / social sciences: “Describe a story, media example, or experience that changed how you think about people, culture, or society.”
4. Encourage students to choose their medium (and consider disallowing text only). They can:
   • Record a quick webcam video,
   • Share their screen to show something about their life or example (photo, news article, project), or
   • Upload an existing short video if it fits.
5. Decide how public you want it to be.
   • Most courses use a class-wide discussion so everyone can see each other’s stories.
   • For very large sections, consider small groups so students introduce themselves in a smaller community.

Because the stakes are low and the topic is personal, students can focus on learning the tools and making a meaningful connection to the course, not just “talking about themselves.”

Benefits

• By the time you assign higher-stakes presentations, students already know:
  • How to create a media-rich post
  • How to watch and respond to others’ presentations
• You start the course with:
  • A stronger sense of community
  • A clear signal that this course connects to their real lives, not just to quizzes and exams.