From Uncertainty To Engagement: A First Day Blended Bingo and Speed Dating Icebreaker

Abstract: We introduce a blended human bingo and “speed dating” icebreaker designed to establish early conditions for participation, help seeking, and inclusive peer interaction across undergraduate business subjects. The activity employs brief, low-risk disclosures to normalise student voice and reduce interpersonal threat, thereby cultivating psychological safety. Structured prompts elicit learning preferences and motivations, framing difference as a collaborative resource consistent with inclusive pedagogy. Rapid, repeated interactions expand social ties and address belongingness needs that underpin engagement. Two design features are central: a 5-8 minute debrief that explicitly names psychological safety, listening, and asset framing, and calibrated bingo items that progress from early successes to deeper search. The session alternates movement and brief reflection to consolidate insight into cohort composition and potential complementarities. Implemented across several subjects, including a foundational Bachelor of Commerce course, the activity builds relational infrastructure that increases willingness to speak and seek help and establishes shared norms that diverse perspectives are expected and valued.

Keywords: psychological safety; belongingness; inclusive pedagogy