Polls are a great way to get some engagement during your online teaching session. But don’t just cobble together some random questions. Think about what you are trying to achieve.
Benefits:
Active learning
Engagement with content
A thread
1/12
Benefits:
Active learning
Engagement with content
A thread
1/12
Students who interactively participate in class learn the material better, retain concepts. and apply them more effectively than students who don’t (see refs at the end).
Take the time to consider when, why, and how you are using polls.
2/12
Take the time to consider when, why, and how you are using polls.
2/12
Timing: before the session - assess expectations + check baseline.
'Plenty-of-time teaching' allows open-ended and multiple-choice questions that engage learners before the session
Do this a few hours (or more) before the session and you can adapt the content accordingly
3/12
'Plenty-of-time teaching' allows open-ended and multiple-choice questions that engage learners before the session
Do this a few hours (or more) before the session and you can adapt the content accordingly
3/12
Timing: at the start of the session.
As an icebreaker.
This can be an easy way for students to warm up and encourages engagement for the rest of the class.
4/12
As an icebreaker.
This can be an easy way for students to warm up and encourages engagement for the rest of the class.
4/12
Timing: mid-session.
Allow learners to answer questions anonymously leading to further discussion of things they might be nervous to ask in the lesson.
Allows creative thinking - e.g. running a Choose Your Own Adventure with polls (h/t @danihalltweets)
5/12
Allow learners to answer questions anonymously leading to further discussion of things they might be nervous to ask in the lesson.
Allows creative thinking - e.g. running a Choose Your Own Adventure with polls (h/t @danihalltweets)
5/12
Timing: end of session.
Assesses learning
Checks understanding
This can help you flag if things weren’t explained as well as you hoped and can provide extra clarification.
Or it can allow you to send them links for follow-up reading.
6/12
Assesses learning
Checks understanding
This can help you flag if things weren’t explained as well as you hoped and can provide extra clarification.
Or it can allow you to send them links for follow-up reading.
6/12
Think about how you feedback poll results.
You can provide instant feedback – this shows students how they compare to others.
Or you can withhold and reveal later – this creates anticipation.
7/12
You can provide instant feedback – this shows students how they compare to others.
Or you can withhold and reveal later – this creates anticipation.
7/12
Wording. Keep them short – don't make it daunting for learners.
Think about difficulty of the questions...
You can have one obvious answer – this checks learning.
You can have multiple open answers – this would be more of a conversation starter.
8/12
Think about difficulty of the questions...
You can have one obvious answer – this checks learning.
You can have multiple open answers – this would be more of a conversation starter.
8/12
Challenges 1:
Time. Don’t just chuck them in there, think about all the above.
Take the time to come up with effective questions that align with learning outcomes.
Tech: make sure you know how the poll software you are using works.
9/12
Time. Don’t just chuck them in there, think about all the above.
Take the time to come up with effective questions that align with learning outcomes.
Tech: make sure you know how the poll software you are using works.
9/12
Challenges 2:
Flexibility: if you use polls you have to be prepared to adapt your content accordingly.
Devices: know that learners may be using mobiles which makes typing long responses difficult.
10/12
Flexibility: if you use polls you have to be prepared to adapt your content accordingly.
Devices: know that learners may be using mobiles which makes typing long responses difficult.
10/12
All in all polls are a great resource. Make sure you carefully consider how, why, and when to use them.
Some polling softwares that you might like:
Slido
Mentimeter
Poll Everywhere
And remember that Zoom and Teams have their own polling systems.
11/12
Some polling softwares that you might like:
Slido
Mentimeter
Poll Everywhere
And remember that Zoom and Teams have their own polling systems.
11/12
A few refs:
psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-11…
link.springer.com/article/10.100…
jstor.org/stable/jeducte…
files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ103…
12/12
psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-11…
link.springer.com/article/10.100…
jstor.org/stable/jeducte…
files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ103…
12/12
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
