SIP 1.10: Polling to Expand Student Participation

Thirsty for a Strong Instructional Practice?

Getting a large group of students involved in class interaction can be a challenge. Some students participate willingly while others are more reluctant.

Take a SIP of this: Polling to Expand Student Participation

Interactive technologies can provide a platform that will encourage broader interaction. Through the web-based technologies listed below instructors can pose questions and receive real-time answers. Responses can be projected for the class to see or kept private.

Although each product has distinct features they offer options to pose open- or closed-ended questions that require single- or multi-word answers. Three present the responses in a linear fashion and one creates a word cloud.

Students can respond via mobile phone, Ipad or tablet, or computer. Questions may be presented online, embedded in a website or included in PowerPoint. Instructors have the ability to export answers for future use. Free accounts are available for each.

• Polldaddy.com
• Polleverywhere.com
• Socrative.com
• Answergarden.ch

Here are some ideas for encouraging class wide participation and interaction:

• Pose a quick question at the beginning of class to get students thinking about the topic for the day
• Create a word cloud for group brainstorming
• Use an open-ended higher level thinking question as a way to encourage broad response as part of class discussion
• Pose a closed or open-ended question to check for understanding at the end of class
• Ask questions to be answered individually or as small groups
• Have students use the answers generated by the class to synthesize or continue to explore ideas after the lesson
• Invite students to develop and manage their own questions

Still thirsty? Take another SIP of Polling to Expand Student Participation

• Teacher’s Guide to Polling in Classrooms http://www.edudemic.com/the-teachers-guide-to-polling-in-the-classroom/
• Using iClickers in the College Classroom http://www.pnc.edu/distance/wp-content/uploads/sites/104/2013/07/Clickers-Best-Practices.pdf
• Western Washington University Using Clickers in the College Classroom http://pandora.cii.wwu.edu/cii/resources/modules/clickers/default.asp