Using polls
Poll pods are a great way to add to the online learning experience. They are beneficial for both the instructor and the student. Not only do they stimulate interaction, the instructor is able to get a quick read on where the class is "at" so to speak.
Margaret,
You are right. Polling can be such an engaging tool also.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
I think this is a fantastic idea to take the temperature of the class at a couple different intervals.
It is important to provide feedback to the learner but to make the communication circular, it is also very beneficial to get feedback from the student.
The questions can be crafted in such a way to be a benchmark for the educator.
LaBoore,
I also use polling to fact check knowledge, but you can do some of they through the survey feature of the LMS.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Dr Mitchell,
It really depends. The polling works better when you have a larger audience. I like to use the polling to periodically check to see if students are still engaged during the discussion. One suggestion that I have with the polling is to make sure that your responses are relatively concise and you don't want to have too many choices from which to choose. Good luck!
You have made an excellent point LaBoore, do you find yourself using the polling pods in all your classes or just selected ones? I will be excited about trying them out, however, I need to make sure I know how to set them up effective. Thanks for sharing!
LaBoore,
You are right! Poll and the anonymity of them does empower some of our students.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
LaBoore,
You know , this may be the way to get students talking to each other. . . nice usage.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Gwenda,
What a great way to use the polls. I many "borrow" your usage. I really like this!
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Another aspect that I like is the anonymity of the polls. Some students will speak more freely if they know that they are not being recorded.
I like the idea of using them socially because that is like an ice breaker for the students. This encourages the student in a more relaxed setting.
I use poll pods as an engagement tool as well. I always have one open at the beginning (prior to beginning) the live chat session. Some are "social" while others are more content-based. Some examples (I have not included the answer options, which could vary depending on the specific teaching environment):
- I am located in the following time zone: [provides opportunity to discuss deadlines, "official" clock for the school, and also point out that not everyone is on the same schedule, including me]
- How experienced are you with online classes? [provides opportunity to discuss technology support, etc.]
- What other responsibilities do you have each week?
[provides a "get-to-know" you opportunity, and also an opportunity to discuss time-management, and for me to establish some availability guidelines/boundaries as well]
- On the Unit 1 assignments, I performed (worse than expected, better than expected, etc.)...
[shows that I care about what they care about (grades), but also provides an opportunity for me to gauge student's own measures of "success"]
- I have used the following resources to help prepare assignments (textbook, online library, instructor's office hours, etc.):
[provides opportunity to reinforce these resources to students who have not been using them, and also to point out that some classmates have been using these resources--this question always opens up discussion where students comment on how helpful some resources are, or challenges they have faced in trying to use some of the resources--they end up helping each other!]
- The biggest challenge for me this week was
[another good "social" question, but also an opportunity to facilitate students interacting with each other, as well as me providing further guidance]
I also try to use a poll question asking about the unit's assignment content specifically, although I am in process of developing those for my new classes.
In Adobe Connect you can use poll pods to poll students and test their level of knowledge. Students feel less pressure than in a test environment but it helps as a facilitator to know if your students are grasping the material and if you are doing a good job facilitating.
Emmanuel,
This is a perfect tool for assessment. Just sayin. . . . .
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Belinda,
Great use of technology. It does help facilitate communication.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Yes, poll pods assists instructors and online instructors to see students as they are engaged. Good method of evaluation and observation.
Hello Angela: I agree that that using polls is a great way to engage students, as well as, be able to see students who are engaged. If the instructor asks questions using instant messaging, live polls, and polls in general formulating the responses can lead to a lively discussion. :-)
Dr. B
Angela,
It is great way to for a quick assessment of the class. Great option.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
Brian,
Yes, polling or poll pods are exactly that. Student response systems can also work that way.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson
What are poll pods?
When I ask students to answer a question pertaining to course information they need to know I have them choose from a, b, c, d. I poll them to see if all of them are understanding the material. Is this the same thing?
