What is Polling in Online Class?

‍Polling in online classes refers to the practice of collecting responses or opinions from students using digital polling tools or features integrated into educational technology platforms. It involves posing questions to students, who then provide real-time responses, offering educators valuable insights into understanding student comprehension, opinions, or preferences.
‍

How Does Polling in EdTech Help?

‍Polling in EdTech serves various purposes:

1. Engagement: Enhances student engagement by involving them in the learning process through interactive activities.

2. Assessment: Provides educators with immediate feedback on student understanding, helping to tailor teaching approaches.

3. Participation: Encourages participation from all students, including those who may be hesitant to speak up in a traditional classroom setting.

4. Adaptability: Allows educators to adjust the pace and content of the lesson based on real-time feedback.
‍

Why is Polling in EdTech Important?

‍Polling is crucial for several reasons:

1. Formative Assessment: Offers a formative assessment tool that helps instructors gauge student comprehension during a lesson.

2. Student Feedback: Provides a channel for students to express their thoughts, contributing to a more interactive and student-centric learning environment.

3. Inclusivity: Ensures that all students have a voice, promoting inclusivity and a sense of participation.

4. Data-Driven Instruction: Enables educators to make data-driven decisions, tailoring teaching strategies to meet the needs of the class.
‍

When is Polling in EdTech Used?

‍Polling in EdTech is employed in various scenarios:

1. Checking Understanding: To gauge student understanding of a concept or topic in real-time.

2. Opinion Gathering: For soliciting opinions or perspectives on specific issues or topics.

3. Icebreakers: As an icebreaker activity to engage students at the beginning of a class.

4. Assessment of Prior Knowledge: To assess students' prior knowledge before diving into a new lesson.
‍

Types of Polling in EdTech

1. Multiple Choice Polls: Students choose from a set of predefined options.

2. Open-Ended Polls: Students provide free-form responses.

3. Likert Scale Polls: Students rate their agreement on a scale (e.g., strongly agree to strongly disagree).

4. Image-based Polls: Incorporate images to gather visual responses.

5. Quiz-Style Polls: Structured like a quiz with multiple questions for assessment purposes.
‍

Examples of Polling in EdTech

1. Kahoot!: A platform that allows educators to create quizzes, surveys, and polls to engage students.

2. Poll Everywhere: A tool that enables live audience participation through polls and surveys.

3. Socrative: An app that allows educators to create quizzes, polls, and assessments for students.

4. Mentimeter: A presentation tool that includes interactive features like polls and quizzes.

5. Google Forms: While not exclusively for polling, Google Forms can be used to create surveys and polls for student feedback.