Poll Everywhere

Gone are the days when presentations and lectures were a one-way communication mode, with the audience passively sitting and listening. In today’s digital age, interactive presentation tools have revolutionized the way people engage with each other, and Poll Everywhere is one such tool that has made a significant impact in the field of audience engagement and active learning.

What is Poll Everywhere?

Poll Everywhere is an audience engagement platform that enables presenters to create real-time polls, quizzes, surveys, and interactive Q&A sessions during lectures, meetings, and presentations. This cloud-based platform is accessible from any internet-enabled device, making it easy to use for both presenters and audience members.

The platform provides various question types, such as multiple-choice, open-ended, true/false, and rating scales, and allows the audience to respond via text message, web browser, or mobile app. The responses are instantly displayed on the presenter’s screen, and the results can be shared live with the audience and exported to other tools such as Excel, Google Sheets, or PowerPoint.

How does it work?

To use Poll Everywhere, the presenter first creates an account and logs in to the platform. Then, the presenter creates a question or survey, selects the answer type and settings, and generates a unique URL or code for the audience to respond.

During the presentation, the audience can respond to the poll or survey by texting their answer to a provided phone number or by accessing the URL on their smartphone or laptop. As soon as a response is submitted, the results are displayed live on the presenter’s screen, enabling the audience to see how their peers have responded or which answers are most popular.

Benefits of Poll Everywhere:

1. Engages the audience: Poll Everywhere fosters an active learning environment by providing opportunities for the audience to interact with the presenter and each other. This keeps the audience engaged and interested in the topic being discussed.

2. Collects real-time data: The platform provides instant feedback to the presenter, giving insights and data on how well the audience is understanding the topic or how they are responding to particular questions or scenarios.

3. Customizable and flexible: The presenter can customize the polls and questions based on the audience, topic, or event, making it highly adaptable and relevant to the situation. Moreover, Poll Everywhere can be used in various settings, including classrooms, conferences, webinars, and virtual meetings.

4. Encourages participation and inclusivity: Poll Everywhere encourages participation from every audience member, including those who may not be comfortable speaking up in a large group or may have accessibility needs. This promotes inclusivity and diversity of thought, leading to a more well-rounded discussion.

Examples of Poll Everywhere in Action:

Poll Everywhere has been used in various domains, from academia to corporate settings. Here are some examples of how Poll Everywhere has been used in different settings:

1. In the classroom: Teachers and professors use Poll Everywhere to conduct pop quizzes, gather student feedback, track attendance, or review class material.

2. In conferences: Presenters use Poll Everywhere to engage the audience in real-time polls or surveys, gather feedback, or conduct interactive sessions.

3. In webinars and virtual meetings: Poll Everywhere enables presenters to break up long virtual sessions, keep the audience engaged, and gather data to adjust the pace and content of the meeting.

Conclusion:

Overall, Poll Everywhere is a highly effective tool for improving audience engagement, active learning, and real-time data collection. It is customizable, flexible, and user-friendly, making it easy to incorporate into any presentation or event. By using Poll Everywhere, presenters can create an inclusive, interactive, and engaging learning environment, leading to better retention of information and a more meaningful experience for the audience.