Boosting Student Engagement with Poll Everywhere: A Game-Changer in Education
- Location
- New York
- Size
- 14,000+
- Use case
- Higher Education
“Poll Everywhere has been a game-changer.”
Technology plays a crucial role in creating interactive classroom experiences in the ever-evolving landscape of higher education. Dr. Veronika Dolar, an Associate Professor at Pace University's Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, has embraced Poll Everywhere as a cornerstone of her teaching strategy. In the age of smartphones and screens, Poll Everywhere’s ability to transform passive lectures into dynamic learning environments has revolutionized her teaching experience.
Dr. Dolar highly recommends Poll Everywhere as a tool to foster student participation and improve student comprehension.
Adopting Poll Everywhere: Transforming Classroom Dynamics
"Poll Everywhere has been instrumental in facilitating discussions on complex economic concepts. It prompts lively discussions and provides invaluable feedback which might otherwise be difficult to initiate in a traditional lecture format."
Dr. Dolar joined Pace University's economics department in January 2024. With five years of experience using Poll Everywhere at SUNY Old Westbury, she had already seen its benefits in engaging students in smaller classes of 30 students. When faced with a larger class of 130 at Pace, she found Poll Everywhere to be the perfect solution. Its flexibility and ease of use allowed her to integrate interactive activities seamlessly, keeping all students engaged and involved. Dr. Dolar’s long-standing use of Poll Everywhere underscores its reliability and effectiveness in enhancing student participation and the overall learning experience.
"Poll Everywhere’s user-friendly nature is crucial. It aligns with the digital comfort of today's students, enhancing their engagement with lecture content."
Dr. Dolar has been consistently impressed with Poll Everywhere's intuitive interface, which easily adapts to classes of different sizes. Prior to using Poll Everywhere, she struggled to obtain student feedback and maintain engagement during lectures.
Poll Everywhere’s ability to display student responses in real-time significantly transformed her teaching approach. This real-time interaction not only keeps students attentive but also allows Dr. Dolar to gauge understanding and address misconceptions on the spot, fostering a more responsive and adaptive teaching environment.
Seamless Integration and Positive Feedback
"When students see that their peers have struggled with a concept, it encourages them to participate more freely."
Beyond stimulating class discussions, Poll Everywhere has proven invaluable in fostering a supportive learning environment. Dr. Dolar uses the tool to kickstart each semester and maintain student interest throughout. The platform’s variety of activity types, such as Word Clouds and Multiple-Choice questions with embedded graphs, helps to break the ice and set a collaborative tone from the very beginning. These interactive elements not only make learning fun but also encourage students to engage with the material and with each other, creating a sense of community and shared learning.
Poll Everywhere’s activities are designed to make abstract economic concepts more tangible and accessible, promoting deeper understanding through visual and interactive means. By continuously incorporating these elements into her lectures, Dr. Dolar ensures that students remain actively involved and invested in their own learning journey.
"I begin with activities like Word Clouds to gauge initial perceptions of economics. Additionally, interactive multiple-choice questions with embedded graphs enrich discussions and enhance data-driven learning."
Facilitating Peer Learning and Support
"Poll Everywhere has seamlessly adapted to my teaching style. Integrating it into my slides streamlined class engagement and participation tracking."
Poll Everywhere’s integrations have been a "game-changer" for her large lecture classes. The platform’s ability to integrate with popular presentation software like PowerPoint and Google Slides has made it incredibly convenient for Dr. Dolar to incorporate interactive elements without disrupting her workflow. This seamless integration saves time and enhances the overall effectiveness of her lectures, making it easier to track student participation and progress.
The positive feedback from students highlights the platform’s impact on creating a safe and inclusive learning space. By encouraging active participation and reducing the fear of making mistakes, Poll Everywhere helps students build confidence and take ownership of their learning.
“Students appreciate the opportunity to participate actively without fearing being 'wrong.' It has helped create a more inclusive and interactive classroom environment."
Unexpected Benefits and Professional Appeal
“I know students are already using mobile phones or laptops, so why not work with them and help them learn how they like?”
Dr. Dolar sees an unexpected benefit in Poll Everywhere: encouraging the use of devices in the classroom. While some educators restrict device use in the classroom, she leverages them to promote active learning with apps like Poll Everywhere. This approach aligns with students’ digital habits and transforms potential distractions into valuable learning tools. By integrating technology into her teaching strategy, Dr. Dolar creates a more engaging and relevant learning experience for her students.
“Its professional presentation and versatility surpass other alternatives, making it a preferred choice."
Dr. Veronika Dolar's experience with Poll Everywhere demonstrates how innovative technology can revolutionize classroom engagement and learning outcomes. The platform’s versatility and professional presentation make it an ideal choice for educators seeking to enhance their teaching methods. By leveraging Poll Everywhere's interactive features, she has enhanced student participation and cultivated a collaborative academic environment in economics education at Pace University. The platform’s ability to support various activities and adapt to different teaching styles makes it a valuable asset for any educator.
For educators looking to enrich their teaching strategies with interactive tools, Dr. Dolar recommends Poll Everywhere. The platform’s proven impact on student engagement and learning outcomes makes it a powerful tool for transforming classroom dynamics and fostering a more interactive and inclusive learning environment.
Learn more about Poll Everywhere and how it can elevate your classroom experience at www.polleverywhere.com.
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