Redefining Participation:
A Journey to Inclusive Engagement with
Poll Everywhere

Elon University, a private institution in Elon, North Carolina, has long been committed to enhancing student engagement and fostering inclusive learning. Elon partnered with Poll Everywhere to further these goals and transform classroom and administrative workflows. Led by Assistant Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies (TLT) Dhvani Toprani and Instructional Technologist Sagun Giri, the university successfully integrated Poll Everywhere across campus, with a special focus on the new Attendance Management tool.

 

The need for an inclusive engagement tool

Before adopting Poll Everywhere, existing engagement approaches didn’t work effectively for learners who prefer to express themselves in real-time without talking out loud in big groups. Professors needed a dynamic tool to ensure every student could participate and be heard, while administrative departments needed a tool to gather instant feedback from participants in meetings or training. Additionally, they needed a solution that integrated seamlessly with Moodle for in-class polling and feedback collection.

This need led them to Poll Everywhere. With its ability to facilitate real-time polling, integrate with existing tools like Moodle, and provide diverse activity types, Poll Everywhere was the perfect solution to their challenges. After evaluating different options, Elon University reached out to Poll Everywhere and found a plan aligned with their goals for enhancing participant engagement across academic and administrative situations.

Implementation and Support

The implementation of Poll Everywhere at Elon University went smoothly, thanks to the dedicated support from the Poll Everywhere team. The six-month pilot made the adoption process easy for faculty and staff, and the ongoing assistance from Poll Everywhere’s Customer Success team addressed any challenges during the initial phase. This comprehensive support ensured a smooth transition and effective platform use across campus.

This need for inclusivity led Elon University to pilot Poll Everywhere, allowing faculty to integrate its features into their workflows and explore diverse forms of participation. The successful pilot paved the way for its campus-wide adoption. The overwhelmingly positive response from faculty and students demonstrated the platform’s potential to transform classroom dynamics, paving the way for its campus-wide adoption.

A comprehensive engagement solution

Poll Everywhere offers Elon a flexible platform that enhances both academic and administrative engagement. With seamless integration into tools like Moodle and PowerPoint, professors can embed interactive activities into lectures to capture real-time feedback. Beyond the classroom, Poll Everywhere supports active participation in staff meetings and training sessions, providing valuable insights that improve communication and engagement campus-wide.

This real-time feedback allows departments to assess the impact of their training sessions and make data-driven improvements. By incorporating Poll Everywhere into various administrative functions, Elon University has streamlined communication and feedback processes, leading to more efficient and impactful training outcomes.

Feature Highlight: Attendance Management

In the spring of 2024, Elon University implemented Poll Everywhere’s Attendance Management tool, which requires students to check into class via geolocation. This feature has streamlined attendance tracking and improved accountability, especially in large lecture settings.

Beyond just tracking attendance, the tool offers insights into student behavior and patterns, helping professors identify trends like frequent absences or late arrivals. This allows timely intervention to support struggling students and fosters greater accountability. The geolocation feature ensures that only students physically present are marked as attending, minimizing inaccuracies and making the process fairer for everyone.

Commitment to accessibility

To support an inclusive learning environment, Elon University collaborated with Poll Everywhere on an accessibility training webinar. This session guided faculty and staff on leveraging Poll Everywhere’s accessibility features—such as screen reader support and keyboard navigation—to ensure that all students, regardless of ability, could engage in class activities. The training empowered faculty to create accessible content and foster a more inclusive classroom experience.

Poll Everywhere’s commitment to accessibility aligns perfectly with Elon’s values. The platform’s features are designed to support students of all abilities, making it easier for everyone to engage in class activities. By providing tools that accommodate diverse needs, Poll Everywhere fosters an environment where every student can contribute and feel included, regardless of their challenges. This focus on inclusivity enhances the learning experience and promotes a culture of equity and respect across campus.

Revolutionary Impact Across Campus

Since its implementation, Poll Everywhere has had a profound impact at Elon University. Instructors have reported increased student engagement and participation, using real-time feedback to adapt their teaching strategies effectively. The tool has streamlined administrative workflows, enabling departments to collect actionable data from training sessions and meetings.

The platform’s reporting features have enabled faculty and administrators to gain deeper insights and make informed decisions. Educators can quickly assess student engagement and class performance with clear, visual data summaries. This streamlined access to information helps identify areas for improvement and allows for timely, targeted interventions to support student success. 

The Attendance Management tool has been a standout success, making attendance tracking more efficient and less disruptive. Automating the check-in process reduces administrative overhead and frees up valuable class time for instruction. Professors can focus on teaching, knowing that attendance is accurately recorded and can be easily exported back to the LMS, simplifying record management and tracking.

Sagun emphasizes the positive impact of the tool on large lecture classes. This feature streamlines the attendance process and provides real-time data on student presence, helping professors better understand and track engagement levels throughout the semester. Professors can make more informed decisions to support student success with this data.

Poll Everywhere and Elon University in the Future

Looking ahead, Sagun Giri anticipates broader adoption of Poll Everywhere’s features, including more graded activities and deeper Moodle integration. As faculty continue to embrace the platform, Elon University aims to further enhance the learning experience and administrative efficiency.

Poll Everywhere has already become essential to Elon’s inclusive and interactive learning strategy. The platform has transformed campus engagement by enabling real-time participation and simplifying administrative tasks. The success of the Attendance Management tool and a focus on accessibility highlight Poll Everywhere’s role in fostering a more connected and supportive educational environment.