1. Encouraging Student Engagement in the Library Classroom w/Poll Everywhere
Emma Antobam-Ntekudzi
Reference & Instruction Librarian
Bronx Community College

2. Abstract
Library one-shot sessions are the only time most students will receive formal IL instruction. Librarians are faced with limited class time to provide guidance to students and teach research concepts. It is important to make sure student learning outcomes are met but it is just as imperative to keep students engaged and involved in the lesson.
Poll Everywhere is an interactive tool that allows librarians to involve student participation and input during the instruction session. It helps promote active learning and provides many ways to do so. Librarians can use Poll Everywhere to create a lesson plan, incorporate it into an established lesson, begin a class discussion, or revolve a lesson around one of its many polling options.

3. Web based audience response system (ARS); provides live polling
Company created in 2007 by first year MIT student and two co-creators; worked for a consulting firm
2008: Product launch; Presenters must use PC or laptop only to design and manage polls; Audience responds via mobile device, Twitter & company website
2010: Mobile Messenger & PE partnership
2012: Mobile app launched; Presenters now manage polls using any device (except kindle fire)
2013: Images feature and poll added
2015: Embedding capabilities
2016: Self-paced surveys & ranking polls
2017: Audience participation dashboard redesigned
Beginning to Now…

4. About Versions – free & premium Higher Ed plans K-12
Business & non-profit
5 basic response types; 23 polling varieties
Audience responds via text or web
Insert active & inactive slide into PowerPoint, Google Slides; embed into blogs or webpages
Polls nationally & internationally
Distance learning programs
Online only classes
Ability to customizing, reports, register participants, LMS synching
Download response history, screenshot
About

5. Examples

6. Example: Word Cloud Poll
For: Library instruction class
Purpose: Encouraged students to identify and visualize terms related to the class topic. These terms were used in a keyword search exercise.

7. Example: Cluster Wall Poll
For: Library instruction class
Purpose: After a demonstration students were asked to recall the sources OneSearch provides. A OneSearch Q&A session took place afterwards.

8. Example: Rank Order Poll
For: Library instruction class.
Purpose: Poll used as introduction to a presentation about the research process.

9. Example: Multiple Choice Poll
For: Library instruction class
Purpose: Taken after demonstration on library’s website and circulation policies.

10. Example: Multiple Choice Poll
For: Library instruction class
Purpose: Used as an icebreaker.

11. How to Create a Poll

12. Go to www. polleverywhere
Go to and sign up to create a presenter account.

13. In the presenter dashboard, click on CREATE to develop a new poll.

14. Poll Everywhere provides 23 varieties of five basic response types:
multiple choice
open ended
rank order
clickable image
discussion
Choose your poll type.

15. After choosing a polling type, input all information
After choosing a polling type, input all information. Multiple Choice polls allow text and image uploads.
Input text or images here.
Click on CREATE to generate the poll.

16. Activate the poll to allow participants to answer
Activate the poll to allow participants to answer. Students can respond via text or web.
Click here to
activate and deactivate your poll.

17. Presenters can clear results to use the poll for other classes.
Click here to
clear poll results.

18. Potential uses for Instruction Librarians
Database navigation
Keyword identification
News activity
Tabloids vs. Broadsheets
Image polling social media memes
Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
Geographical/Cultural activity
Pair with a teaching method (flipped classroom) or separate activity
Discussion on any topic
Prompted by the librarian
Prompted by students
Low stakes assessment (pre, post and during the lesson)
Gather questions from students anonymously
Break the classroom formality
Provide feedback immediately
Gauge a sense of “where students are” in the lesson

19. Benefits Students play an active role
Engage those who are reluctant to speak
Ask open-ended questions
Gather feedback from students
Keep track of student responses during a lesson
Create an informal environment; may help reduce library anxiety among some students

20. Others Using Poll Everywhere
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Webinars
Conferences
School classrooms
College classrooms
Meetings
Others Using Poll Everywhere

21. THANK YOU

22. References
Poll Everywhere Revamps the Audience Interaction Palette. (2017). Wireless News, Wireless News, March 2,
Gubbiyappa, K., Barua, A., Das, B., Vasudeva Murthy, C., & Baloch, H. (2016). Effectiveness of flipped classroom with Poll Everywhere as a teaching-learning method for pharmacy students. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 48(Suppl 1), S41-S46.
Bates, Celeste C., Huber, Rachael, & McClure, Erin. (2016). Stay Connected: Using Technology to Enhance Professional Learning Communities. Reading Teacher, 70(1),
Hargadon, Steve. (2008). Web 2.0 smackdown: And the winners are ...(Cool TOOLS). School Library Journal, 54(10), 23.
Lynch, B. (2008, March 1). Startup Poll Everywhere conducts polls through cell phones. Retrieved June 7, 2018, from Boston Business Journal website: mass-high- tech/2008/05/startup-poll-everywhere-conducts-polls.html
Byrne, R. (2012, September 1). Poll Everywhere Offers New Mobile Presenter Tools [Blog post]. Retrieved from Free Technology for Teachers written by Richard Byrne website: mobile.html#.WxmU8IpKjb2