Peer instruction 101. Easy to get started with, brings lectures to life.

How I Use It

I use polleverywhere.com to introduce gaming theory and encourage participation in my face to face lectures. First, I create a study sheet, a printout, of specific questions. Each questions has answers A, B, C, D. I let the students work in groups of 2-4 members and figure out one question at a time. At least one person in the group needs to have a phone (smart or with texting, or a laptop). Each team posts their answer. Next, we discuss why the specific answer is correct and why students chose a different answer. This encourages collaboration and keeps students awake!

Another use is with simple questions like: Should I continue? Is everything clear?

Yet another use is with the word cloud setting of the system. Students can text in or type in words or sentences. I may ask, "What would you like to learn in this course?" as an ice breaker in an early class. I may ask later on, "What specifically would you like me to include in our class discussion on the subject of Internet security?" The largest words in the word cloud are the most repeated ideas.