Using Student Response Systems for Semester Final Reviews

Semester finals are just around the corner so why not use a student response system to review material? Three of my favorite response systems are listed below. All three require an internet connection. No app needed. No texting. Just a computer connection via laptop, computer or mobile device.

Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere allows the users to respond via text message, web browser or Twitter. I prefer the web browser usage over the other choices for education. The short of it...the browser is an easier way to vote.

Short web addresses are easier to type on mobile devices. On your phone's web browser, just go to PollEv.com and type your voting keywords as always. Texting in your answer requires a text code and then a code to accommodate your answer. Also, if you use the web browser many smart phones allow the user to bookmark that browser or add that link to their home screen.


Features:

• Hide Results. This is great when you don't want students to respond based on how others are responding to the question. You can hide results until everyone in the class has responded to the question. 
• Various Question Types: open-ended, multiple choice, clickable image
• When choosing a question type know that you can chose the way the answer gather on the screen. See options in the graphic below.
• When using "word cloud" response be sure to remind students to use no spaces between words. This is best for one word responses.
• Clickable Image is a new feature that allows the user to upload an image and the student to drop a pin on the area that they touch. Great for geographical locations, linkert scale type responses, etc. 

Socrative 2.0 (beta version)
Socrative 2.0 (beta version) is another great student response system. I like this version better than using the app for several reasons. New in 2.0 the students are able to navigate through the questions as the numbers are listed on the left side. The new sleek look of 2.0 is very appealing. Using the app (1.0) only allows the teacher to see when questions are answered. Now teachers can see the actual student answer to the quiz questions. Images can be added to questions, also. Result appear to be cleaner in this version. What I like best is using this version via a web browser. As a teacher I can just add the URL to a wall in the classroom and the room number and students can then bookmark that site on their smart phone, laptop, class computer, etc.

 Here's a quick glance of the new dashboard in Socrative 2.0. Click here to watch a video of 2.0.

Kahoot
Create and play quizzes, discussions or even surveys (called Kahoots) using any device with a web browser… including a laptop, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Android, Chromebook, Windows Phone or PC and more. By answering questions through the easy-to-use interface, users play against each other aiming to top the on-screen leaderboard. It's a fun and interactive way to to review for semester exams by adding the competitive nature. Keep the leaderboard showing on the screen for students to see the top leaders. Pause at anytime to discuss the content.

Start Up Screen

Answering Quiz Questions