Queen's University Belfast
Learn how the University have achieved an 80% student participation rate across 5000 staff using Vevox in lectures.
Queen's University Belfast
Queen’s University Belfast (QUB), located in Northern Ireland, is a distinguished member of the Russell Group. The university serves over 25,000 students and employs approximately 5,000 staff, offering more than 300 academic programmes.
QUB is renowned for its world-class research and innovation across various disciplines, addressing global challenges and driving societal progress.
Patrick Phillips is the Educational Technologist at Queen’s University, responsible for sourcing & looking after educational platforms that University staff use. Patrick discussed why the University chose to use Vevox as their institution wide student response system – a choice which has led to them seeing an 80% student participation rate.
We’ve seen a very high student participation rate since implementing Vevox.
The challenge
Before adopting Vevox, QUB faced inconsistencies in student response systems across departments. Various platforms led to fragmented experiences for both students and lecturers and the need for a unified, user-friendly solution that could seamlessly integrate into existing teaching methods became evident.
The solution
Patrick manages Vevox's integration into the university's teaching practices. He provides comprehensive training and support to staff, enabling effective use of Vevox's features to enhance student engagement. This ongoing support has been instrumental in maintaining high participation rates and fostering an interactive learning environment.
The PowerPoint integration allows staff to use Vevox seamlessly within the same platform, meaning there is no need to jump across different screens – they can therefore focus on the flow of their teaching.
Implementation
In the 2024/25 academic year up to 19 March, QUB has experienced remarkable engagement metrics:
- 77,000 participants engaged
- An average participation rate of 80% per Vevox session
- Nearly 8,000 polls, 3,000 Q&A sessions, and 147 surveys conducted
These figures highlight the platform's effectiveness in fostering active learning and interaction.
Feedback
Lecturers have praised Vevox for its simplicity and effectiveness. One lecturer noted:
"Using Vevox in my class today made a huge difference—it transformed engagement."
Vevox's accessibility features, such as anonymous Q&A, have empowered all students to participate without hesitation, fostering a more inclusive learning environment.
The integration of Vevox at Queen’s University Belfast has standardised and enhanced the student engagement experience. The platform's user-friendly design and robust features have contributed to significant improvements in participation rates, benefiting both students and lecturers alike.
Patrick's Vevox top-tips
1. Leveraging Word Clouds for Visual Engagement
"At the start of a lesson, using a word cloud poll is a great way to build engagement. It provides a visual representation of student responses and immediately creates an interactive learning environment."
2. Crafting Effective Alt Text for Images
"When adding images to your presentations, include concise and descriptive alt text. This practice ensures that all participants, including those using screen readers, can access and understand the visual content."
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