Technological University Dublin
Technological University Dublin has increased engagement and the willingness of students to ask questions through the introduction of Vevox for anonymous Q&A and student polling.
If you want to look professional, use Vevox
A challenge to overcome student inactivity during hybrid/virtual classes
Technological University Dublin made the switch to Vevox as they needed a tool that would easily and effectively engage students from home. Alice felt that where Vevox stands out from the rest is the ability to clearly see how individual students are doing with anonymous feedback and questions throughout a session, rather than only hearing from select few students per session. Vevox has been key in allowing all students to show their views, thoughts and understanding of different subjects without the risk of potential embarrassment felt by getting a question wrong in front of a full class.
Throughout this customer story, we’ll learn more about why Vevox is becoming the go-to tool for student engagement and proving to be the most professional polling and Q&A platform available.
Vevox Pedagogy Series
Alice was a guest speaker on our most recent Pedagogy Series webinar, discussing her top tips for keeping students engaged using Vevox. Click on the link above to watch the webinar in full.
TU Dublin’s approach to increasing student engagement with Vevox
Alice had found that engagement amongst her class was not up to the expected level and felt that a pedagogical approach was the way to go – so she converted her PowerPoint slides that she used for every new topic from the ‘clicker’ style polling platform (TurningPoint) that was previously being used, into Vevox – and this was as simple as could be thanks to the clever Vevox converter. Through dropping in a poll every few slides, she can keep her classes engaged and involved, and the simplicity of the Vevox poll sees students willing to take part and stay focused.
The main ways that Alice uses Vevox are:
• Using the PowerPoint add in for all polls
• Using the Q&A board in Vevox’s Present View – adds a Vevox icon on her slide with a hyperlink behind which takes her to the Q&A board
• Views the Q&A on her phone
“The amount of interaction with the class made it more engaging, especially the use of word clouds, where you got to see other people’s answers” TU Dublin Student
The word cloud poll feature is another key positive for both Alice and her class. Alice uses this so that the whole class can see how others answered a question without feeling embarrassed if they’ve got a question wrong themselves. She’ll then use a graphic pen to highlight the correct answer and show workings out – and the ability to do all of this on Vevox streamlines her lessons and keeps students more engaged – she feels they are more likely to switch off if they are constantly moving to different sites and software – such as Microsoft Teams.
Real-time engagement and a safe-space for increased knowledge retention
Alice advises other lecturers and teachers that have an aim to improve engagement within their classes to use Vevox as an engagement tool throughout lessons. Using a polling tool at the beginning and at the end is not beneficial, but by dropping a poll in every now and then, students are willing to engage and as a result, their learning and understanding improves.
When using polling and Q&A tools, many lecturers fear that students will create inappropriate names or add inappropriate comments. With Vevox, there is an option to moderate all answers before they are shown, however Alice has not yet needed to use the moderation feature – she has found that students have been respectful of the tool due to a base level of respect before Vevox was introduced. What’s more, it’s felt by Alice that Vevox is a more professional polling tool in comparison to Kahoot and Menti – so therefore students do not associate it with having a laugh and as a result – engage properly and effectively with their learning.
Interested in exploring more about how a pedagogical approach to learning can be successful and boost audience engagement? Check out one of our recent Webinars below with Tom Langston, from the University of Portsmouth – see the discussion about the best ways to overcome the challenges of hybrid learning.
TU Dublin staff can start using Vevox now, just go to login.vevox.com and sign in with your university credentials.
