This was a workshop designed to showcase various ways to engage students in polls without using technology.

1. Active Classroom Polling to Engage
Students
Adam Barragato, Senior Instructional Designer
Amy Haston, Educational Technology Consultant

2. Today’s Goals
How far we get is up to you.
Let us know if you need us to
slow down or stop!
1. Identify “polling” activities that engage
students without using technology.
1. Evaluate when and how to apply these
activities effectively in your courses.
1. Apply what you’ve learned today (via our
simulations), later today (Diane), or after
spring break (everyone else)!

3. What’s the Purpose of a Poll?
● Check understanding
● Dress up a PPT slide
● Attendance
● Obtain feedback
● ?
If you were to ask students...what would they say?

4. What’s REALLY the Purpose of a Poll?

5. Strategy 1: Just the Facts
If you want to know how much they understand
(Try a Traditional Poll or Think/Pair/Share)

6. Strategy 2: Change in Thought
If you want to see their thought process
(Try a Think/Pair/Share AND Compare)

7. Strategy 3: Make a Case
If you want them to take perspectives/persuade each other
(Try “Voting”)

8. Strategy 4: What’s your stance?
If you want to see where the class stands on a topic/issue
(Try Human Graphing)

9. Using Note Cards for Think/Pair/Share
● Why?
○ Free (for students), Fun,
and Easy to execute
● When?
○ Simple questions where
few (2-5), multiple
choice options exist
● How?
○ Colors = A,B,C, 1,2,3, or
Specific Answers
○ Think/Pair/Share and/or
Compare

10. Example Content: Persuasive Strategies
● Ethical
● Charismatic
● Celebrity status
● Emotional appeal
● You “feel” something
● Most commonly
“IF/THEN
generalizations”
In Advertisements, these tend to be “subliminal,” but noticeable...

11. Example Content: Persuasive Strategies

12. Think/Pair/Share Activity 1
1 - THINK: When you see the ad,
individually decide whether it
best represents ETHOS, PATHOS,
or LOGOS.
2 - PAIR: After deciding, turn to
your neighbor and show them
(using the corresponding colored
note card), which one you think it
is. Come to a consensus.
3 - SHARE: When I give you the
cue, each pair holds up the
colored note card they think best
represents the ad.

13. Think/Pair/Share/Compare Activity 2
4 - COMPARE: In pairs, confirm
your answer based on the TWO
common responses.
1 - THINK: When you see the ad,
individually decide whether it
best represents ETHOS, PATHOS,
or LOGOS.
2 - PAIR: After deciding, turn to
your neighbor and show them
(using the corresponding colored
note card), which one you think it
is. Come to a consensus.
3 - SHARE: When I give you the
cue, each pair holds up the
colored note card they think best
represents the ad.

14. Note Cards Reflection
How did it feel (as a student) engaging in
this activity with note cards?
● Low risk - not worried about being wrong
● Opportunity to think on your own to get your thoughts
together
● It’s not as isolating as technology (it’s collaborative)
● Stops a “bias” effect
Which activity (as a student) was more
engaging - why?
● Compare one could be more engaging, but it might
depend on the question (when applicable)

15. Note Cards Reflection
What situations would work best for using
this activity (as an instructor)?
● Case studies - answering questions based on a particular
case study
● Exam reviews - pick the questions that cause the most
confusion (the ones with two answers)
● Have students break up into smaller groups for a case
study analysis to provide a better discussion

16. Using White Boards for Voting
● Why?
○ Reusable blank slate,
Easy to use, easy to see
● When?
○ Anytime you want
students to discuss an
open-ended (or non
canned) question.
● How?
○ Students share their
answer and argue their
perspective, then re vote

17. Example Content: Hierarchy of Needs

18. Voting Activity 3
1 - IN TEAMS: Discuss which need
(choosing from the bold titles) is
targeted in the following ad. Write it
on ONE SIDE of your paddle!
2 - SHOW: Hold up your paddles for
everyone to see!
Directions:
3 - MAKE YOUR CASE: Two teams get
:30 explain why they think the need
they chose is correct.
4 - VOTING: The class votes based on
how persuasive your argument was.

19. White Boards Reflection
How did it feel (as a student) engaging in
this activity with dry erase boards?
● Fun - you we're interacting, thinking, and there was some
competition
● Challenges you to think deeper, and see other
perspectives
● Allows people opportunities to share ideas at a smaller
level
● Key component of being a nurse is “listening” and be in
tune with people’s perspectives
What situations (as an instructor) would
work best for this activity?
● In clinicals - when you’re discussing how things could
have been different
● Assessing interventions, at what level are they meeting
the needs of the patient

20. White Boards Reflection
Are there any adaptations you would make
to this activity?
● If you brought food, that always help
● If you don’t have consensus, you can “respectfully”
disagree in pairs
● Keep it simple!
● Instructor can vote as well (but maybe not be the defining
source)

21. Human Graphing
● Why?
○ Physically engages
students
● When?
○ Anytime you’re talking
about “attitudes” or
“perceptions” towards
subject matter
● How?
○ Lay out descriptors and
have students line up
(hint: think dry erase!)

22. Human Graphing Activity 4
1 - HIGHLY UNETHICAL:
Advertisers should NOT
prey on their customers,
especially when
consumers don’t know
better.
2 - CONTEXTUALLY
UNETHICAL:
It really depends on the
target audience that’s
being targeted and the
product.
Directions: Line up behind the statement (below) that reflects your
opinion ABOUT...the use of persuasive strategies in Advertising
3 - ETHICAL &
EXPECTED:
As consumers we expect
to be appealed to, it’s
part of human nature -
it’s up to the consumer
to do the research.

23. Human Graphing Reflection
How did it feel (as a student) engaging in this
activity?
● For someone who may have trouble focusing/sitting still,
the movement was helpful
● It’s good to get up - sitting is the new smoking
● Being in a closer proximity can promote engagement
● It’s GOOD to hear other people’s opinions
● You get a sense of community when you see people who
agree with you
● Forces you to make an opinion
● “made me take a stance” making me verbalize my decision
What situations (as an instructor) would
work best for this activity?
● Beginning of class - right away you’re going to get engaged
● Incorporate current events

24. Take-Aways?
What are your BIG Take-aways?
(write it on a dry erase board)
● You can make it simple, you don’t have to use technology
● You can use human graphing at the beginning of class, or
even at the beginning of the semester as an ice breaker

25. WAIT! What if you WANT Technology?
Contact:
iClicker Self-Service Videos Hotseat Self-Service Videos

26. Thank you
&
A survey is coming, please take it :)