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Student response apps

Student response apps, also known as audience response or classroom response systems, are tools designed to enhance student engagement and interaction during scheduled sessions. They are used during in-person and/or live online teaching, to create active learning experiences and scaffold collaboration between students.

The University offers a variety of tools that allow students to participate in classroom activities via written formats, using rich media or through taking part in quizzing, word clouds and/or polling.

Why

Student response apps offer some key benefits to scheduled teaching:

  • Democratising student contributions: allowing everyone to take part in an inclusive and supported manner.
  • Anonymous feedback: Students can respond anonymously, which encourages participation from those who might be hesitant to speak up.
  • Immediate Results: Responses are collected instantly, allowing for immediate feedback and discussion.
  • Integration with Other Tools: Many student response apps integrate with platforms like PowerPoint, Blackboard, and Microsoft Teams, making them versatile for different teaching scenarios.

Institutional tools:

  • Padlet
  • Microsoft Forms [Shirin to provide]

 Free/freemium tools:

Use of the following freemium ‘student response’ apps has been approved by the university Design Authority Group (DAG). These freemium plans are restricted in usage/participant numbers, and are not suitable for large class teaching.

Note: TEL cannot provide technical support for the use of free/freemium technologies, and users must be aware of the risks when using unsupported technologies with their students. Please see considerations when using  free apps before signing up to use an online platform.

Relevant CQSD staff development