Back Channel & Responsive Interaction Tools

Leveraging the social aspects of learning through back-channel discussions and in-class participation tools can help to draw students in the higher education classroom into the topic at hand and, for many reserved students, give them an equal voice in the process.   Turning wireless devices from a distraction into a tool of engagement and deeper learning is discussed well in Berlin Fang's 2009  EduCause article.

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Back Channel Interactive Tools

These back channel discussion tools allow students to post their questions and thoughts.  You can enable access during the class lecture/presentations or use them before and afterwards to assess student understanding, gather opinions or lingering questions.  All are free to use.

Padlet

A virtual wall for sticky notes, Padlet allows for groups, large and small to, to collaborate and crowdsource their ideas. 

• Overview & How to Use - FreeTech4Teachers
  
• 32 Interesting Ways to Use Padlet in the Classroom - Google Presentation slides 
  

• 20 Useful Ways to use Padlet in the Classroom - DitchThatTextboook
  

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Todays Meet
"Microblogging or backchannel discussions are easy with Todays Meet.  Similar to what you would see in a twitter feed, Todays Meet channels can be limited in time and made private."
Very simple to use  - free.

• Overview and How to Use - Mark Barns
  
• Communication Tools to Connect Your Classroom to the World: TodaysMeet -
• Using TodaysMeet as a Formative Assessment Tool - Emerging Tech

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  Question Cookie
"A simple backchannel  tool that does three things well: lets students ask questions, vote on each others questions (and sort them by vote), and respond to question in the tool.
So simple to use there's no need for a how-to video.   Originally designed for event planning, this tool can easily be adapted to the higher education classroom."

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Graphic Focused

Image: techchef4u.com

ThingLink
"ThingLink is an interactive media platform that empowers publishers, educators, brands, and bloggers to create more engaging content by adding rich media links to photos and videos."
Click the image above to experience a ThingLink on digital citizenship.

• Overview:  Learn to Use ThingLink in under 5 minutes
  
• Tutorials from the ThingLink Educators: Build your Thinglink Classroom
• 65 Ways to use ThingLink in Your Classroom - FreeTech4Teachers

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Learn More

• Literature Review in Mobile Technologies and Learning from the FutureLab at the Australian National Foundation for Educational Research.
• The Backchannel: Giving Every Student a Voice in the Blended Mobile Classroom - Edutopia
• BackChannel Tools - Centre for Teaching Excellence, University of Waterloo.  This page includes a link to a matrix of tools.
  

Found an article you would like included here?  Click the Connect Link above and send it to us!

Ways to use These tools

• Introductions
• Connecting to prior knowledge
• Checking for understanding (without a clicker)
• As a forum to collect opinions
• Gather and sort questions about the material
• Suggestion board
• Sorting by themes
• Collaborative note taking
• Research, resource gathering
• Exit Ticket:  What is the big idea you took away today?

Other ideas?  Share one via the Connect link above and we will include it here.

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Response Tools - Polling
Mobile Ready Clicker Replacements

Kahoot!
"Create a fun learning game in minutes (we call these ‘kahoots’), made from a series of multiple choice questions. Add videos, images and diagrams to your questions to amplify engagement!
Kahoots are best played in a group setting, like a classroom. Players answer on their own devices, while games are displayed on a shared screen to unite the lesson – creating a ‘campfire moment’ – encouraging players to look up."

• Overview and How-to Video
  
• Ways to Play:  Introduce past topics, challenge past performance, professional development, review, revise, reinforce, reward.
• 4 Ways to use Kahoot in the Classroom - Kessler Science
• 5 Alternative Ways to use Kahoot in the Classroom and Beyond
  

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Nearpod
"Nearpod is an interactive presentation and assessment tool that can be used to engage students. A teacher can create presentations that can contain Quiz's, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content, etc."

• Overview video - Nearpod in the 21st Century classroom
  
• How-to video:  Get Engaged with Nearpod

Ways to use in the classroom:

• Nearpod Lessons - browse lessons here
• Learninginspired - 10 ways of using Nearpod in the classroom

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Poll Everywhere
Poll Everywhere uses text messaging to engage the audience via mobile phones, Twitter, or web browsers.  Easy as 1-2-3: Ask a question, text an answer and see real-time results.  Free for up to 25 respondents with paid plans for larger audience participation.

• Overview Video
  
• How it works Page
• Educator Guide

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Mentimeter
Direct audience participants to your custom Mentimeter web page to engage them  in your presentations via audience participation.  They enter a code, select an answer and the results are shown in real-time.  Free for unlimited number of participants, but limited to only 2 questions.  Paid plans for larger participation options.

• Overview video
• How-to for Teachers

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Socrative
"Socrative empowers you to engage and assess your students as learning happens. Through the use of real-time questioning, result aggregation, and visualization, you have instant insight into levels of understanding so you can use class time to better collaborate and grow as a community of learners."

• Overview video - click the link on the home page
• How-to-video
• Alternate How-to- video -   Hampton City school specific but worth watching.
• Using Socrative with Swivl video recording and Kahoot
• 32 Ways to Use Socrative in the Classroom
• Socrative lesson sharing - download model lessons

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References

Gustafson, T. (2015). Do you backchannel? Northwestern Michigan College. Retrieved from: http://teaching.nmc.edu/?p=8209.