Back Channel & Response Tools

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.

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

Backchannel Chat
"...A class discussion tool that was designed from the ground up to support teachers. Backchannels are great for increasing participation in classroom discussions and for informally assessing student knowledge.
Teachers can control all aspects of the discussion, you can remove messages and prevent students from posting, if the pace of the discussion is overwhelming and key messages are lost you can take control and lock the room so that only you can add content.

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

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.

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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.

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

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:

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.

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.

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