What else can we do as instructor using polls? Here a few more ideas.
- Preparing a poll at the beginning of a new lesson can set the stage for discussions or discovery (as we have already considered).
- We can invite students to create a poll with three or four questions they can use to find out about a topic with classmates.
- Students can also use a poll to gather data on a larger scale. Using today's social media, students could use a poll through their Facebook pages or Twitter accounts and ask people information or opinions about a given topic. Students can use the information as statistical evidence to make a point about a given problem or question.
- Finally, polls can be used as pre and post tools to inform whether a learning has occurred or not. Similar questions can be asked before and after a given topic is covered and information from the poll can let instructors realize how much students have progressed on that topic (or even if opinions have changed based on class discussion and work).
- In second language settings, polls can be used as springboard to discussions on topics and to find out how students use real life language skills. Overall, in content-based language learning all ideas shared in this blog about polls are valid - with possibly the need for some additional scaffolding.
