Phoning It In: Increasing Student Engagement Using Mobile Phone Polling

Getting first year students to engage in the classroom can be a tremendous challenge. They have a lot on their minds and the library is near the back. They also have preconceived notions of librarians and library instruction. One way that librarians at Champlain College exceeded student expectations and overcame this challenge was through a novel use of mobile technology in the classroom. We used student’s own cell phones to engage them and encourage participation in information literacy instruction. Through the use of a mobile phone polling application called Poll Everywhere, librarians were able to create a session that met our instructional goals and that was fun for both students and librarians. This interactive presentation will discuss the benefits, drawbacks and possible pitfalls of using mobile polling as an instructional tool. It will demonstrate the technology used and discuss its pedagogical implications. The presenter will offer best practices for creating questions, implementing the technology, and using it to stimulate discussion. Technology in the classroom sometimes gets in the way, but in this instance it can create a jumping off point for deeper inquiry, if used correctly. Thoughtfully integrating a technology like Poll Everywhere into the classroom capitalizes on the ubiquity of mobile phones, and it can dramatically increase student engagement. Attendees will walk away with an understanding of mobile polling technology. They will also be able to identify instances in which this technology could enhance their own teaching.To access the full presentation for this session, click on the download button to the right