Poll Everywhere: PowerPoint Add-in Update

We’re happy to share that Poll Everywhere recently released an update to the PowerPoint Add-in. After local testing, the update was installed across campus on November 13. This update solves a significant barrier to using Poll Everywhere on our classroom PCs.

Prior to this update, it was common for the Poll Everywhere log in button in PowerPoint to be unresponsive (i.e., instructors would click Log in and oftentimes nothing would happen). This issue was very frustrating for instructors getting their slideshow and other media ready in the rapid 10 minutes between classes. After this update, the Log in button responds immediately. Once logged in, you’re ready to run Poll Everywhere activities directly inside of your PowerPoint slides. (You can review the update’s full releases notes here).

For those unfamiliar, Poll Everywhere is a powerful teaching tool that allows instructors to get a better sense of how the entire class is doing at a specific moment. This is more effective than getting feedback only from the students who are willing to speak in class or waiting for an exam to identify where students are struggling. Information gathered from using Poll Everywhere can inform your next steps in teaching. Students respond to questions using their computer or mobile device. Activities and question types include multiple choice, clickable images, open-ended, and more.

For more information and support on teaching with Poll Everywhere, please visit the USask Poll Everywhere teaching guide or contact gmctl@usask.ca.