Student Engagement and Satisfaction With Poll Everywhere: Level 3 Childcare and Education Students' Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter aims to understand the role of interactive elements in online synchronous lessons to enhance learners' understanding, engagement and motivation. It is based on a small-scale practitioner research that was carried out by using the student response system Poll Everywhere in online lessons with two different student cohorts within a further education setting from the Bedford College Group. Research participants were asked to engage with the platform, as well as complete a pre-intervention questionnaire and a post-intervention questionnaire to gauge their opinions and overall satisfaction. The rationale stems from the evolving educational landscape, necessitating a shift in traditional in-person lesson planning and delivery towards online blended learning approach. The background highlights challenges in remote learning using technologies such as webcam and microphone reluctance, limited chat-based interaction and the absence of non-verbal cues. It is grounded in the reality of remote learning to showcase the best practice in relation to the use of technologies in supporting online teaching. This chapter also provides valuable insights from the learners' perspective on this particular interactive online tool.