I want to... (Mentimeter use case matrix)

• Break up the monotony of lectures

• monotonous lectures aren’t good practice

• to give myself a break

• to give students time to reflect and think

• to keep students alert

• to avoid cognitive/ listening overload

• Yes. Asking students context-relevant questions will keep them alert and their brains active.

• Well-formed, well-placed and well-paced questions changes student learning from passive learning to active thinking

• Combined with allowing students to discuss their answers with neighbors, can turn a tiring lecture into an engaging active session

• Asking students to ‘do’ something in a lecture allows you to rest and prepare for the next ‘instruction chunk’.

• Gauge levels of knowledge at beginning and/ or (progressive) understanding throughout and at the end

• To give me a sense of my students' level

• I want an instant confirmation that my teaching has made a difference

• I want to identify which areas to focus on in a following session.

• Use a starter quiz with questions relevant to your session content, and repeat at the end.

  • the first time, it primes students to look out for keywords, especially those they couldn’t answer

  • the second time will reinforce what was taught, and ideally have everybody “score” 100%

  • Combined, students will have their own evidence of what they learnt.

• Test student understanding of what has just been explained

• I will explain again if majority didn’t give correct answer

• To know I am pitching it right and at the correct pace (or not)

• To determine where to go next

• Asking students to apply what they have heard to an actual problem shows that they have understood what was taught.

• Create a question that needs students to apply what they have been taught to a real case scenario

• Pay attention to the results and react accordingly:

  • try to explain further; again

  • ask students to discuss among each other

  • ask if somebody would like to justify their choice

  • ask somebody who got it right to explain to others

  • Indicate reading

• Ensure anonymity

• I am dealing with sensitive topics

• I want to put students at ease

• Students might be afraid to get things wrong publicly

• I am using it as a survey/ research on the fly

This is what Mentimeter excels at!

• Anonymity ensures that students feel comfortable and free to contribute, which they may otherwise not do, either out of not wanting to lose faith, worried about being put on the spot or because they are naturally more quiet.

• Teach flexibly and reactively

• I want to cater to the needs of my current and particular cohort

• because I teach a topic that is flexible and changes quickly

• it suits my particular style

• Agile/ reactive teaching puts the students at the centre

• Not having a fixed direction may feel risky, but may also encourage students to think for themselves

• Reacting to students in the moment makes teaching a democratic endeavor

• You may learn from your students as much as they learn from you.

• “Gamify” my teaching

• it will increase active learning

• it will keep students engaged and awake

• Fun quizzes

• Competitions

• Group competitions

• Use segmentation e.g. by age or color preference, self-select groups to work together against other groups,

• give feedback to student presentations (like scores in a dance competition)

• Illustrate game theory!

• Illustrate concepts of good/bad survey creation for research

• Use your student cohorts for on the fly research

• Encourage students to learn with and from each other

• Peer learning has been shown to be beneficial to student learning

• Create questions that prompt discussion;

• Use Mm to allow students to self-select into groups

• Ask a right/wrong answer question, do not give answer on slide. Make students find someone who chose differently from them and let them explain their reasons; poll same question again (and hope for improved outcome!)

• ask them to create questions on Mm that they share with you and you can poll

• Get feedback on my teaching

• I will change it to make it better if I know what works for students and what doesn’t

• to get insight into my own teaching

• Ask students to rate and/or comment on your teaching after each session, by the end of Term you will have data-driven insight into your own teaching

• If you change something on the basis of asking them to comment/ rate from one week to the next, students will know that you appreciate feedback and feel that their opinions are listened to.

• Encourage students to use Mentimeter

• we ask them to do presentations and this is a great tool.

• to amplify their voice(s)

• Everybody at the LSE has access to Mentimeter, students and staff alike. Send them to our “Getting started with Mentimeter” wiki pages.