Engagement
Engagement comes in many different forms. There are many digital tools available to you to support reflective and formative assessment.
List of Online Tools
Record Audio and Video:
Animoto Gives students the ability to make a 30-second video of what they learned in a lesson.
AudioNote A combination of a voice recorder and notepad, it captures both audio and notes for student collaboration.
Flip Lets students use 15-second to 5-minute videos to respond to prompts. Teachers and peers can provide feedback.
QuickVoice Recorder Allows you to record classes, discussions, or audio for projects. Sync your recordings to your computer easily for use in presentations.
WeVideo Lets you use video creatively to engage students in learning. Teachers and students alike can make videos.
Create quizzes, polls, and surveys:
Crowdsignal Lets you create online polls, quizzes, and questions. Students can use smartphones, tablets, and computers to provide their answers, and information can be culled for reports.
FreeOnlineSurveys Helps you create surveys, quizzes, forms, and polls.
Gimkit Lets you write real-time quizzes. And it was designed by a high school student!
Google Forms Part of the Google suite, Google Forms lets you create quizzes, polls, and surveys and see answers in real time.
Kahoot! A game-based classroom response system that lets you create quizzes using internet content.
MicroPoll Helps you create polls, embed them into websites, and analyze responses.
Naiku Lets you write quizzes students can answer using their mobile devices.
Poll Everywhere Lets you create a feedback poll or ask questions and see results in real time. Allows students to respond in various ways. With open-ended questions, you can capture data and spin up tag clouds to aggregate responses.
Poll Maker Offers unique features, like allowing multiple answers to one question.
ProProfs Helps you make quizzes, polls, and surveys.
Quia Lets you create games, quizzes, surveys, and more. Access a database of existing quizzes from other educators.
Quizalize Helps you create quizzes and homework.
Quizizz Guides you through designing quizzes and lets you include students in the quiz-writing process.
Quizlet Lets you make flashcards, tests, quizzes, and study games that are mobile friendly.
Quizmaker Helps you write quizzes quickly and easily.
Survey Hero Designed to build questionnaires and surveys.
SurveyMonkey Helpful for online polls and surveys.
SurveyPlanet Also helpful for online polls and surveys.
Zoho Survey Allows you to make mobile-friendly surveys and see results in real time.
Brainstorm, mind map, and collaborate:
AnswerGarden A tool for online brainstorming and collaboration.
Coggle A mind-mapping tool designed to help you understand student thinking.
Conceptboard Software that facilitates team collaboration in a visual format, similar to mind mapping but using visual and text inputs.
Dotstorming A whiteboard app that allows digital sticky notes to be posted and voted on. This tool is best for generating class discussion and brainstorming on different topics and questions.
Educreations Whiteboard A whiteboard app that lets students share what they know.
iBrainstorm Lets students collaborate on projects using a stylus or their finger.
Miro Allows whole-class collaboration in real time.
Padlet Provides a blank canvas for students to create and design collaborative projects.
ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard Another whiteboard tool to check understanding.
XMind Mind-mapping software for use on desktop computers and laptops.
Equity Maps These discussion maps can help you ensure every student has a chance to share their ideas.
Present, engage, and inspire:
BrainPOP Lets you use prerecorded videos on countless topics to shape your lesson plan, then use quizzes to see what stuck.
Buncee Helps students and teachers visualize, communicate, and engage with classroom concepts.
Five Card Flickr Uses the tag feature from photos in Flickr to foster visual thinking.
PlayPosit Allows you to add formative assessment features to a video from a library or popular sites, such as YouTube and Vimeo, to survey what students know about a topic.
RabbleBrowser Allows a leader to facilitate a collaborative browsing experience.
Random Name/Word Picker Facilitates random name picking. You can also add a list of keywords and use the tool to prompt students to guess words by providing definitions.
Socrative Uses exercises and games to engage students with a topic.
Adobe Express Lets you add graphics and visuals to exit tickets.
Typeform Helps you add graphical elements to polls.
Generate word or tag clouds:
EdWordle Generates word clouds from any entered text to help aggregate responses and facilitate discussion. Word clouds are pictures composed of a cloud of smaller words that form a clue to the topic.
Tagxedo Allows you to examine student consensus and facilitate dialogues.
Wordables Helps you elicit evidence of learning or determine background knowledge about a topic.
WordArt Includes a feature that allows the user to make each word an active link to connect to websites, including YouTube.
Get real-time feedback
Formative Lets you assign activities, receive results in real time, and provide immediate feedback.
GoSoapBox Works with the bring-your-own-device model and includes an especially intriguing feature: a confusion meter.
IXL Breaks down options by grade level and content area.
Kaizena Gives students real-time feedback on work they upload. You can use a highlighter or give verbal feedback. You can also attach resources.
Mentimeter Allows you to use mobile phones or tablets to vote on any question a teacher asks, increasing student engagement.
Pear Deck Lets you plan and build interactive presentations that students can participate in via their smart device. It also offers unique question types.
Plickers Allows you to collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices.
Quick Key Helps you with accurate marking, instant grading, and immediate feedback.
Foster family communication
Remind Lets you text students and stay in touch with families.
Seesaw Helps you improve family communication and makes formative assessment easy, while students can use the platform to document their learning.
Voxer Lets you send recordings so families can hear how their students are doing, students can chat about their work, and you can provide feedback.
Strengthen teacher-to-student or student-to-student communication:
AnswerGarden Gives you access to formative assessment feedback.
Biblionasium Lets you view books students have read, create reading challenges, and track progress. Students can also review and recommend books to their peers.
Classkick Helps you post assignments for students, and both you and your students’ peers can provide feedback. Students can also monitor their progress and work.
TeacherEase Rubrics. This paid tool can help you ensure your rubrics are clear and accurate.
Lino A virtual cork board of sticky notes, it lets students ask questions or make comments on their learning.
Online Stopwatch Provides dozens of themed digital classroom timers to use during small- and whole-group discussions.
Peergrade Helps you create assignments and upload rubrics. You can also anonymously assign peer review work. Students can upload and review work using the corresponding rubric.
Verso Lets you set up learning using a URL. Space is provided for directions. Students can add their assignment, post comments, and respond to comments. You can group responses and check engagement levels.
VoiceThread Allows you to create and share conversations on documents, diagrams, videos, pictures, and more.
Adapted from a list created by NWEA.
