Poll Everywhere FAQ

What is Poll Everywhere?

Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com) is a web-based system that can be used both in and outside of the classroom to create multiple-choice or open-answer polls. No special software or equipment is required.

·Instructors use a simple web form to create either multiple-choice or open-text questions. Polls can be embedded in PowerPoint or Keynote presentations, displayed in a web browser, or embedded in a course web site.

·Students can submit responses via text message or using a browser on their laptop or another Internet-connected device.

Learn more about Poll Everywhere’s features at http://www.polleverywhere.com/how-it-works.

I’m an instructor. How can I begin using Poll Everywhere?

Poll Everywhere offers free and paid accounts. The free version allows you to poll up to 40 students and works well for creating anonymous polls for smaller classes and for simply trying out the system.

Since Spring 2010, the Center for Faculty Excellence has paid for a group of licenses that allow individual instructors to use Poll Everywhere in any or all of the courses that they are teaching. Additional features include response capacity that supports the largest of large Carolina classes as well as downloadable reports that associate students’ identities with their answers. To submit an application to use Poll Everywhere for the first time, go to http://go.unc.edu/Pw79T.

I’m a student. How do I register to use Poll Everywhere?

If you are registering for the first time, follow these instructions:

1. Go to http://tinyurl.com/uncpolleverywhere. Enter your name, UNC email address and a password (preferably not your Onyen password).

2. Click Register my account. Review the policy information and click I agree….

3. Under “How should UNC-CH Admin identify you?” enter your University personal identification number (PID) and your Onyen using the following format: YourPID_YourOnyen (e.g., ########_jdoe). Click Update. If you plan to use your cell phone, enter that number, too. Click Update.

4. If you’ve entered your phone number, you’ll need to send a text reply to Poll Everywhere to finish registering your phone.

Note that you don’t have to use your phone to respond to Poll Everywhere polls. You can use a browser on any Internet-connected device: laptops, tablets, slates, etc. Simply go to http://pollev.com, and log in. In the answer space, enter

·for multiple choice questions, the answer code

·for open-text questions, question code, a space, and then your answer.

I’m a student. I’m not sure that I registered successfully. How can I check?

Go to http://www.polleverywhere.com/profile/memberships, and log in with your email address and password.

·If you see UNC-CH Admin listed under My Voter Registrations, click Details. Under “How should UNC-CH Admin identify you?” YourPID_YourOnyen. Click Update. You should now be registered successfully.

·If you don’t see UNC-CH Admin listed under My Voter Registrations, click Register as a voter. Enter pollev@unc.edu and click Grant Access. Under “How should UNC-CH Admin identify you?” enter YourPID_YourOnyen. Click Update. You should now be registered successfully.

If you are texting answers to polls, also check to see if your phone number is “certified.” Click Personal Info from the left menu to review this information.

I’m a student. I’m not sure that my answers were received for a particular poll. How can I check?

1.Go to http://www.polleverywhere.com, and log in with your email address and password.

2.Click Settings on the top menu, and then Response History on the left menu.

It may still be the case that your instructor may not be able to identify your answer(s) as belonging to you. Make sure that you have registered correctly. Click Voter Registration from the left menu:

·If you see UNC-CH Admin listed under My Voter Registrations, click Details. Under “How should UNC-CH Admin identify you?” enter YourPID_YourOnyen. Click Update. You should now be registered successfully.

·If you don’t see UNC-CH Admin listed under My Voter Registrations, click Register as a voter. Enter pollev@unc.edu and click Grant Access. Under “How should UNC-CH Admin identify you?” enter YourPID_YourOnyen. Click Update. You should now be registered successfully.

If you are texting answers to polls, also check to see if your phone number is “certified.” Click Personal Info from the left menu to review this information.

I’m a student. When I tried to text my answer to a poll, I got a message back about message blocking. What can I do?

It’s likely the case that your phone service is set to not send text messages to short codes. First try contacting your carrier to enable this feature.

If this doesn’t work you may text in your responses to Poll Everywhere’s backup 10-digit number: (747) 444-3548. Please note that this number is to be used sparingly and only by those who cannot otherwise text to the Poll Everywhere short code.

Note that you don’t have to use your phone to respond to Poll Everywhere polls. You can use any Internet-connected device: laptops, tablets, slates, etc. Simply go to http://pollev.com, and log in. In the answer space, enter

·for multiple choice questions, the answer code

·for open-text questions, question code, a space, and then your answer.

I’m an instructor. How can I make sure that all of my students can use Poll Everywhere successfully?

1. Set up a trial poll and limit “Who can respond” to registered participants.If you plan on using both open-text and multiple-choice polls, create one of each. Students who have not registered successfully will not be able to answer the polls.  We recommend you limit your course polls to registered participants only.  That way, students using a web browser to respond will always be reminded when they are not logged in.

2. Share with students the instructions for registering with Poll Everywhere.

3. Check the Response History (right menu when viewing a poll) against your course roster on Connect Carolina, copying the email addresses of the students who did not answer the poll.

4. In Poll Everywhere, click Participants on the top menu, then Invite New Participants on the side menu. Paste in the students’ email addresses, and click Email participant registration links.

5. If a student reports that he or she is still unable to register or have additional questions about the process, direct him or her to help.unc.edu or 962-HELP for additional assistance.

I’m a student. How do I update my cell phone number?

1. Go to http://www.polleverywhere.com, and log in with your email address and password.

2. Click Settings on the top menu. After you update the information on this page, click Update Profile.

I’d like to use Poll Everywhere for an event other than a class. What options are available to me?

CFE Poll Everywhere accounts are limited and currently reserved for instructional use only.  Poll Everywhere offers a variety of pricing plans. More information is available at http://www.polleverywhere.com/plans.

How do I check the status of the Poll Everywhere service?

Poll Everywhere posts its system status updates at http://status.polleverywhere.com.