There are a lot of options out there to get instant student feedback. Mentimeter.com is a new one that I’ve recently come across. Mentimeter is an online presentation tool that allows you to get immediate feedback from students. It’s a time saver for getting quick answers and being able to look over the information you receive from it. Mentimeter has several options of questions for you to choose from: multiple choice, image choice, word cloud, scales, open ended, 100 point, 2 by 2 matrix, Who will win?, Q&A, and quick form (Pro version only). I’ll break these down in more detail in other posts. It also has a quiz function, which works the same as Kahoot! or Quizziz, and basic slides that you can add. So, how does it compare to the other online presenation tools like Pear Deck and Nearpod?
What I Like
I really like the options that Mentimeter offers that I haven’t seen on other platforms, such as the word cloud and 100 point options. This allows a different variety of assessment options for you as a teacher. It’s a really simple interface and easy to use. All you do is click a couple buttons, and you’re ready to present.
For more open ended questions, like the word cloud or open ended options, Mentimeter has a profanity filter that you can set up because you know how high school students can be. It filters several languages as well as Ascii and emojis. But students are always coming up with new words, right? What if the filter misses something? Mentimeter has a mode called Mentimote that allows you to moderate answers as well, so you can erase any other inappropriate or unnecessary options.
Another thing I love is the ability to set a timer. You know how you always plan for something to take 2 minutes, but it inevitably takes your students 10 to do? Well, Mentimeter has a timer option that will close the voting after the time limit you’ve set. When students see the clock counting down, it often helps motivate them to get things done quicker.
What I Would Fix
I don’t know if this is a fixable kind of thing, but more of a paid vs. free thing. If you’re using the free version, you’re not going to be able to see individual results. You can download the overall results, graphs and such, but you won’t be able to download individual answers unless you upgrade to the pro version. If you’re wanting something that will give you individual student results, Pear Deck or Nearpod is probably a better option.
Paid vs. Free
Mentimeter has 3 different account levels: free, basic, and pro.
The free account gets you all the basics. You get an unlimited number of people who can log on, unlimited presentations, and unlimited slides. You have access to all question types, including Q&A, which allows students to post questions. You can export the overall results to a PDF, but that’s it. You’re also allowed 2 questions and 5 quiz questions per presentation. If you’re using the free version, it’s best used as a short, quick response tools.
The basic version has everything the free version gives you with an unlimited number of questions and quizzes per presentation. It also allows you to import PowerPoint or Google Slides. You can export results to Excel, but it’s only going to give you student numbers, not names.
The pro version basically gives you everything with the addition of custimization options and audience data. You open up the use of Pro themes and the ability to create your own themes. The pro version will collect audience information, which would allow you to use this to look at individual student responses if you wanted to use it for a quiz grade.
Recommendations
Personally, I really enjoy using the Word Cloud question to generate class discussion. I had students generate ideas for theme of the story as they read a novel, and we used the Word Cloud to talk about how the themes they noticed were being developed in the story. The Open Ended question can do the same thing. The multiple choice and other options can give you a quick assessment of how well students understand a skill or concept, which could allow for instant remediation if necessary. The Who will win? option is a pretty cool idea. If you’re doing something like argumentation and debate, students could choose who put together the most persuasive argument to determine a winner. I don’t know what the paid versions are like because they don’t have any kind of trial period for those.
Overall, I like the website. It’s clean and easy to use. It’s an easy way to gather quick data for class as a whole.
The Educator's Quest 