Mentimeter is a polling tool that allows you to create interactive presentations and quizzes with real-time voting. The way it works is simple: use Mentimeter's online editor to create interactive slides that embed different question types including Multiple Choice, Word Cloud, Open ended, Scales, Ranking, and Q&A.
When your quiz (Mentimeter calls it presentation) is ready, share generated the code with your participants who can join using any mobile device with Internet connection. Participants can answer questions and view their results in real time. Final results can be downloaded and exported for later analysis.
The purpose of this post is to introduce you to Mentimeter and walk you through some of the features it provides. More specifically, the post covers the following points:
- How to use Mentimeter in your teaching?
- How to create a poll using Mentimeter?
- How to create quizzes in Mentimeter?
- How to Play Mentimeter quiz?
- How to create a word cloud in Mentimeter?
- How to create interactive surveys in Mentimeter?
- What is Q&A in Mentimeter?
- How to control you presentation from your smartphone?
- Ready-made Templates for teachers
- Mentimeter app for Zoom
- Mentimeter apps
- How much does Mentimeter cost?
How to use Mentimeter in your teaching?
As is the case with the other survey and polling tools I reviewed in the past, Mentimeter can be used in class to:
- Conduct quick formative assessments to evaluate students understanding and identify learning problems. Mentimer offers pre-designed formative assessment templates that you can use in your class.
- Keep students engaged during presentations by asking comprehension check questions after particular slides.
- Poll students on matters related to their classroom learning.
- Use polls as discussion starters and get students motivated to engage in class discussions.
- Brainstorm ideas. Use Word Cloud feature in Mentimeter to emphasize prominent topics and themes.
- Empower students voice through enabling them to take part in decision making in class
- Take advantage of Mentimeter 's anonymous response system to reluctant learners (e.g. shy students) to contribute and share feedback.
- Create fun and engaging icebreakers. Mentimeter offers several pre-made icebreaker templates and suggestions to use with your students.
- Create exit tickets... and many more.
How to create a poll using Mentimeter?
To create a poll in Mentimeter, log in to your account and click on New Presentation from within your dashboard. Type in a name for your presentation. Next choose a slide type from the right hand panel. Notice that the right hand panel contains three main tabs: Type, Content, and Customize. The Type tab is where you get to choose the types of slides to add to your presentation.
Each slide offers different options and results layout. Go through the slide types and pick the one that works best for you. Next, click on the Content tab and add your questions. Again, depending on which question type you select you will have different options to choose from.
For instance, multiple choice requires various answer options while open ended questions do not. However, all of the slide types support the addition of images and Gifs. You can upload an image of yours or select one from Unsplash or Giphy libraries.
In the Customize tab, you get to work on the settings of your slides. For instance, you can choose whether you want to show images, close voting, hide instructions bar, hide results, etc. You can also choose the layout of your choice, select text color, background color, and more.
How to create quizzes in Mentimeter?
Mentimeter allows you to create dynamic and interactive quizzes. There are two types of question types to add to your quizzes: Select Answer Quiz and Type Answer Quiz. Select Answer Quiz is similar to Multiple Choice and involves providing participants with different options to choose from. In Type Answer Quiz participants have no choice options. Instead, they type their answers themselves.
Here is how to create an interactive quiz in Mentimeter:
- Login to your Mentimeter account
- Click on Create new presentation
- Click on Content tab and scroll down to select Quiz Competition
- Choose a question type (Select Answer or Type Answer)
- Select the correct answer
- Select scoring setting (e.g., choose whether you want 'Faster answers to get more points' or 'All correct answers get 1000 points')
- Select time to answer. Choose whether you want the countdown on quiz slides to start automatically or manually.
- Add music to your Quiz
- Add a leaderboard to display participants results. You can add it anywhere in the Quiz.
How to Play Mentimeter quiz?
Now that your quiz is created you can start presenting it in real time to up to 2000 players. Simply click on Present and you will be taken to the Initial Lobby that players join using their own avatars and nicknames. To start the quiz, you need at least one player to be present. Click on Enter on your keyboard or tap 'Start countdown' button.
Players are required to answer quiz questions as quickly as possible before the countdown ends. Results are displayed in real time. Mentimeter offers various pre-made quiz templates that you can use to create your own quizzes.
How to create a word cloud in Mentimeter?
Word clouds or wordle are visual representations of words. In a word cloud, prominence is accorded to words that appear more frequently in a piece of text, in this case, in your participants answers.
Visualizing answers in word clouds will help you , the presenter, "to quickly collect data from [your] audience, highlight the most common answers and present the data in a way that everyone can understand.". Mentimeter also provides a set of ready-made word cloud templates that you can use in your presentations.
Here is how to enable Word Cloud feature:
- Log in to your Mentimeter account
- Click on Create new presentation
- Under Type choose Word Cloud
- Type in your question
- Select the number of entries participants can provide
- You can also choose whether you want to allow voters to vote more than once
- Click present
As participants start submitting their replies, repeated words in their answers will show up larger in the the world cloud that is displayed on the screen. Watch this video to learn more about how to use Word Cloud feature in Mentimeter.
How to create interactive surveys in Mentimeter?
Surveys are especially useful for gathering feedback from participants.You can easily create and share surveys using Mentimeter's Survey Maker. You can embed various question types in your survey. Using their mobile devices, participants can take the survey at their time and you get to view their results in real time. You can download submissions and export findings for later analysis.
Here is how to create an interactive survey in Mentimeter:
- Log in to your Mentimeter account
- Click create presentation
- Add the question types you want
- Go to Settings and click on Audience Pace
- Share the generated link or code that participants can use to access and respond to your survey.
What is Q&A in Mentimeter?
Q&A is a feature that allows presenters to hold live interactive question-and-answer sessions with their audience. Q&A enables your participants to ask you direct questions. As the presenter, you get to control on which slides you want your participants to ask you questions.
You can also choose whether or not your participants can see each other's questions. Premium users have access to the Moderation feature which enables presenters to approve or dismiss participants' questions before they appear on the screen.
Here is how to include Q&A in your presentation:
- Log in to your Mentimeter account
- Click on Create new presentation
- Under Type choose Q&A
- Type in your question and adjust the settings to your preference
- Share your presentation with participants
Watch this video to learn more about how to use Q&A
How to control your presentation from your smartphone?
Mentimer has this interesting feature called Mentimote that allows you, the presenter, to easily access and control your presentations right from your mobile device. You can walk around the room while presenting your slides and engaging with your participants.
Mentimote allows you to remotely navigate between slides, view your presenter notes, open and close audience voting, moderate Q&A sessions, and more. Here is how Mentimote works:
- Log in to your Mentimeter account on your mobile device
- Open Mentimote on the presentation you want to deliver
- Start presenting
Watch this video tutorial to learn more about Mentimote
Ready-made Templates for teachers
Mentimeter's templates gallery includes tons of practical presentation and quiz templates to use in your own teaching. Simply browse through the selection, pick the template you are interested in, add it to your Mentimeter account and start using it the way you want.
Premium users have the ability to edit slides. Some of the templates featured in the library include: science quiz, manage students' expectations, weekly student reflection, formative assessment for physics, biology quiz, find the country, study methods, and many more.
Mentimeter app for Zoom
Mentimeter app allows you to deliver interactive presentations and quizzes directly in your Zoom meetings. You can insert live polls, word clouds, ranking, Q&A, and more. Participants can answer your quizzes and interact with your presentations without leaving Zoom meeting.
How much does Mentimeter cost?
Mentimeter offers two plans: free and premium. The free plan is very limited in terms of features it provides. (e.g., supports only up to 2 question slides and 5 quiz slides). Premium plan offers three premium subscriptions with discounts for teachers and students. Basic costs $9.99/month ($6.99/month for teachers and students), Pro costs 24.99 ($14.99/month for teachers and students), Campus or Enterprise (ask for a quote)
More sources:
Mentimeter polling (guides and tips by FET's Innovation Unit)
70 Fun icebreaker questions for any occasion (Mentimeter blog)
Mentimeter video tutorials (Mentimeter YouTube channel)
5 Awesome tips for presenting with Mentimeter for the first time (Mentimeter blog)
How mentimeter fosters creativity (Mentimeter blog)
Tips and tricks for teaching with Mentimeter (Mentimeter blog)
How to use Mentimeter with PowerPoint (Video tutorial by Mentimeter)
