On February 19, 2025, the TEL Community of Practice hosted a vibrant meet-up with eight staff members sharing their personal experiences and insights on using Mentimeter, an interactive presentation tool. The session was packed with valuable discussions, practical examples, and tips on using Mentimeter to get students active and engaged in sessions. Watch the event recording or read on for a summary of the different use cases, benefits, challenges and staff top tips.
Published on: 26/02/2025 · Last updated on: 26/02/2025
Diverse Uses of Mentimeter
Large Group Teaching
Nyika Suttie (Student Support) and Mariachiara Barzotto (School of Management) both highlighted the effectiveness of Mentimeter in large group settings, particularly to gather student responses when it isn’t possible to speak to every student in the room. Mentimeter’s AI Grouping function is also a fantastic way to get a thematic overview of open-ended responses with large groups.
Peer-to-Peer Learning
Daisy Zhu (Skills Centre), Cressida Lyon (Life Sciences) and other presenters use Mentimeter to encourage peer-to-peer learning. As Richard Joiner (Psychology) said, “getting the students to talk to each other is one of the most important things” during in-person lectures. Students can discuss their answers with each other before sharing them with the class via Mentimeter, fostering a collaborative learning environment. An insightful tip from Daisy was to have only one student in a group as the designated scribe on Mentimeter, who could also act as a student moderator to avoid inappropriate responses. Another approach, as suggested by Cressida, is to question students about their responses to initiate discussion, for example, “Someone who voted for Option B, explain why you made that choice”.
Anonymous Feedback and Q&A
Gamila Shoib (School of Management) uses Mentimeter to gather anonymous feedback and facilitate Q&A sessions during her lectures. This approach helps manage student anxiety and encourages more honest and open participation. Mentimeter has a built-in Q&A feature which can also allow for moderation of questions, which Richard recommended using to manage any off-topic contributions.
Promoting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
Gwen Scott (Life Sciences) uses Mentimeter to promote EDI in her teaching. She incorporates activities like “Guess Who?” related to the topic being taught (for example, “guess who was involved in this scientific discovery?”), which helps highlight contributions from diverse individuals in a historically white male dominated field, and makes the learning experience more inclusive and engaging.
Nyika also noted how the students being able to read the questions on their screens can help to overcome language barriers.
Wins and Benefits
Increased Engagement: Mentimeter significantly boosts student engagement by making lectures more interactive and fun. The instant feedback feature allows instructors to gauge understanding and adapt their teaching accordingly.
Inclusivity: The tool promotes inclusivity by giving all students a voice, including those who might be hesitant to speak out loud. This is particularly beneficial in large classes and for neurodiverse students.
Immediate Feedback: The ability to receive and provide immediate feedback helps both students and instructors. It allows for real-time adjustments and ensures that misunderstandings are addressed promptly.
Gamification: Incorporating gamification elements, such as quizzes and leaderboards, makes learning more enjoyable and competitive, which can enhance motivation and participation. Ana Bertolossi (Skills Centre) shared positive student feedback to her introduction of a weekly cultural competition amongst other uses of Mentimeter: “The best feature of this course is the diversity of activities […] such as digital quizzes and learning through games.”
Challenges
Inappropriate Responses: Managing inappropriate or off-topic responses was highlighted as a challenge. However, features like moderation can help mitigate this issue, alongside establishing clear expectations with students.
Time Management: Ensuring that all students have enough time to enter their answers, especially in language classes, can be tricky. Daisy Zhu suggested enabling multiple entries to challenge speedier responders.
Visual Limitations: The visual appeal of Mentimeter slides can be a little limited. Nyika Suttie and Ana Bertolossi both recommended using Canva to create more visually appealing slides and then importing them into Mentimeter.
Technical Issues: Some participants mentioned encountering technical issues, such as problems with the PowerPoint integration and the need for a backup plan in case of technical failures. Always test Mentimeter before using it in a live session to ensure everything works smoothly. If you are experiencing problems, you can contact the TEL Team for advice.
Top Tips
1. Use a Mix of Question Types: Incorporate a variety of question types, such as multiple-choice, word clouds, and open-ended questions, to keep the sessions dynamic and engaging. Mariachiara Barzotto also emphasised the importance of balance with blended learning: “Mentimeter complements but doesn’t replace [face-to-face] interaction”.
2. Establish Clear Guidelines: Set clear guidelines for responsible use of Mentimeter to minimize inappropriate responses. Encourage students to participate respectfully and constructively. Find tips for minimising inappropriate responses on the CLT Hub.
3. Integrate with Other Tools: Combine Mentimeter with other tools like Canva for better visual appeal. You can also upload your PowerPoint slides into Mentimeter. There is also now a Mentimeter Teams app, allowing for real-time voting and feedback without needing to switch screens. Please note that when you are presenting through the Mentimeter app in Teams, this won’t be included in the meeting recording.
4. Encourage Peer Discussion: Use Mentimeter to facilitate face-to-face discussions to build students’ communication skills. Ask students to discuss their answers with each other before sharing them with the class to promote collaborative learning.
5. Follow Up on Responses: Try to follow up on the responses collected through Mentimeter. Segmentation is a great way to gain deeper insights into your cohort of students by grouping their multiple choice responses depending on their previous answers. Use the feedback to inform your teaching and address any areas of confusion or interest.
Have you used Mentimeter in your classes? Join our TEL Community of Practice to share your experiences and tips, and to stay updated on the latest tools and techniques for enhancing student engagement.
Book your place for our March meet-up: making interactive resources using H5P and Xerte.
Book your place for our April meet-up: Moodle collaboration tools: Blogs, Forums & Boards.
