Using polls in webinars

by | Mar 23, 2018

If you’re just getting started running webinars as part of a blended learning approach, then here’s a quick tool you can use to help tailor your content to the group.

Ever wondered about the level of experience in your ‘group’? You can’t see them and you probably don’t know them but you don’t want to talk down to them or speak over their heads.

So why not ASK?

Polls are great for this. They can provide you with quick information about the makeup of the group if you don’t know the learners present. Or you can use a poll to judge the mood or response to a particular issue.

Here are a few tips:

  • Polls are easy to set up but you have to set them up in advance of the session.
  • Choose straightforward questions like Q “How long have you worked in L & D?” A Under 6 months/1-2years/3-8 years/Over 8 years or Q “What is your experience with webinars?” A This is the first I’ve been on/I’ve attended a few/I’ve attended lots and run a few/I run them every week for my company
  • When you reach the point in your webinar for the poll, display it and then ask learners to click to indicate their selection from a list of options.
  • Allow a specific amount of time for responses eg 30 seconds. Don’t be afraid of the silence whilst people are choosing their answer! When everyone has clicked, then you will be able to display poll results for everyone to see.
  • Do not display results until everyone has responded so individuals don’t get influenced by other people’s answers.
  • Use poll results to reinforce your material Eg “So I can see that most of you are experienced L & D professionals which means I’m safe to assume a certian level of knowledge in this group” or “This looks like most of you are pretty new to webinars so I’ll make sure I cover the basic information you need to get started and make your webinars really valuable for your participants.”
  • Some surprising results from your poll, then you could start a short live discussion on this or ask for comments on the results in the chat box.

Above all, ‘practice makes perfect’ so do some practice runs before the real thing!

Anyone else want to add tips on the use of polls?