As a Nearpod Certified Educator, I am frequently asked by colleagues what Nearpod is, and why they should use it in their class.\u00a0 This blog post will serve to attempt to answer both of these questions.<\/p>\n
The Basics<\/strong><\/p>\n Nearpod (www.nearpod.com)<\/a> is a web-based and mobile application that allows educators to deliver their lessons interactively to students while monitoring their progress in real-time.\u00a0 Educators can download curated lessons from the Nearpod library, create personalized interactive content within the Nearpod website or application, or convert a lesson from another source, for example, a PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat Reader file.\u00a0 Interactive pages and elements are crafted within the new Nearpod lesson.\u00a0 These interactive components can include polls, quizzes, collaboration sessions, memory tests, slideshows, videos, or virtual reality field trips.<\/p>\n Educators have the option to share and control their interactive lessons in a synchronous\/real-time classroom session, or through asynchronous\/student-directed sessions.\u00a0 Generally, the lesson is created by the educator to maximize engagement within the intended delivery model.<\/p>\n Nearpod works on both Macintosh and Windows-based computers through the website, or on Apple iOS and Android-based tablets and smartphones through the Nearpod application, allowing students to use their own devices.\u00a0 In my experience, Nearpod works best using a tablet and with students working together in small groups to support problem-based learning.\u00a0 However, the multi-platform compatibility of Nearpod ensures institutions can use existing computer labs and classrooms to reduce additional costs, as new hardware is not required to benefit from the interactive features of this education application.<\/p>\n Evidence<\/strong><\/p>\n As the lesson is delivered by the educator, students interact and submit answers and responses on their individual device.\u00a0 The lesson is controlled by the educator through the mobile app, allowing the educator to monitor and measure the student response individually or collectively while moving around the classroom.\u00a0 This real-time feedback to the educator allows for adaption of the lesson pace as the content is delivered.\u00a0 Educators can focus on elements of the lesson the students require or want more time to explore.\u00a0 Anonymous sharing of student responses helps to increase participation by students who may not have previously participated in traditional discussions.\u00a0 Progress monitoring and the positive effect of real-time monitoring by educators has been researched and validated by several authors including Dewey, Luckner, Santi, and Schunk. \u00a0McKay and Ravenna (2016) looked specifically at Nearpod and the impact of progress monitoring and found that an educator utilizing the Nearpod application with progress monitoring was better able to determine the extent to which students met the lesson objectives when compared to an educator not utilizing Nearpod.<\/p>\n Student engagement is the cornerstone of Nearpod.\u00a0 As examined previously, Nearpod has several varied interactive tools and components to help engage students.\u00a0 Tools are also available to help minimize off-task behaviour, including instructor notifications when a student leaves the application.\u00a0 This feature further ensures student engagement.\u00a0 Krahenbuhl and Mydland (2015) studied 47 undergraduate students and found that \u201cusing Nearpod during live instruction prevents distraction and contributes to better learning outcomes\u201d (Nearpod.com, n.d.).<\/p>\n Nearpod is a powerful education application that improves student engagement and participation.\u00a0 The only limitation of this tool is the imagination of the educator.\u00a0 I would strongly recommend this application to all educators.<\/p>\n Further Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n Here is a great video on the basics of how Nearpod works: https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ThlqFu1qIlM<\/a><\/p>\n Fast Company wrote a good article on Nearpod and Digital Citizenship that is worth reading:\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/40462371\/this-startup-adds-digital-citizenship-to-school-curriculums<\/a><\/p>\n Krahenbuhl, K., & Smith, K. (2015). Nearpod: A Technology Tool to Engage Students in Inquiry. Questioning Strategies<\/em>, 10<\/em>(9). Retrieved from http:\/\/www.ascd.org\/ascd-express\/vol10\/1009-krahenbuhl.aspx<\/p>\n Mckay, L., & Ravenna, G. (2016). Nearpod and the Impact on Progress Monitoring. CCNews<\/em>, 27<\/em>(1), 23\u201327. Retrieved from http:\/\/news.nearpod.com\/CCTE Nearpod Research.pdf<\/p>\n Nearpod.com. (n.d.) http:\/\/www.nearpod.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thank you for taking some time out of your day.\u00a0 What are your thoughts on Nearpod?\u00a0 \u00a0Have you used it?\u00a0 Have a favourite classroom application to promote student engagement?\u00a0 Please comment below.<\/p>\n Enjoy the rest of your day!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Image: Paramedic students from Fanshawe College utilizing Nearpod during a lesson on mass casualty incident management.\u00a0 \u00a0Photograph by Dugg Steary.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a Nearpod Certified Educator, I am frequently asked by colleagues what Nearpod is, and why they should use it in their class.\u00a0 This blog post will serve to attempt to answer both of these questions. The Basics Nearpod (www.nearpod.com) is a web-based and mobile application that allows educators to deliver their lessons interactively to … <\/p>\n