Viva Las Vevox: Exploring the use of Vevox at the RAU

The RAU epxlored the sue of Vevox

In August 2022, led by @husnaahmed, the Learning Technology team planned and delivered a Vevox training session for Lecturers. Vevox is a polling and Q&A platform that can be used in a range of contexts to support engagement (Auga Technologies Ltd, 2022).  

The Learning Technology Team presenting Vevox Staff Training

“A classroom response system (CRS) is any system used in a face-to-face setting to poll students and gather immediate feedback in response to questions posed by instructors” (Deal, 2007, p2). 

Husna exploring the use of Vevox and PowerPoint

At the RAU, we carried out a pilot to ascertain the extent to which Vevox was right for the RAU led by Husna Ahmed (@husnaahmed). One of the ways in which Vevox was used successfully was as part of the interactive sessions within our transnational projects. Engaging a large number of students in one online classroom can present a range of pedagogic challenges. Vevox can help to support student engagement in this context. 

Learning from our audience. What Student Response Systems (SRS) have we tried before?

We explored what the tool is, why you can use it, and how to get started for example using module pages on Gateway. We demonstrated how to use the tool with a live demonstration and showed participants the Vevox  Microsoft Teams integration The Vevox PowerPoint add in is a useful tool.  

The Vevox dashboard was discussed for example using polls, Q&A, surveys, word cloud and how to change the settings. One of the significant feature is how to use it with a PowerPoint slide. It is also possible to enhance the Vevox experience by using a countdown clock to help students focus on a task. The extent to which Vevox can provide an opportunity to explore learning analytics was also explored. 

Chantal delivered a live demonstration of Vevox

Participants were invited to take part in a self-assessment and compared the results at the before and after the session. The results showed that a significant improvement with respect to improving confidence in using Vevox 

A comparison of how attendees felt in terms of using Vevox before and after the training session. A positive result shared with everyone.

In terms of articulating the value of using Vevox in teaching and learning contexts, we explored both a pedagogic application and reflective component. Benefits of using the tool are the possibility of contributing in an anonymous capacity and the potential of co-creation. A range of case studies were explored. The history of both student response systems (SRS) and class response systems (CRS) were discussed, assessment and feedback, both synchronous and asynchronous use, the phenomenon of lurking and previous action research carried out at the RAU exploring polling.   

Lisa exploring Vevox case studies from other institutions

Previous action research carried out into polling at the RAU presented at the Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) organised the EdTech Winter Online Conference in 2021 with Paradigm Shift: Reflection, Resilience and Renewal in Digital Education that took place in January 2021 on Zoom entitled “I Poll Therefore I Am” Exploring the impact of polling on student engagement in the context of a transnational online pivot (McDonald, 2022). A reflective blog post can be accessed here.  

We were very grateful to Fraser Hill and Brogan Milligan from Vevox who joined the training session. Fraser talked us through new features. Thank you to the academics who attended the training session. If you have any questions, please get in touch with the team: learning.technology@rau.ac.uk. 

Fraser Hill, Customer Success Manager from Vevox, joined us from Vevox to share future developments

Check out the Vevox Education Stories  and the Vevox blog.

If you would like to explore how to use Vevox, please get in touch with the Learning technology Team: learning.technology@rau.ac.uk.

Bibliography 

Auga Technologies Ltd (2022) Vevox (Online) Available at: https://www.vevox.com/ [Accessed 11 August 2022] 

Auga Technologies Ltd (2022) PowerPoint Add-In (Online) Available at: https://www.vevox.com/resources/powerpoint-add-in [Accessed 11 August 2022] 

Auga Technologies Ltd (2022) Education Stories (Online) Available at:  https://www.vevox.com/stories/education-stories [Accessed 11 August 2022] 

 Auga Technologies Ltd (2022) Tips & inspiration for unmissable meetings and classes. www.vevox.com/blog. Vevox Blog. [blog] 2022 www.vevox.com/blog. [Accessed 12 August 2022] 

McDonald, P., (2021) Digital Winter is Coming. Exploring the Brave New Digital Worlds at the EdTech Winter Conference 2021. A Reflective Audio Comic. Digitalrau.wordpress.com Digital Transformation Blog [blog] 14^th January.  Available at:  https://digitalrau.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/the-digital-winter-is-coming-exploring-the-brave-new-digital-worlds-at-the-edtech-winter-conference-2021-a-reflective-audio-comic/ [Accessed 8 August 2022]  

McDonald, P., (2021) “I Poll Therefore I Am” Exploring the impact of polling on student engagement in the context of a transnational online pivot. [PowerPoint presentation] Irish Learning Technology Association (ILTA) EdTech Winter Online Conference 2021 Paradigm Shift: Reflection, Resilience and Renewal in Digital Education. Online. January 2021. 

Tong, V.C.H., (2012), Using asynchronous electronic surveys to help in-class revision: A case study. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43: 465-473. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2011.01207.x 

Vevox is go!

After a small-scale pilot during semester 1 the RAU have now agreed to purchase the Student Response system Vevox.

Background

We started our journey with Vevox in 2019 and before lockdown. With an increase in the number of core modules being delivered we were seeing more large-group lectures of over 100 students. There was an increasing need to keep students engaged and encourage discussion and critical thinking despite the group size. A small pilot group was established and we looked at solutions including Mentimeter, PollEverywhere, Turning point and Vevox.

The group opted for Vevox primarily due to their PowerPoint integration, ease of use and friendly customer service approach.

The impact of Covid

Covid has not only slowed down our ability to work on new projects but has changed our requirements. Our blended curriculum consists of pre-recorded lectures, while seminars are face-to-face or online (depending on the situation of the students in that module). The PowerPoint has (for now) moved down the priority list, while use in an online session (for example in Teams) has moved up. Surveys (an asynchronous version of polls) are also of more interest. Vevox have worked hard with us and the sector more generally to stay relevant, for example will soon be releasing a Teams integration.

The pilot group

Participation on the Integrated Foundation Year Digital Skills module

The Vevox pilot group has been relatively active and we now have 16 users registered on the site, 9 of these have created polls or surveys. Some of these poll sessions have had over 80 participants. I have used Vevox on the Digital Skills module I teach on and the students really like it. Polls have been more successful than surveys but we have had a high participation rate and it has led to some good discussions. The anonymity is helpful and has encouraged honesty and participation.

What next?

On Wednesday 9^th December Amie Fletcher from Vevox will joining us on Teams in a very brief (3:30-4pm) session introducing Vevox. We will also share a couple of case studies and real life experiences from the pilot group and invite people to sign up for the second phase of the pilot to run in semester 2.

We are also looking at our SSO integration, the aforementioned Teams app and the PowerPoint plugin.

And of course the ITS team plan to use Vevox for our Christmas quiz!

Our plan is that Vevox becomes one of the core tools in our digital tool box.

Vevox pub quiz

Unfortunately due to the current situation we have had to postpone our Vevox pilot. Vevox is a live polling app that supports real-time audience engagement. We went through a procurement process at the end of last year and were really impressed by the ability to integrate Vevox with PowePoint and our Moodle VLE. It would have been a great tool in the box for our online delivery, but timings have got the better of us. We hope to restart things in the new academic year.

In the meantime the Vevox community have been really welcoming and invited us to their Vevox arms virtual pub quiz. The quiz was run in Zoom but used the Vevox app to deliver a series of questions, from straight multiple choice questions to numeric scales and word clouds.

The setting for the quiz was the Vevox Arms and the quiz master, Peter Eyre Managing Director for Vevox, kept us entertained with jokes and tales of Vevox life. There were also some interesting warm up questions like ‘what do you miss most now you are isolated?’ – it won’t be long till the hairdresser beats the pub!

Vevox is clearly a very friendly company and we are really looking forward to getting our pilot set up and ready to go!

The next pub quiz is on Friday. You can register if interested.

Vevox have also shared 5 top tips for running an interactive quiz with Vevox.