Beyond the poll: How QMUL colleagues are using Mentimeter to support active learning and discussion

Introduction 

Mentimeter is often associated with polls and quizzes, but conversations with four experienced QMUL users revealed a much broader range of applications. 

Used in settings ranging from small-group workshops to lectures with up to 500 students, Mentimeter is helping colleagues gather insight into student understanding, widen participation and to create opportunities for discussion. 

To explore how the platform is being used across Queen Mary, TELT’s Wenqing and Mentimeter’s Ebba, spoke with four colleagues identified among the ten most active Mentimeter users at the University. Their experiences span Business and Management, Library Services and Biomedical Sciences Education. 

Although their contexts and approaches differ, a consistent principle emerged: Mentimeter is most effective when it supports a clear learning purpose and when student responses are used to shape what happens next. 

1. Start with a clear purpose 

Arash Valipour, Senior Lecturer in the School of Business and Management, first began using Mentimeter while preparing for remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following positive student feedback, he continued using the platform after returning to face-to-face teaching. 

His approach is deliberately straightforward. Rather than using Mentimeter in every session, he incorporates quizzes four or five times during a semester to revisit lecture and seminar content. 

The focus is not on moving quickly through a series of questions. Arash pauses to explain answers, revisit theories and ask students to expand on the material. He may remain on one question for several minutes if it reveals an area that requires further discussion. 

He also includes one light-hearted question in the middle of each quiz to maintain interest without distracting from the learning activity. One example asks students to identify the capital of Australia, with many choosing Sydney before discovering that the answer is Canberra. 

For Arash, effective use depends less on technical complexity and more on how an educator designs and facilitates the activity. His students have commented that his approach feels different from quizzes that are delivered more mechanically, reinforcing the value of pacing, explanation and discussion. 

His experience shows that staff do not need to use every available feature. A well-timed question, enough space for reflection and a clear purpose can be more valuable than a technically complex presentation. 

2. Create more routes into participation 

Another theme across the interviews was the role Mentimeter can play in creating additional ways for students to participate. 

Arash described occasions when students who rarely spoke during seminars became highly active during a quiz. In some cases, a student who had remained quiet throughout the class finished at the top of the leaderboard, demonstrating understanding through a different form of participation. 

Richard Evans, Academic Skills and Liaison Librarian, highlighted the value of anonymous contribution in optional academic-skills sessions. Students may attend because they are uncertain about a particular skill or need additional support. Responding through Mentimeter allows them to contribute without having to identify themselves publicly or state that they are struggling. 

Richard also uses Mentimeter to support what he describes as compassionate practice. During induction sessions with large international cohorts, students use the Pinpoint activity to mark where they are from on a world map. The resulting visual helps represent the diversity of the cohort and opens conversations about different educational experiences, expectations and understandings of university and library services. 

Paula Funnell, also an Academic Skills and Liaison Librarian, has observed similar benefits across small workshops, large lecture theatres and online sessions. Interactive prompts can help initiate conversations that might otherwise be difficult to start, particularly where students are less confident speaking in front of a group. In some sessions, the responses generate so much discussion that the challenge becomes bringing everyone back together afterwards.  

These examples suggest that a poll, word cloud or anonymous text response can provide an accessible first step into wider participation. It does not replace spoken discussion, but it can help more students reach the point where they are ready to contribute. 

3. Use responses to shape learning and discussion 

The interviews also showed that Mentimeter does not need to be reserved for a quiz at the end of a lecture. 

Richard explained that his use of the platform has become more intentional over time. He now uses interactive questions to activate or assess prior knowledge at the beginning of a session, support retrieval and recap during teaching, and assess learning at the end. 

Paula adopts a similarly varied approach. She uses Mentimeter to identify what students already know, check understanding, gather observations from activities and consolidate learning. 

In blended-learning settings, students might investigate library search results independently, record their findings in Mentimeter and then discuss the patterns or differences during a live session. This connects individual activity with later group analysis and discussion. 

A more structured example comes from Steven Buckingham, Reader in Biomedical Sciences Education. Steven uses Mentimeter as part of a Peer Instruction approach. After introducing a concept, he begins with relatively straightforward questions to check recall and build confidence. He then presents a more challenging question intended to produce different answers across the room. 

Students vote, discuss their reasoning with a neighbouring student and vote again. A follow-up free-text question asks what influenced their thinking or why their answer changed. These responses then provide a bridge into a broader whole-class discussion. 

Steven has used this approach with cohorts ranging from approximately 125 students to groups of up to 500. He argues that peer discussion can help a large lecture feel more like a smaller tutorial because students see that others may share similar questions or misunderstandings. 

In this model, Mentimeter is not the destination. It is a springboard into explanation, peer dialogue and reflection. The response data helps the lecturer decide where to pause, what to revisit and which ideas would benefit from further discussion.  

4. Finding a workflow that works

The interviews also revealed that there is no single way to combine Mentimeter with other teaching technologies. 

Some colleagues use it alongside PowerPoint, while others deliver highly interactive sessions almost entirely within Mentimeter. The common principle is to choose a workflow that supports the activity without interrupting the session. 

Accessibility was another consideration raised during the interviews. Where PowerPoint slides are imported as static images, additional work may be needed to ensure content remains accessible, such as adding descriptions or alternative text where appropriate. As with any digital tool, accessibility is an important part of planning and preparation. 

Further support and training 

TELT will continue to work with Mentimeter to share examples of practice from across the University and support colleagues who would like to explore the platform further.   

Further support is also available through: 

• Book a Learning Technologist (BALT) for individual guidance; Book a Learning Technologist (BALT) for individual guidance;  

• Raise a helpdesk ticket for technical support;  

• Ask TELT in 20, staff drop ins available Monday to Friday, 1:00-2:00pm on MS Teams. 

• Visit our  Mentimeter guides