Continuing our current "App"etizer theme on assessment-based apps, let’s talk about Go Pollock!
(Update: Go Pollock is now Classtime)
The Basics:
- Price: Free, but a Premium Version is available for $60 annually; each Collaborative Challenge costs around $2-4 dollars each.
- Link: https://www.gopollock.com/en/
Out of the many well-known assessment apps such as Socrative or Kahoot, Go Pollock is the new kid on the block.
Go Pollock thrives on easily distributable, customizable, and measurable assessments, but what sets it apart are three distinct features.
- Non-rooms: this app doesn’t use a consistent room code. On its face, this sounds problematic, but actually it’s a nice plus. Because other assessment apps use a single room code (or you have to pay to own multiple rooms), you can’t run multiple assessments simultaneously. Each Go Pollock session provides a different link that students can use at any time, so:
- Students can work at their own pace (there’s still a setting where you can make it go question-by-question if you’d like).
- You can assign “Go Pollocks” as homework.
- You can have multiple classes use Go Pollock at the same time.
- “Smart” Free-Response Grading. You’ll notice that some of the student answers in the picture below are marked with a yellow “eye”, which means that they are free response questions that need to be graded. One wonderful feature of Go Pollock is that it once you grade a students’ answer, any other students’ identical answers will also be graded (whether right or wrong), as well as any matching future submissions. This is a helpful time saver, to say the least.
- Collaborative Challenges: A really neat feature of Go Pollock is that you can turn any quiz you make into a “Collaborative Challenge”. These interactive challenges pit your students against themselves in a whole group mastery test. If they hit 80% correct as a class, they could build a rollercoaster, resupply the International Space Station, or solve a puzzle right before their eyes. They’re super engaging and lots of fun for students and teachers alike. Unfortunately, Go Pollock does not yet support small groups of students competing against one another--perhaps we’ll eventually see something like “Roller Coaster Tycoons” competing against one another or a “Space Race” between rival countries. Who knows?
How to Use It in Class:
Go Pollock, after all, is a tool; it’s how the tool is wielded in the hands of the teacher that matters.- Measure summative assessment data between different groups of students.
- Break up a lesson for a change of pace.
- Add in a dose of competition to spice up an activity
- Do a exit ticket activity to check for understanding.
- Using images, graphs, or GIFs, create an interactive museum tour using the varied kinds of question types available.
- **Note for math teachers-- Go Pollock allows you to input formulas & equations, so you can use it too**
Tips & Tricks:
- To easily get students into the different sessions of Go Pollock, I have them skip the typing altogether by having them click active links in a “HyperSlide” like so:
- You can easily share question sets between fellow teachers as well use a growing online library through Khan Academy and Go Pollock itself.
- I’ve found the Go Pollock tech support and design team to be really supportive and responsive to feedback. If you’ve got an idea that you think should be implemented, simply reach out to them on Twitter @go_pollock.
Until then, happy assessing!
Nate
Thanks Nate for the very good review and for sharing the insights! Very useful to see how you use Go Pollock to the benefits of your students!!
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