Mentimeter

Last updated: November 15, 2023

Introduction

Integrating student participation can be made easy with different software technologies. As time goes on, more and more tools are becoming available for both students and teachers to make learning more interactive. A big player in this domain is Mentimeter, an interactive presentation software tool that allows presenters to engage with their audience in real-time. With Mentimeter, educators can engage in live polling, quizzes, and other activities during instructional time.

Background

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Mentimeter was created in 2014 as a startup¹ . The software is browser-based, and it focuses on online collaboration for the education sector, with students being able to answer questions anonymously.

Mentimeter follows a freemium business model, with several great features being available for no cost. Some of the features include:

Feature	Description
Word Clouds²	Can generate word clouds based on audience input, providing a visual representation of common responses or opinions.
Live Polling³	Enables presenters to create polls and surveys that the audience can respond to in real-time using their smartphones, tablets, or computers.
Quizzes⁴	Can create interactive quizzes to test the audience’s knowledge and engagement. Participants receive immediate feedback on their responses.
Surveys⁵	Can issue surveys that allows the presenter to gauge the audience

Process

The only thing needed to utilize Mentimeter and its features is a free account that can be created with an email. After signing up, users can fully interact with the Mentimeter websites and all of its core features.

Mentimeter is a supplement for presentations, so Mentimeter offers a browser-based slideshow creator. On their website, one can create new slides from a template or from scratch. After creating the slides, users are able to incorporate several different features into their slides. Here is what the landing page looks like:

Mentimeter screenshot

The process for the audience to join the presentation is easy, requiring each participant to punch a code into the mentimeter website. This code is generated when the slideshow begins, and is advertised on the first slide of the presentation. Here is what an introduction slide can look like:

Mentimeter screenshot

As for slide creation, Mentimeter has the basic functionalities found in other presentation creation softwares, such as the ability to include images and links into the slides. Mentimeter offers several different tutorials and guides. These guides consist of videos and web pages⁶ detailing the basics of Mentimeter.

Uses in education

Mentimeter was created with education in mind, as audience participation is at the heart of Mentimeter. From sparking debates and discussions, to keeping students engaged during direct instruction, Mentimeter is a very flexible and robust tool that can be applied in several different educational scenarios. So much so that Mentimeter has part of their website⁷ devoted to the educational applications of Mentimeter.