How do I use Padlet for teaching?

There are many different ways that Padlet can promote student engagement. Some suggestions for how Padlet can be used in combinations of supporting learning before and after teaching sessions, standalone or as part of an online classroom. Many of the approaches provide lectures with ways of gauging students' learning and for students to check their own understanding as well as ways of asking questions about a topic or the Module. After each example below a suggestion is made for which Padlet style (Wall, Canvas etc) might be most appropriate. For more on Padlet styles please visit Which Padlet style should I select?.

Firstly when creating your Padlets ensure the setting for attributions is turned OFF (slider to the left) so that all contributions are anonymous and ensures students are not required to log in to post. Remind students that all posts are anonymous and how they can post and if you have enabled comments and/or voting on posts (where you have actioned this). The anonymity feature supports a diverse range of students contributing.

Once you have created your Padlet and embedded it in a Moodle Page, only navigate students to the Padlet either through the Moodle page or using the Moodle page link. Do not share the direct Padlet url and remind students not to share this link by any channels. This is important for GDPR purposes and will ensure only users you have shared the Padlet with via a Moodle page will be able to view and contribute to that Padlet. For more please visit How do I share a Padlet with my students?.

Before an online class

To ask students to post a question they may have on the topic that would like addressed either in the online class or via the Padlet. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.
To ask students to very briefly summarise what they thought was the one most interesting point from the pre-session reading and using the Padlet as a way of the whole class summarising the article to refer back to. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.
To create a class blog; for sharing research, feedback, or questions about assessment tasks or a topic. Suggest Wall, Grid or Shelf Padlet.
To create a pre-class mix-media representation of a topic by posting images, weblinks, audio files either in addition to text or instead of. Suggest Wall, Grid, Shelf or Timeline Padlet.
To engage students before an online classroom as part of pre-work. Pose a question and all students can respond, for example in relation to some pre-reading or other pre-work set or before starting a new topic to gather their current knowledge on it or expectations of the Module. Suggest Wall or Shelf Padlet.
To use map images as a different way to ask for example where students are from or to identify a feature on the map or location. Suggest Map Padlet.

During an online class

To ask students to post a question they may have on the topic that would like addressed either in the online class or via the Padlet. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.
To ask students to theme responses to questions or contrintions. Once you have generated questions or input ask the group to organise or group the posts according to emerging questions or themes as appropriate to the context. Suggest Canvas Padlet.
To ask students to briefly summarise what they thought was the one most interesting point from the pre-session reading and using the Padlet as a way of the whole class summarising the article to refer back to. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.
To brainstorm a topic and create connections between different posts. Suggest Canvas Padlet.
To create a class blog; for sharing research, feedback, or questions about assessment task or topic. Suggest Wall, Grid or Shelf Padlet.
To create a mood board to share early work/ first drafts about upcoming assessment tasks or to discuss assessment criteria. Suggest using the Wall, Shelf, Grid, Timeline Padlet.
To create mix-media representations by posting images, weblinks, audio files either in addition to text or instead of. Suggest Wall, Grid, Shelf or Timeline Padlet.
To develop a timeline layout asking students to post one entry in an ongoing time sequence. For example as a group please complete this timeline for assignment submission process / lifecycle of a butterfly/project timeline. Suggest Timeline Padlet.
To gauge understanding during an online classroom by setting questions at the outset and by end of an online class and asking students either on their own or in groups to answer them. Suggest Wall or Shelf Padlet.
To share mathematical formulae and comment on posts. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.
To use map images as a different way to ask for example where students are from or to identify a feature on the map or location. Suggest Map Padlet.

After an online class

To create a class blog; for sharing research, feedback, or questions about assessment tasks or topic. Suggest Wall, Grid or Shelf Padlet.
To follow up a class topic and create mix-media representations by posting images, weblinks, audio files either in addition to text or instead of. Suggest Wall, Grid, Shelf or Timeline Padlet.
To gather formative evaluation by using headings ‘Stop, Start, Continue’ to conduct a group evaluation – what do we need to stop doing, what do we need to start doing, what do we want to continue doing. Suggest Shelf Padlet.

Other uses

To ask questions about assessment tasks or topic. Suggest Wall, Grid or Shelf Padlet.
To gather Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as part of a Module. Post a Padlet in the Moodle course as a way students can ask questions about the module. Lecturers can select to make comments on posts or enable all students to make comments and/or like a post if it's a question they also have. Suggest Wall or Grid Padlet.