Hey there! Have you noticed your students increasingly distracted, unmotivated or zoning out rather than actively participating? You‘re not alone.
In today‘s digital era, the average student‘s attention span has shrunk from 12 minutes to just 5 minutes — less than that of the average goldfish! Plus remote and hybrid learning adds even more engagement challenges.
But here‘s the exciting part…
Using the latest student engagement platforms, we can reverse the trends of plummeting attention, participation and academic performance to create truly engaging, personalized and even fun learning experiences!
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll give you a tour the top student engagement platforms and best practices for getting buy-in, rolling them out smoothly, and improving outcomes at your institution.
Let‘s dive in!
Why Student Engagement Matters More Now Than Ever
While student engagement has always been important, recent declines are extremely concerning:
- 70% of students report feeling less motivated and engaged in online learning environments (source)
- Only 30% of high school students now feel engaged, leading to lower GPAs, graduation rates and future success (source)
Additionally, research by John Hattie shows that student engagement is one of the #1 drivers of learning outcomes, even more than socioeconomics!
[Insert image summarizing key student engagement stats and impacts]Clearly we need to prioritize keeping students actively immersed, interested and participating to reverse troubling trends and set them up for success.
How Student Engagement Platforms Help
Student engagement platforms compile data across all systems students interact with into unified profiles. Applying analytics and AI, they surface a 360-degree view of each learner along with personalized insights and recommendations to boost participation.
Key benefits you gain with these platforms:
1. Holistic understanding of students
Unifying data from your LMS, supplemental apps, in-class activities and more gives you an accurate snapshot of who is at risk of failing or losing motivation so you can swiftly intervene. Rather than guessing, you‘ll have the metrics.
2. Ability to take targeted action
Platforms don‘t just compile historical data, they enable real-time action! Educators and advisors can quickly send interventions mapped to individual student needs to get them back on track.
3. Tools to increase engagement
Student engagement platforms integrate fun formats like gamification, social collaboration, interactive media and adaptive content to boost participation levels compared to static lectures or texts.
4. Ongoing optimization
Robust analytics allow you to track engagement over time, see what strategies work best for whom, and continuously fine-tune your approach to keep learners actively immersed.
Now let‘s explore the top student engagement platforms I recommend…
12 Awesome Student Engagement Platforms
There are a variety of student engagement platforms out there, but I‘ve hand-picked 12 stellar options based on capabilities, user experience and successful use cases at institutions like yours.
Blooket
Blooket makes learning outrageously fun! Educators can host gaming activities like trivia, tower defense, racing and more right from their teacher dashboard. Questions are highly customizable – leverage their content marketplace or upload your own. Play during lessons or assign as student review.
Key Features
- Customizable games covering all K-12 subjects and college level
- Detailed student performance reports to inform instruction
- Supports game-based learning in-person or remotely
Use Cases
Mrs. Thompson uses Blooket games to review history concepts with her middle schoolers. The platform energizes bored students while generating insights on who needs extra help.
Presence
Presence offers K-12 schools and universities an intuitive platform for managing student attendance and engagement. Check students in via smart devices, student IDs or interactive kiosks to monitor trends. Gain visibility into at-risk learners missing too much school so you can swiftly intervene.
Key Features
- Flexible student check-in tools including custom kiosks
- Attendance automation, tracking and notifications
- Analytics identifying high absence students needing support
Use Cases
Local high schools partnered with Presence to install check-in tablets across campus, linking to their SIS. Admins easily track attendance issues, improve state reporting, and reduce absenteeism through targeted outreach.
Orah
Orah acts as a mission control for understanding and improving each student‘s growth. The platform ingests data from all your EdTech solutions then serves up a 360-degree view of student performance. Educators receive alerts when a student needs assistance along with recommendations to boost engagement and success.
Key Features
- Unified profiles combining data like grades, program usage, strengths
- Notifications when students need interventions
- Tools enabling targeted support and outreach
Use Cases
Sunnybrook Academy, a Boston-area private middle school, uses Orah to identify struggling students sooner. Counselors are automatically looped in to contact families and offer assistance if a child starts failing assignments or missing class.
Nearpod
Nearpod empowers educators to create interactive lessons, videos and activities then track student engagement. Students participate via devices as you see responses in real-time. Features like VR content, chat and collaborative boards expand engagement – whether teaching in-person, remotely or in hybrid settings.
Key Features
- Build rich, multimedia lessons with interactive elements
- Foster student collaboration via chat, whiteboards etc.
- Drive friendly competition with polls, quizzes and gamified learning
Use Cases
Arizona State University lecturers use Nearpod to engage large intro courses. Interactive lessons with comprehension checks ensure students actively participate. Nearpod insights help professors enhance content and teaching methods too.
Google Classroom
As a beloved, familiar tool, Google Classroom makes it seamless to create classes, distribute assignments, grade work and monitor engagement. Streamline educational workflow by tapping into the Google ecosystem including Gmail, Drive and Meet.
Key Features
- Easy assignment creation, distribution and marking
- Classwide announcements and discussions
- Dashboards tracking student work completion
Use Cases
K-12 instructors leverage Google Classroom to organize lessons, readings, assessments and more. The platform centralizes materials and enables engaging via features like live discussions. Admins monitor usage analytics to optimize adoption.
Seesaw
Seesaw gives every student creative tools to capture and share their learning process in ways that make sense for them – from photos and videos to drawings or voice notes. Teachers gain an organized window into student work while parents can stay in the loop to motivate success.
Key Features
- Built-in creative tools like camera, video recorder and drawing
- Student portfolios showcasing work and progress
- Simple teacher-student-parent communication
Use Cases
Elementary educators use Seesaw schoolwide so young learners can showcase skills like they naturally would. The platform fuels consistent teacher-parent partnering to reinforce lessons and celebrate milestones.
ClassDojo
ClassDojo connects teachers, parents and students via features like real-time messaging, feedback loops and the ability to share photos and videos. Build classroom community while giving families an inside look at student work. Translate messages into 35+ languages too!
Key Features
- Private and open message boards to engage parents
- Student portfolios organizing photos/videos of work
- Translations making communication accessible
Use Cases
Ms. Klein‘s second grade class stays connected with ClassDojo. She shares daily activities recapping lessons, which parents actively "like" and discuss to motivate young learners. Students also share progress earning badges and feedback.
Kahoot!
Kahoot makes learning so fun students won’t even realize they’re gaining knowledge! The game-based platform offers trivia quizzes, surveys and other viral activities. Host a session as a classroom icebreaker or test prep. Access pre-made games from their content marketplace too covering all academia.
Key Features
- Library of millions of ready-to-use learning games
- Tools to create your own quizzes and discussions
- Metrics showing student performance
Use Cases
Educators use Kahoot for friendly student competition. The platform’s playful nature encourages active focus amid remote or hybrid environments where traditional lectures can fall flat over Zoom.
Remind
Remind enables ubiquitous communication between educators, students and parents. Safely interact via chat, share files, and announce class news or resources. Keep stakeholders aligned by reaching the right people on any device. With 70% of districts now using Remind, it‘s easy to get started!
Key Features
- Simple teacher-student-parent conversations
- Send announcements like assignment reminders
- Accessible across devices and languages
Use Cases
Mr. Evans, a high school algebra teacher, uses Remind to reduce absent work. He sends assignment notifications and can quickly tell if a student falls behind. If no response, Mr. Evans contacts parents before issues compound.
Echo360
Echo360 gives instructors robust tools to make video-based lessons engaging including polling, discussions, quizzes and analytics showing student viewing habits. Create bite-sized lecture segments then see who watched each part and target weak areas in future classes.
Key Features
- Interactive video lessons
- Heatmaps indicating most/least viewed content
- Measures keeping students accountable for watching
Use Cases
University professors break longer lectures into sub-10 minute Echo360 videos with intermittent quizzes. They monitor analytics to double down on confusing topics and refine teaching methods.
Pear Deck
Pear Deck turns passive presentation slides into active learning tools. Students join lessons via devices then respond to formative assessments, questions and activities embedded into your existing slides and content. Teachers benefit from insights revealing student progress.
Key Features
- Interactive presentations built using Google Slides and Powerpoint
- Real-time participation metrics
- Supports individual, small group and whole class learning
Use Cases
Fourth grade writing teachers project Pear Deck-enhanced lessons. As students answer formative questions about proper narrative structures, teachers address misconceptions immediately before improper techniques become habit.
Flipgrid
With Flipgrid, educators pose discussion topics and students respond with short, captured videos. Using fun, familiar video formats increases comfort levels participating while building 21st century communication abilities. Teachers can target focus areas based on video analytics.
Key Features
- Kid-friendly video prompt and capture tools
- Teacher moderation features
- Analytics identifying student strengths/growth areas
Use Cases
As remote sessions felt stilted over Zoom, Mr. Allen’s high school geography class shifted discussions to Flipgrid. Students answer map-based prompts via quick uploaded videos. Participation skyrocketed as teenagers got creative with the familiar, popular format.
Quizizz
Quizizz lets you put together fun quizzes students complete at their own pace via any device. With lots of interactive formats to engage all types of learners, Quizizz makes reviewing course materials friendly competition. Educators receive rich analytics on performance.
Key Features
- Supports individual or live multiplayer quizzes/games
- Detailed reports on student work
- Uses memes, GIFs and more to hook students
Use Cases
Algebra teachers gamify test prep with Quizizz‘s fast-paced quizzes. Seeing classmates on leaderboards motivates students to excel while teachers discern knowledge gaps requiring intervention before high-stakes exams.
There you have it – 12 awesome platforms purpose-built to drive higher student participation and success through engagement analytics, community building and interactive formats.
I don‘t expect you to adopt all 12! Evaluate your specific goals around improving student outcomes, then select 1-2 tools meeting your needs. Most offer free trials – take them for a spin!
Now, onto tips for smooth adoption…
Best Practices for Driving Student Engagement Platform Success
Like any education technology solution, student engagement platforms need to be strategically implemented to maximize impact. Here is a high-level roadmap I recommend:
Build the Case for Change
Gather data illustrating decreasing student participation, lowered test scores or achievement gaps at your institution. Clearly show stakeholders like administrators and board members why improving engagement must become a priority investment this year.
Define Your Vision
What does success look like? Establish measurable Key Performance Indicators around higher assignment completion rates, increased quiz scores, or improved graduation numbers to quantify engagement platform impact.
Select Your Platform
Pilot 1-2 vendors offering capabilities aligned to challenges identified then compare. Factor in ease of use, advanced analytics strength, integration feasibility and support ratings.
Train Teachers & Admins
Roll out specialized training across all who manage or instruct students. Highlight platform benefits while equipping them to monitor analytics dashboards and utilize key features.
Incentivize & Gamify Adoption
Make using student engagement platforms fun! Friendly competition among teachers with rewards for highest usage keeps them motivated leveraging the tools. Share quick platform tips at faculty meetings.
Solicit Ongoing Feedback
Check in with teachers and admins regularly to hear what platform elements work best and where they still need support. Continuously refine your approach, training and communication strategy based on insights received.
Driving adoption doesn‘t end once you’ve purchased and installed new EdTech! Setting teachers and support staff up for success leads to better student outcomes.
Are you ready to boost learner engagement at your institution this year? Reach out if you need any guidance selecting and onboarding top platforms. I‘m happy to offer complimentary consultative advice to develop the perfect plan for your unique environment and objectives.
Now, let‘s peek into the future…
What‘s Next for Student Engagement Platforms?
We‘ve explored powerful capabilities supporting students now, but platforms leveraging AI and predictive analytics can create even more personalized, automated and engaging learning experiences.
Emerging innovations I foresee include:
Automated Student Nudges
Platforms may eventually use natural language processing to simulate one-on-one support conversations. Machine learning would determine the best timing and content for nudges encouraging each learner based on their progress and personality.
Proactive Teacher Alerts
Similarly, algorithms can forecast which students might start struggling or losing steam weeks before it would be obvious to busy teachers. Platforms would prompt instructors to preemptively check in to keep students from ever fully disengaging.
Adaptive Learning Experiences
We know no two students learn the same way. Soon platforms could tailor lesson formats, multimedia used, difficulty levels and more to adapt to changing knowledge and skills continuously. Support stays personalized even as needs evolve.
While current platforms focus on compiling engagement data and driving targeted interventions, tomorrow‘s solutions will get smarter leveraging AI to fully prevent student drop off in the first place through ultra personalized experiences.
The capabilities already exist to make every learner feel seen, motivated and immersed. Let‘s connect to explore the options ideal for supercharging outcomes at your institution!
To your success,
[Your name]
