A quiz is one of the quickest ways to wake up a class. In a few minutes you see what has stuck, and students join in without it feeling like a test. Here's how to use Sparqel in your lessons, from the first five minutes to homework.
Students don't need an account
Students open sparqel.com on their phone, tablet or laptop, type in the PIN from the interactive whiteboard and choose a name. That's it. You don't need to import class lists and nobody has to remember a password.
You stay in control:
- Name filter: inappropriate names are replaced with a neutral nickname.
- Remove players: take someone out of the lobby with one click.
- Two-step join: students first tap in the pattern shown on the board. That way only people who are actually in the classroom can join.
- Lock the lobby once everyone is in.
Start with five questions
Begin the lesson with a short quiz on the previous lesson. Five questions are enough. After each question you see how the answers are spread, and you can explain straight away what isn't clear yet.
For younger children, maths questions or students who read a bit more slowly, choose the Accuracy game mode when you start. Then only a correct answer counts, not how fast it came. With Unlimited time, the question only closes when everyone has answered, or when you click Close answers.
Mix up the question types:
- Puzzle for sequences, such as the steps of photosynthesis or historical dates.
- Slider for estimates and sums.
- Pin answer for map work or a spot on a diagram.
- Type answer if you want students to come up with the answer themselves. You can still accept small spelling mistakes afterwards.
Opinion questions to get a discussion going
Not every question needs a right answer. Opinion questions don't give points, but they do start a conversation:
- A Word cloud with "What comes to mind when you hear the word democracy?"
- A Poll or a Scale from disagree to agree on a statement.
- An Open question for reflection: what did you find difficult today?
- A Brainstorm: students send in ideas, you group them on the board and then the class votes.
As homework: an assignment
You can also set the same quiz as an assignment. Students then play at home, at their own pace, until a deadline you choose (up to 90 days ahead). You share a link or a PIN, for example on your learning platform.
In an assignment, the questions and images appear on the student's own screen, because there is no whiteboard. A timer is optional. The report fills up after every answer, so before the lesson you can already see who has finished and where the class struggled.
After the lesson
After every game or assignment you get a report: per question, the percentage who got it right, and per student, their answers and score. You can also download everything as Excel.
Handy for the next lesson: in the report, one button turns the Hardest questions into a practice quiz, using the questions that less than 35 percent got right. That way you revise exactly what's needed.
What happens to the data
Students are asked for nothing but a name. The data from a live game is deleted when it ends, or otherwise automatically within 48 hours. Only you can see the report, and you can delete it whenever you like. There are no ads and no tracking cookies. You can read more in the privacy policy.