Backchannel tools are not new in education and they have been done well before computers made their way into our classrooms. Just using small pieces of paper as ways for students/others to write down questions and comments during a class/presentation is something that was done well before Google was even a company.

However, they have not always been well used in classrooms as it is usually an expectation that students will raise their hands and ask questions when they have them. The problem is that there are many variables that can impact whether or not a student can or will do this. If a student is very shy, has a high level of social anxiety, has a speech impediment, has a hearing impairment, or processes things just a bit slower than their classmates, it can impact the ability of a student to be able to participate in this expected manner. Not to mention, whether a student feels intellectually safe in that learning space can impact if they are willing to ask a question and if that question will make them look dumb or behind their classmates.

In the first year that my classroom went 1 to 1, where every student was given a laptop, I started to look at backchannels more as a way to help more of my students participate in our discussions and be more engaged in the learning. It also helps me to understand what they know and where their understanding is currently when they ask questions or respond to questions from others. I tried a few tools, but when I found one that I preferred, it was because it just worked, and my students were able to easily post their questions or comments during class so I could respond to them right away. I started having some students, who before the backchannel never really spoke up in class, were now participating more than most others. They just needed to be able to participate in a different way that best fit them as a learner. The interesting thing was that after they had used the backchannel for a while, they started participating in more verbal ways. They had found that they could ask questions, that this was an intellectually safe place for them, and that asking questions was just part of the learning process.

Now the tool I had used in the past is gone, which is why I always say “Date technology, do not marry it” because tech will come and go. There are some other options out there but you need to find one that just works for you and your students. My simplest way of doing this is just with a Google Doc. Create a Google Doc and insert a table with 2 columns: one for the question and one for the voting chip (Smart Chip). Insert the voting chips in the right column and then share them with your students so they have editing access. Now, you may have to have some conversations the first time you share a Doc with your whole class about appropriate usage, but those are good conversations to have and should not just be avoided. Students can enter their questions/comments during class, and then other students can upvote the questions that they have. This allows you to see the top questions from students so you can hit those questions first if time is short. This is a simple way to do this, and it just works. (If you are not a Google district, you should be able to do the same thing with a Word document, or you could even use a Figjam to do this.)

If you need to see an example, this is my template that I would use: Google Doc as a Backchannel Template Using a backchannel is a great way to help more students participate and be engaged in class discussions or direct instruction. It removes some barriers they may face and will help you better understand where they are as a learner. Try it today and you might be amazed at who is now “participating” that was not before.