Before introducing a new concept, ask your students what they already know. Their answers appear as a live word cloud — visible to the whole class in seconds.
This technique is grounded in research on prior knowledge activation (Ausubel, 1968): students learn new material more effectively when they connect it to what they already know. The word cloud gives you an instant read of where the class actually is — not where you assumed they’d be.
How to use it:
- Share the participation link or QR code at the start of class
- Students respond in 60 seconds from their phone or laptop — no account needed
- Project the word cloud and use it to frame the session
Works for: any topic where prior knowledge varies. The more diverse the class, the more revealing the result.