Pros and Cons: Socrative

Overview

Socrative is a free-to-use program, accessible either by computer or by its Student and Teacher apps, that allows teachers to quiz students in real time on their devices with the use of a room code. Teachers can design their own quiz questions on any subject, and they can include as many or as few questions as they desire. When quizzing students, the teacher may reveal the answer(s) to the students at any time and discuss them. Socrative offers a variety of ways to quiz students; its flexibility is one of its greatest assets, especially as free software. It does have its limitations, but for the low, low price of $0, it's got a lot going for it.

Pros

1. Varied answer types

Questions on Socrative can be either multiple choice, true/false, or free response, so teachers can mix up the format when quizzing students. Furthermore, multiple choice questions can be programmed to have more than one answer, giving teachers even more variety to work with when making quizzes. This versatility allows teachers to use Socrative for any subject, from English to math (math teachers can upload screenshots of math problems to retain any formatting that would not be possible to type out, such as fraction bars).

2. Different quiz formats

Socrative offers several different ways to quiz students, each serving a different purpose. The basic quiz format is great for working in groups or as an entire class, as the teacher determines when to move on to the next question. This provides a lot of opportunity for discussion if students are confused on a particular question. There is also a quiz mode more focused on individuals: each student essentially takes his own quiz and he determines when to move on to the next question. The teacher can then track the progress of each student on a chart. If multiple students are having difficulty with a particular question, teachers can discuss the correct answer after everyone is finished. The third quiz format is Space Race, a great mode for having a little bit more fun. In the Space Race format, students can work individually or in pairs with one student submitting the answers. The goal of Space Race is to get the most correct answers while answering more quickly than the other competitors. It's a great way to disguise learning as a game and keep students focused, as it requires both speed and accuracy.

3. Immediate feedback

In Part 3 of my Benefits of Gamification series, I talked about the positive aspects of visible learning. Socrative is a great example of a program that makes learning clearly visible for students, helping them figure out what they know and what they don't know. With Socrative, they are able to learn whether or not their answer to a question is correct immediately in normal quiz mode or Space Race, or whenever the teacher decides to reveal the answer in group quiz mode. The group mode offers an opportunity for a class discussion at any time if there is confusion about a certain question. Because the teacher decides the pace, not the software, students can get immediate feedback on why their answer is incorrect and use that feedback to improve their understanding of the material.

Cons

1. Availability of quizzes

The only real drawback of Socrative is that quizzes are not available outside the classroom. Socrative works by having students enter their teacher's room code, which links them to whatever quiz or activity the teacher is broadcasting. The teacher's device has to be broadcasting and the students' devices have to be within the reach of the wireless signal for any of Socrative's activities, so a teacher could not broadcast a quiz and have students take it at home, for example. However, the teacher can create a digital file of the quiz questions and either print it out or send it to students to take at home as a review assignment.

And there you have it! Socrative's pros definitely outweigh its one con, especially if the inability to use it outside the classroom is not a major concern. Socrative is a wonderful review tool that engages students and gives them a visual measure of their learning. I would definitely recommend giving it a try! After all, there's nothing to lose.