Educational Technology User GuidesPoll EverywhereStudentsStudent Best Practices & Troubleshooting

Student Best Practices & Troubleshooting

Best Practices

Using Poll Everywhere in the Classroom

Poll Everywhere is a classroom response system that your instructor will use to ask questions during lectures and see the classroom’s responses in real-time. Please follow the instructions below prior to the first class and bring a web-enabled device to every class so you can participate.

Logging in to Poll Everywhere

You will need to log in to Poll Everywhere to participate in your instructor’s sessions. Follow these instructions to log in with your Tufts username and password: http://tuftsedtech.screenstepslive.com/s/19028/m/73482/l/812154-how-to-log-into-poll-everywhere

How to access Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere can be accessed from any web-browser or from the Poll Everywhere mobile app (iOS and Android). For the best experience use the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet. For more information see the getting started guide:

http://tuftsedtech.screenstepslive.com/s/19028/m/73482/l/812155-student-getting-started-guide

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT USING POLL EVERYWHERE:

  • Always log in to Poll Everywhere before you participate. If you do not log in your participation will not be associated with your name.
  • In the classroom, always connect your device to the "Tufts_Secure” wireless network for a fast and secure connection. For more information visit: https://it.tufts.edu/securewireless.
  • If you run into any problems with Poll Everywhere please contact [email protected].

Troubleshooting

If you are having trouble connecting to Poll Everywhere, try these steps

Make sure that your device is connected to the "Tufts_Secure" wifi network

"Tufts_Secure" is the most robust and reliable wifi network on campus.

You should also remove any other Tufts wifi networks from your settings, as most devices may switch between networks automatically.

How to remove wireless network profiles on Windows 10

When you connect to a new Wi-Fi networks it is added and stored in a list of profiles. Over period time these wireless profiles (SSIDs) can become quite large. The following instructions guide you through the process of deleting wireless profiles (SSIDs) that are no longer needed.

To delete a wireless network profile in Windows 10:

  1. Click the Network icon on the lower right corner of your screen.
  2. Click Network and Internet settings.
  3. Click Wi-Fi settings.
  • Click Manage known networks, click the network you want to delete.
  1. Click Forget. The wireless network profile is deleted.
     
  2. Note: You can also type "netsh wlan show profiles" in the Command Prompt to manage and delete wireless network profiles.

It is best practice to only have 3 to 4 WiFi profiles (SSIDs) listed on your laptop.

How to remove wireless network profiles on Mac OS
  • Pull down the Wi-Fi menu icon and choose “Open Network Preferences”, or go to the “Network” preference pane from  Apple menu and System Preferences

 

  • Select “Wi-Fi” from the network panel sidebar, then click the “Advanced” button in the corner
  • Go to the “Wi-Fi” tab and find the router/network to forget under the “Preferred Networks” list
  • Select the network and then choose the [-] minus button to remove (forget) the wireless network
  • Confirm to forget the wi-fi network by choosing “Remove”
  • Repeat as necessary for other wifi networks to forget
  • Click “OK”, then exit out of System Preferences, choose “Apply” if asked

It is best practice to only have 3 to 4 WiFi profiles (SSIDs) listed on your laptop.

How to reset network settings on an iPhone

Step 1. Tap the Settings app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Tap General.

Step 3. Scroll down to find Reset and tap it.

Step 4. In the new window, select Reset Networking Settings and confirm the action.

You must be within range of the wireless networks you want to forget, so this must be done on campus.

How to reset network settings on Android phones

You can reset your network settings in the Settings menu. However, the Settings menu is different depending on the make and model of the phone you are using.

On Samsung Galaxy phones

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This displays a list of all apps on your phone.
    • Your apps may be displayed on multiple pages. Swipe left and right to move from one page to the next.
  2. Open the Settings app. The Settings app has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap this icon to open the Settings app for your Samsung Galaxy.
    • If you are using a different theme, the icon for the Settings menu may have a different icon.
  3. Tap General management. It's near the bottom of the Settings menu in the Settings app. This displays the General Management menu.
  4. Tap Reset. It's at the bottom of the General Management menu. This displays the Reset menu.
  5. Tap Reset Network Settings. It's the second option in the Settings menu. This displays a page explaining that this will reset your Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth settings.
  6. Tap Reset Settings. It's the blue button below the text on the page. This takes you to a confirmation screen.
    • If you have a security password, PIN, or pattern set, you are required to enter it in order to continue.
  7. Tap Reset Settings. This confirms that you want to reset your network settings and resets your settings.

On Android version 8.1 and 9.0

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This displays a list of all apps on your phone.
    • Your apps may be displayed on multiple pages. Swipe left and right to move from one page to the next.
  2. Open the Settings app. The Settings app has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap this icon to open the Settings app for your Android device.
    • If you are using a different theme, the icon for the Settings menu may have a different icon.
  3. Scroll down and tap System. It's near the bottom of the Settings menu of the Settings app. It's next to an icon that resembles an "i" inside of a circle.
  4. Tap Reset Options. It's near the bottom of the System Settings menu. This displays options for resetting different features of your phone.
  5. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile, and Bluetooth. This displays a page that explains what network settings are going to be reset.
  6. Tap Reset Settings. This displays a confirmation pop-up asking you to confirm that you want to reset your network settings.
    • If you have a security password, PIN, or pattern set up on your device, you may be asked to enter it in order to continue.
  7. Tap Reset Settings. This confirms that you want to reset your network settings and resets them immediately.

On Android version 8.0

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This displays a list of all apps on your phone.
    • Your apps may be displayed on multiple pages. Swipe left and right to move from one page to the next.
  2. Open the Settings app. The Settings app has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap this icon to open the Settings app for your Android device.
    • If you are using a different theme, the icon for the Settings menu may have a different icon.
  3. Scroll down and tap System. It's near the bottom of the Settings menu. It's next to an icon that resembles an "i" inside of a circle.
  4. Tap Reset. It's at the bottom of the System Settings menu of the Settings app. This displays options for resetting your phone.
  5. Tap Network Settings Reset. This displays a page that explains that this will reset your Wi-Fi, mobile data, and Bluetooth settings.
  6. Tap Reset Settings. It's button below the text on the Reset Network Settings page.
    • If you have a security password, PIN, or pattern set up on your device, you may be required to enter it in order to continue.
  7. Tap Reset Settings. This confirms that you want to reset your network settings and resets them immediately.

On a Google Pixel 3

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen. On some phones, like the Google Pixel 1, you'll have to swipe up from the bottom of the screen. This displays a list of all apps on your phone.
    • Your apps may be displayed on multiple pages. Swipe left and right to move from one page to the next.
  2. Open the Settings app. The Settings app has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap this icon to open the Settings app for your Android device.
    • If you are using a different theme, the icon for the Settings menu may have a different icon.
  3. Scroll down and tap System. It's near the bottom of the Settings menu. It's next to an icon with an "i" inside of a circle.
    • Your apps may be displayed on multiple pages. Swipe left and right to move from one page to the next.
  4. Open the Settings app. The Settings app has an icon that resembles a gear. Tap this icon to open the Settings app for your Android device.
    • If you are using a different theme, the icon for the Settings menu may have a different icon.</ref>
  5. Tap Advanced. It's in the System menu. This displays the Advanced Settings options.
  6. Tap Reset Options. It's in the Advanced Settings menu. It's next to an icon that resembles a clock inside of an arrow.
  7. Tap Reset Wi-Fi, mobile, & Bluetooth. It's the first option in the "Reset Options" menu. This is the option you use to reset your network settings.
  8. Tap Reset settings. This displays a confirmation pop-up.
    • If you have a security password, PIN, or pattern set up on your phone, enter it when prompted to continue.
  9. Tap Reset settings. This confirms that you want to reset your network settings and resets them immediately.

 

Close other applications running on your mobile device

How to turn off apps running on the iPhone
  1. Double-press the Home button. It's the round button below the screen on the face of your device. All open apps will be tiled behind the Home screen.

    On iPhone X/XS/XS Max/XR, swipe up from the bar and pause until you see the app switcher.
  2. Tap and drag the app you want to close to the top edge of the screen. When the app disappears, it is closed.
  3. Repeat for each app you want to close or use 2 or 3 fingers when you swipe up to close multiple apps at once.
  4. Press the Home button or swipe up from the bar to return to the previous screen. If the previous screen was the just-closed app, then you'll be taken to the home screen.
How to turn off apps running on Android phones
  1. Tap and hold on the application and swipe it to the right. This should kill the process from running and free up some RAM. If you want to close everything, press the "Clear All" button if its available to you.
  2. Navigate to the Apps tab in settings if your phone’s still running slow. On Samsung phones, this menu is called "Application Manager." On LG phones, go to Settings > General > Apps.
  3. Go to the "All apps" tab, scroll to the application(s) that’s running, and click on it.
  4. Tap "Force Stop" to kill the process for good.

Turn off wifi on other devices you have with you

The wifi hotspots in classrooms can be overwhelmed by the number of devices connecting to them. If you have other wifi enabled devices with you that you do not need to use for class (such as a smart watch or tablet), shut off the wifi on those devices.

Restart your browser (and close all other tabs)

If still having issues, clear your cache and try again.