QR Code Access (Pollster Only)
QR code access applies to Pollster only. It is the single format where students participate from their own devices.
This article exists because it’s a common point of confusion — the other seven formats have no student-device component at all.
Which Formats Use a QR Code
Section titled “Which Formats Use a QR Code”| Format | Student devices |
|---|---|
| Pollster | Yes — QR code to vote |
| Categories | No |
| Showdown | No |
| Millionaire | No |
| Dealmaker | No |
| Apex | No |
| Word Search | No |
| Revealer | No |
In the seven formats without it, students watch the display and answer out loud. There is nothing for them to scan, join, or log into.
How It Works in Pollster
Section titled “How It Works in Pollster”When you run a Pollster game, the display screen shows a QR code alongside the current question.
Students scan it with their phone camera. It opens a voting page in their browser — no app download, no account, no login. They select an option and submit. Their vote appears in the tally on the display within a moment.
The QR code points to a public voting page for that specific game. Anyone who can see the screen can scan it.
Practical Notes
Section titled “Practical Notes”Students need a working camera and internet. Most phone cameras read QR codes natively; older devices may need a QR app.
Students without a phone can still participate. Have them pair up, or vote by show of hands and enter it yourself.
The voting page is public. Anyone with the link can vote, so a student could in principle share it outside the room. For classroom use this is rarely an issue, but don’t use Pollster for anything you need to be secure or authenticated.
Votes are anonymous. The display shows counts and participant totals, not who voted for what. That’s usually a feature — students answer honestly when the room can’t see their answer.
If the QR Code Doesn’t Work
Section titled “If the QR Code Doesn’t Work”See QR Code Not Working for the full troubleshooting path. The short version:
- The display must be large and bright enough to scan from where students sit
- Students need to be on a working internet connection, not just the classroom wifi captive portal
- If the code won’t scan from the back of the room, read the URL aloud or have students in front relay it
Designing Around It
Section titled “Designing Around It”If getting a response from every student matters — checking comprehension, surfacing disagreement, taking a temperature reading — Pollster is the format that does it.
If you want group discussion and verbal participation, the other seven formats are built for that, and the absence of devices is an advantage rather than a limitation. Nobody is looking at a phone.
A common structure: open with Pollster to see where the room actually is, teach to the gap, then close with a group format.
Next Steps
Section titled “Next Steps”- Pollster (in the Pollster channel) — full setup and running guide
- Student Participation — how participation works in the other formats
- QR Code Not Working — troubleshooting