Embed Poll Everywhere Asynchronous Responses in Canvas

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Troubleshooting | Next Steps |

 

Introduction

You can embed Poll Everywhere activities in Canvas for asynchronous participation without presenting live. When you use the embed script from the Share & embed > Response link section, it behaves like the response link: students can submit responses anytime. The key is making sure the activity is Unlocked (open for responses); you do not need to Activate it (present live) for embedded homework or discussions. If you want students to see results immediately, you’ll also need to embed the Live presentation view (results) beneath the response box or provide a link to it.

Prerequisites

  • Instructor access to the Canvas course where you’ll place the poll.
  • A Poll Everywhere account with at least one Activity created.
  • Ability to edit a Canvas Page/Discussion/Assignment and switch to the HTML editor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set Up Embedded Poll Everywhere Responses and Results

To embed an activity for asynchronous responses and (optionally) show results, do the following:

Make the activity available (Unlocked)

  1. In Poll Everywhere, open Activities.
  2. Locate your activity and check the status icon to the left of the title.
    • If you see a lock icon (🔒), the activity is locked and students will see “This activity is locked” when embedded.
    • If unlocked, the activity is open for responses 24/7, even if you’re not presenting.
  3. If it’s locked, hover the activity and select Unlock (padlock icon) or open the activity and select Unlock in its settings.

Embed the response box (students submit here)

  1. Open the activity, select Share (or Send), then select Share & embed.
  2. Under Response link, select Copy embed script.
  3. In Canvas, open your target Page (or Discussion/Assignment) and select Edit.
  4. Switch to the HTML editor, then paste the response embed script where you want the poll to appear.
  5. Save/publish the Canvas content.

Now students can submit responses directly in Canvas without you selecting Activate in Poll Everywhere, as long as the activity remains Unlocked.

(Optional) Show the live results beneath the response box

  1. Return to the same activity in Poll Everywhere and select Share > Share & embed.
  2. Find Live presentation view (sometimes labeled Presentation) and select Copy embed script.
  3. In Canvas, edit the same Page/Discussion, switch to the HTML editor, and paste this results embed directly below the response embed.
  4. (Optional) Add a simple separator, such as <br><hr><br>, between the two embeds to visually distinguish the voting area from the results.
  5. Save/publish.

Note on spoilers: If the results view is embedded on the page, students can see results even before they respond. To avoid spoilers, do not embed the results view—link to the Live presentation view URL instead.

(Alternative) Link to results instead of embedding them

  1. In Share & embed for the activity, copy the Live presentation view link (URL).
  2. In Canvas, add text like “See class results” and link it to that URL to reduce page clutter.

Troubleshooting

  • Students see “This activity is locked”: The activity is locked in Poll Everywhere. From Activities, select Unlock on that activity. No Activate is required for embedded, asynchronous use.
  • Students can respond but don’t see a chart: Only the response embed is on the page. Also embed the Live presentation view (results) or provide its link.
  • Results visible before responding (spoilers): This is expected when the results view is embedded. To prevent spoilers, omit the embedded results and provide a text link to the Live presentation view URL instead.

Next Steps (Optional)

 

Still need help? Faculty and staff can reach out to the Technology & Learning Program. Students can reach out to the Center for Technology Equity.

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