“Does everyone understand?” gets a few nods and tells you nothing. A check for understanding asks the room to do something with the idea: answer a question, explain it to a neighbour, write one line. A Diaposi quiz session makes that check from your own slides, and shows you how the room did, question by question.
Why does asking “does everyone understand?” fail?
Because the honest answer costs something. Saying no means admitting it in front of the group, so people nod. The question also asks them to judge their own understanding, which is the thing they cannot yet do. A real check asks the room to use the idea, and looks at the result.
Which five checks are fast enough to use mid-session?
- A poll. One question on the idea, with plausible wrong answers.
- Finger rating. Everyone shows one to five fingers for how sure they are.
- A mini-write. One sentence explaining the idea in their own words.
- Pair retell. Each person explains it to a neighbour, who listens for what is missing.
- An exit question. One question answered on the way out.
What do you do with the result?
Decide before you ask. If most of the room has it, move on. If the room is split, let neighbours discuss and ask again. If most are lost, do not repeat the same explanation louder: use another example, or go back one step. After the session, start the next one with the question people missed.
Related methods are in how to collect real-time feedback during a lecture and how to use live polls in a presentation.
How a Diaposi quiz session helps
A Diaposi quiz session turns the check into a few minutes of the session. Upload the PowerPoint, PDF or Word file you present, choose the chapters and the kinds of questions, and run the quiz live. Participants join with a QR code and answer on their own device, and you see how the room did, question by question.
The quiz session is part of Diaposi, the EdTech platform for interactive and measurable learning. Discover the quiz session
Frequently asked questions
How often should I check understanding?
- After each idea the rest of the session depends on. In practice that is every 15 to 20 minutes, and always before moving to something that builds on it.
What is the difference between a check for understanding and a test?
- A check is for the presenter: it decides what happens in the next five minutes and carries no grade. A test is for the record.
Is Diaposi free?
- Yes. Diaposi is free, and there is no paid plan today.
