Ask Away! Empowering Students to Ask Anonymous In-Class Questions

Asking questions in front of a large classroom of one’s peers is so intimidating that a majority of students will not participate in class in this way, hence missing out on a crucial part of the educational experience. A very easy option that has been implemented in our large enrollment classrooms, with a great effect, is outlined herein: an anonymous form to which students can post questions during class. The tool we used was Google Forms, and the participants were students enrolled in a first-year chemistry course. A thematic analysis of 617 student questions identified eight main categories, with the two most common themes being: (1) questions answered in the course syllabus and (2) questions on chemistry topics. Student surveys showed that the vast majority found the Google Form useful and would like to see it implemented in other large-enrollment courses.