Padlet

Online bulletin board

Padlet is a virtual bulletin board allowing students to easily share posts, links, images, audio files, text documents and videos. Students can also see and add comments to each other’s posts etc. The simple and flexible design makes the tool useful in many different teaching contexts.

Link to Padlet

Access to a Padlet user:

To get a user on the Padlet, fill out this form:

Get a Padlet user

Use the tool for:

Online bulletin board for collaboration, discussion, summing up and brainstorming
Sharing content with students via direct links, or as embedded content on a website
Live updates so that new content is visible to all users right away
The teacher administers the students’ rights when using the program, for example whether they should have permission to write and comment, or whether they should not be allowed to add content.
8 different layouts, for example Canvas, Backchannel and Timeline.
A Padlet can be exported as different file formats, for example Excel and PDF.

Tool functions

Different setups

Padlet has eight different setups, each of which can be used for different purposes:

Wall – where you can add posts as you please
Canvas – where you can draw arrows between different posts, similar to a mind map
Stream – where all posts are presented in a feed, similar to Facebook
Grid - where all posts are placed in a grid
Shelf - where you can organise posts in a Kanban board with columns, each with their own heading
Backchannel - which turns your board into a chat.
Map - where you can add a map of the world
Timeline - where you can add a timeline

Integration with LMS (Brightspace)

Padlet works well with other digital learning tools. For example, you can integrate your Padlet directly into Brightspace or other websites. You can also add content to a Padlet from other services, e.g. share Mentimeter content or text documents.

Comments and reactions

The option to comment on posts can be turned on and off. For each post, you can allow reactions in the form of likes, upvotes, stars or grades.

Editing rights

In the Padlet settings, you can easily decide whether and how students should be allowed to add posts in a Padlet.

Students can only view your Padlet, but cannot create posts or comment on posts
Students can comment on posts, but not share posts themselves
Students can share their own posts and comment on other people's posts
Students can share their own posts, and comment on and edit other people’s posts

Varied content

You can share many different types of content in Padlet. The program even includes a screen recorder and an audio recorder, so that you and your students can easily record content directly into a Padlet. This works particularly well with the smartphone app. Furthermore, you can draw and share files and links to videos and music. The text in each post can be formatted with headings, italics, bold, bullets, etc

Sharing

There are many ways to share content in Padlet. When you want to interact with your students, you should use a link so students can add content. Subsequently, you can share the content as a PDF and make it available to the students as a resource. You can also download the content as an Excel file, and continue working with it.

Use Padlet in your teaching

Below, you will find examples of learning activities that you can use and draw inspiration from when using Padlet in your teaching:

Group work

For group work, allowing students to share ideas, reflections, comments etc. across the groups. .

Brainstorming

For brainstorming where you allow your students to share any ideas and input that come to mind. To provide some structure, you can use the Shelf layout to make columns with different headings, or the Canvas layout to draw arrows between different content.

Timelines

Visual timelines using the Timeline layout. In the Timeline layout, you can place content in chronological order or ask students to organise events, eras or images on the timeline.

Summing up

For summing up on important points. This is a good way to save the outcome of a teaching session so students can revisit it afterwards.

Ongoing input

For ongoing inputs using the Backchannel layout. In Backchannel, you can set up a simple chat where students can comment and ask questions during your teaching. Skim the chat during the break and see if there are any questions that you need to follow up on.

Technical guides

1. Get started with Padlet

This guide shows you how to get started using the Padlet and the most commonly used features.

Problems viewing the full guide? Try refreshing the page. If it does not work Press "View It" and select "Watch It" and switch back again.

2. Share Padlet with others

This guide shows you how to share access to your Padlet and what the different settings provide access to. By reviewing the instructions, you should like to get an idea of how to set up your Padlet so that it is shared the way you want it.

Problems viewing the full guide? Try refreshing the page. If it does not work Press "View It" and select "Watch It" and switch back again.

3. Display Padlet in Brightspace

This guide shows you how to view your Padlet inside Brightspace. You can see the guide that precede this if you want to make sure that your "share settings" are set up correctly.

Problems viewing the full guide? Try refreshing the page. If it does not work Press "View It" and select "Watch It" and switch back again.

Technical guides

See more

Revised 11.10.2023

AU Educate