Your First Polling Question

Background

When using OMBEA Response in Microsoft PowerPoint, you will normally prepare your polling questions in advance. Although you can work on the fly, people normally don’t do so with PowerPoint because the process of using PowerPoint encourages advance preparation.

Start your question with an ‘open’ question word such as ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘how’, or ‘when’. In this way you will be forced to think of a wider range of answer options and distractors which means that both you and your audience should gain more from your question. Read more tips here.

Launch OMBEA Response

1. Click on the OMBEA Response icon. This will either be on your desktop or in your start menu in a folder called OMBEA Response.
2. Microsoft PowerPoint will load up and you will see the OMBEA Response ribbon along the top of your screen.

A Common mistake that people make is trying to launch OMBEA Response when Microsoft PowerPoint is already running. Since OMBEA Response launches as part of PowerPoint, you will need to ensure PowerPoint is closed before you double-click on the OMBEA Response Icon.

Build your multiple-choice question slide

1. On the OMBEA Response ribbon, click New.
2. OMBEA will insert a PowerPoint slide into your presentation.
3. Type a question where it reads Click to add question.
4. Type up to 10 answer options where it reads Click to add answers.
5. With your mouse pointer click outside the answers box somewhere on the slide. After a moment your chart will update to reflect the number of answer options you have given.
6. If you wish to change, add to, or remove any of your answer options, simply edit the text. When you click away from the answers box again your chart will update to reflect your changes.
7. To add another question simply repeat the above steps. OMBEA puts one question on each PowerPoint slide.
8. Remember to save your work as you go. With OMBEA Response simply save your presentation in the normal way. Your presentation will be saved an ‘ORS’ file. To learn more about saving data and OMBEA’s file types, read our article on Data and Reporting.

You can insert normal PowerPoint slides wherever you like. Just add them in the usual way from your PowerPoint ribbons and menus.

When your audience experiences voting for the first time, teach them how to vote. It may seem simple but an explanation that they can vote simply by pressing their button, and change their mind simply by entering a new vote to override the previous one, will go a long way to ensuring a smooth presentation. For more tips on running smooth sessions, read the article Tips for Smooth Sessions.