What is Padlet?
Padlet is an easy-to-use website software for collaborating with others. It’s an online noticeboard that enables tutors and students to share ideas, information and knowledge.
In order to access a Padlet board, students can be given a link to access it from their phones, tablets or computers. The website provides easy-to-use sharing options, such as a URL or QR code.
Boards could be used for pre-learning assessments, ice-breakers, scavenger hunts, sharing examples of completed work, reading lists, debates and discussions, maps, timelines, polls, assignment briefs, learner-generated content or activities, support, Q&As, feedback and many more teaching and learning activities.
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive, supporting collaborative learning, it is easily implemented
- Flexible and visually engaging with multiple communication methods (text, images, audio and video) and styles (wall, canvas, stream, grid, shelf, map and timeline)
- Available across different platforms, browsers and devices including iOS, Android and Kindle (not compatible with Internet Explorer)
- Boards can be embedded into Blackboard (and other websites)
- UoM has purchased Padlet licences for staff which means that you can create more than the 3 boards that are allocated to basic plan users
- Boards can be exported or shared, supporting learning activities and revision
Cons
- There are some accessibility issues in relation to low vision colour contrast, keyboard access, screen reader software and video captioning
- Boards do not encourage in-depth, detailed responses, which could limit discussions
- There are no notification features for users, who are not the owner of the board. Users will need to re-visit the board to see if there are any new posts
- It may not be clear who the post is from. Owners can turn on attribution but this will only apply to pro plan users, which will be staff, not students. We recommend asking your students to include their names with their posts.
How to obtain a licence
The free version of Padlet allows you to create a maximum of three Padlets. The University licence (School Backpack) allows you to create an unlimited number of Padlets.
To apply for a licence, you just need to complete this form: Padlet Licence Request
Please note: If you already have a Padlet account that uses your University email, your free account and your University account will sit side by side. Your prior Padlets will be retained and if you would like to import them into your University account, you will be able to do so when you set up this account.
How to safely share a board
There are four different privacy access options when sharing your board:
- Private: Only you and the people you add by email can access this padlet.
- Password: Visitors will be required to enter a password to access this padlet.
- Secret: Anyone with the link can access the padlet, but the link will be hidden from Google and public areas of Padlet. [This is the default setting]
- Public: The padlet will be public. It can show up in Google searches and can be featured by Padlet on the homepage
There are three different privacy interaction options when sharing your board:
- Can read: Visitors can view the padlet and the posts. They cannot add new posts, edit existing posts, or change the padlet.
- Can write: Visitors can view and add posts. They cannot edit and approve others’ posts, modify and delete the padlet, or invite collaborators.
- Can edit: Visitors can view, add posts, and edit and approve others’ posts. They cannot modify and delete the padlet or invite collaborators.
We would advise keeping the access option as ‘Secret‘ and setting the interaction option to ‘Can write‘, unless you have specific requirements.
How to embed a Padlet into Blackboard (or a website)
You can embed Padlet boards into Blackboard, and other websites (such as OneMedLearn), using an embed code or URL as follows:
- Click on the Share icon in Padlet
- Find, and select the option ‘Embed in your blog or your website’
- Copy the ‘Full embed’ code by selecting ‘COPY’
- Go to Blackboard
- Create an item on the page where you’d like the Padlet to appear
- Give your item a name
- In the item text, find the HTML button <> to display the code editing box
- Paste the code from Padlet
- Select submit
More information
Author: Rachel Heyes