Poll Types

Pawtograder supports two poll types to accommodate different polling needs. Each type allows students to respond quickly during class.

Single Choice

Students select exactly one option from a predefined list. This uses radio button selection.

Best for:

• Yes/no or true/false questions
• Questions with one correct answer
• Forced-choice preference questions
• Concept check questions
• A/B/C/D multiple choice exam-style questions

Configuration:

• Add 2 or more answer options
• Students can select exactly one option
• Selecting a new option automatically deselects the previous choice

Example Questions:

• "Is this code snippet thread-safe?" (Yes / No)
• "What is the time complexity of binary search?" (O(1) / O(log n) / O(n) / O(n log n))
• "Which design pattern is being used here?" (Singleton / Factory / Observer / Strategy)

Multiple Choice

Students can select one or more options from a predefined list. This uses checkbox selection.

Best for:

• "Select all that apply" questions
• Questions where multiple answers may be correct
• Gathering preferences where students may agree with several options
• Identifying common misconceptions (students may have multiple)

Configuration:

• Add 2 or more answer options
• Students can select any number of options (including none or all)
• Each option can be independently selected/deselected

Example Questions:

• "Which of the following are valid JavaScript variable declarations?" (var x / let y / const z / int w)
• "What topics would you like more review on?" (Arrays / Recursion / Trees / Graphs)
• "Select all sorting algorithms with O(n log n) average case" (Bubble / Merge / Quick / Selection)

Choosing the Right Poll Type

Scenario	Recommended Type	Reason
True/False question	Single Choice	Only one answer possible
"What is the correct answer?"	Single Choice	One correct answer expected
"Which do you prefer?"	Single Choice	Forces a decision
"Select all that apply"	Multiple Choice	Multiple correct answers
"What topics are confusing?"	Multiple Choice	Students may have multiple concerns
"Which concepts have you seen before?"	Multiple Choice	Students may recognize several
Attendance check	Single Choice	Single "Present" option works
Quick comprehension check	Single Choice	Keeps responses simple

Response Behavior

Single Choice

• When a student selects an option, any previous selection is cleared
• The response is stored as a single value
• Results show distribution across options (always totals to 100%)

Multiple Choice

• Students can toggle options on/off independently
• The response is stored as an array of selected values
• Results show count per option (may exceed 100% when summed)

tip

Use Single Choice when you want students to commit to a single answer. Use Multiple Choice when the question naturally has multiple valid selections.

Data Format

Poll responses are stored in JSON format:

Single Choice Response:

{
  "poll_question_0": "Option A"
}

Multiple Choice Response:

{
  "poll_question_0": ["Option A", "Option C"]
}

This data is used to generate real-time visualizations on the response dashboard.