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Reference Images in Poll Everywhere 2.0

The Team from Poll Everywhere
  • Updated

In this article:

    Reference Images allow you to attach a visual aid directly to any question. The image is displayed alongside the question in presentation view and is also sent to participant devices, where participants can zoom in for a closer look. 

    Reference Images are useful for questions that require visual context, anatomy or cell diagrams, equipment identification, maps, documents, screenshots, or any content that is difficult to convey through text alone. Reference Images can be added to almost all poll types in Poll Everywhere 2.0, including: Bar, Donut, Likert, Radar (Multiple Choice), Word Cloud, Q&A and Competition questions.

    ref1.png

    Reference Images are not supported on Attendance or Clickable Image polls. The Clickable Image poll type uses the image itself as the interactive response surface, so a separate reference image is not applicable.

    Adding a reference image

    1. Open any supported poll in the editor.
    2. Click the reference image icon in the right rail (the image tray icon). The reference image drawer opens on the right side, replacing the QR code panel.
    3. Click Browse or drag and drop an image file into the drawer.
    4. The image uploads immediately and appears in both the drawer and the presentation view preview.
    ref3.gif

    To remove an image, navigate to the bottom of the question and click the remove image/delete icon.ref4.png

    Adding a caption

    After uploading an image, a caption field appears below it in the drawer. Captions appear on participant devices only, directly below the reference image. They are not shown on the presenter's display, as they would typically be too small for an audience to read from a distance.

    • Captions support up to 500 characters
    • The caption text box expands as you type if your caption is longREF6.png

    Collapsing and expanding the image

    The reference image drawer can be toggled at any time without losing the image:

    • In the editor: click the collapse arrow (chevron icon) on the edge of the drawer.
    • In presentation mode: press E on your keyboard to toggle the drawer open or closed, useful when you temporarily need more screen space, for example, to show the join QR code for latecomers.

    Helpful tips: Reference images and the join QR code are mutually exclusive — only one can be displayed at a time. When the reference image drawer is open, the QR code is hidden, and when the QR code is shown, the reference image is hidden. Display the QR code at the start of a question so participants can join, then press E to switch to the reference image once everyone has joined.

    Participant experience

    When a reference image is attached to a question, participants see the reference image displayed on their device alongside the question and answer choices. The caption (if added) displayed directly below the image. Also, the participant can pinch-to-zoom (on touch devices) or use browser zoom (on desktop) to enlarge the image and view fine details, such as labels, small text, or diagram components that may be difficult to see on a projected screen

    This is one of the key advantages of Reference Images in 2.0: participants no longer need to squint at a distant projector; they can inspect the image in full detail on their own device.

    ref7.gif

    Best practices and accessibility

    Image quality and dimensions:

    • Upload high-resolution images. Uploaded images do not scale up, so small images will appear at their original size and may look small on screen.
    • For large lecture halls, choose images with large, clear labels and high contrast that are legible from a distance.
    • On participant devices, tall images can be scrolled vertically so participants can view the full image.

    Writing accessible captions:

    Captions are the primary accessibility mechanism for reference images. Write them as if describing the image to someone who cannot see it, focus on visual characteristics like shape, texture, position, and relative size, rather than simply naming labelled points. Avoid using colour as the sole distinguishing feature, as this is inaccessible to users with colour impairments.

    If you have any questions or run into issues, please contact the Technical Support team

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