Padlet
Last updated: 17 June 2025
This guide explores the use of the external tool Padlet for teaching and learning purposes at UCT.
Table of Contents
What is Padlet? ................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Why use Padlet? ............................................................................................................................................................... 2
What tools interact with Padlet? ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Signing up to Padlet at UCT............................................................................................................................................... 2
Features ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3
Teaching use cases ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Create your first Padlet ..................................................................................................................................................... 5
Select a layout ................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Add Padlet to Amathuba at the Unit level on its own tab (using Add existing > More > Padlet)..................................... 9
Add Padlet to Amathuba on a HTML page as a Quicklink (using insert Quicklink)......................................................... 10
Add Padlet to Amathuba to display on a HTML page (using Insert Stuff) ...................................................................... 10
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What is Padlet?
Padlet is an online board which encourages collaboration through the posting of text, images, videos, audio
clips, links and uploaded files. Comments, likes, votes, stars and grading can be enabled to provide additional
feedback on posts. Padlet has an intuitive interface with various layouts (templates) to use. It also supports
various levels of privacy access and allows anonymous or named contributions. It integrates well within
Amathuba and Microsoft Teams at UCT works well in the browser on a laptop, desktop or mobile device.
Why use Padlet?
Padlet provides visually interesting boards that can be embedded into Amathuba sites or incorporated
into Teams sessions that students can use to communicate, answer questions, or have discussions in a
transparent and attractive format. Padlet is used commonly for classroom introductions, polling, tutor or
lecturer profiles, or various kinds of discussions that benefit from a visual layout. With some creative use
of its advanced features such as breakout rooms and grading, it can also be used as a peer review tool
for assessments.
What tools interact with Padlet?
As an external tool, Padlet mostly operates independently of other Amathuba tools. However, Padlet can
be embedded into the Content tool and Padlet activities can be created as graded activities that send
marks to the Grades tool.
Signing up to Padlet at UCT
To sign up for a UCT Backpack Padlet licence:
1. Go to [Link]
2. Click on “Log in with Microsoft”
3. Enter your staff @[Link] and click “Next”
4. Enter your associated password and click “Sign In”
5. On the permission requested screen, click “Accept”
6. This will log you in to the licensed version of Padlet - UCT Backpack
7. Enjoy creating your first Padlet!
8. If you log out, always come back to [Link] (not [Link])
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Note: UCT Staff (and tutors if needed) can use this method to allocate themselves a UCT Backpack
Padlet licence. Students can be allocated a UCT Backpack Padlet licence automatically the first time they
contribute to a Padlet which has been added to an Amathuba site as an External Tool.
Features
• Padlets can be created from a range of template layout types (Wall, Canvas, Shelf, Stream,
Timeline, Map, Grid)
• Padlet posts support a wide range of rich text and media content (image, video, audio clips, links
and uploaded files) 1
• Set privacy level (Private / Password / Secret - recommended / Organisation wide)
• Set access permissions (Read / Write / Edit)
• Create breakout rooms to only show posts to members within a specific group
• Grade student posts and send the marks to your Amathuba site’s Grades tool
• Create a unique meaningful URL link to your Padlet
• Turn commenting on / off on posts
• Enable reactions on posts (Like / Vote / Star / Grade)
• Enable moderation on posts as a filtering mechanism
• Enable profanity filter and replace offensive words with emojis
Layout options available in Padlet
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Teaching use cases
• UCT example from Dr Sarah Crawford-Browne:
Class discussion with 3rd year med students (2021)
• UCT example from Dr Jennifer Ramesar:
Group work mind mapping template for Problem Based Learning (PBL)
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These are some ways that others have used Padlet in teaching:
• Backchannel: UniversitSMUS Info Session Q&A ([Link])
• Book Review: How to Read Literature Like a Professor ([Link])
• Lesson Plan: A Guide to Editing ([Link])
• Bookmarks for Leadership Conference ([Link])
Also see the Padlet gallery for further ideas, which are not necessarily teaching specific.
Create your first Padlet
1. Log into UCT Backpack Padlet
2. Click on “Make a Padlet”
3. Select a Layout
4. Customise the title, URL address, wallpaper (background), colour scheme, attribution (if posts
show as anonymous), new post position, comments, reactions and moderation
5. In the “Share” option to select the privacy setting of “Secret” and the access setting of “Visitors
can write”
6. When you are ready to share your Padlet, you can either add it Amathuba or MS Teams (see
Section 8)
Select a layout
When creating a Padlet, you must begin by selecting one of the eight available Padlet layouts. You can
swop to a different layout once you have selected a layout. The various layouts support the following
features:
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Layout Features Use case
• pinboards
Packs content in a brick-like
• bookmarking
layout
• photo & file sharing
New posts are added in empty
• students introducing
spaces first, but you can
always change post locations themselves with a short
by dragging them into bio
• glossary of terms
position. Works well where
the order of items is not that
important, but you need
something with a structured
visual layout.
The most flexible format, • brainstorming
canvas allows you to post and • mind maps
move content anywhere on • org charts
the Padlet, resize it, change • flowcharts
the colour of the post and
connect it to other content on
the page using arrows (with
labels)
Allows you to stack your • Kanban (To-do, Doing,
content in a series of Done)
columns. • SWOT Analysis
• poster presentation
Each column has a
• categorising information
header/column heading
It is ideal for cases where
content needs to be organised
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into sections. Choose to have
new posts positioned first/last;
you can drag and drop to
reshuffle post order.
Places content in top-to- • blog posts
bottom or bottom-to-top order • reading lists
arranged in a vertical stream, • lessons
centred on the Padlet. • assignments
• reports
• storytelling
• journaling
Information that is aligned to a • set of chronological steps
chronological order or set of • process in a specific
steps which needs to be order
completed in a specific order; • sequence of events
Add as many posts as you
want on either side of the
timeline and re-order posts by
drag and drop.
• linear conversation
Also known as the 'chat'
• quick messages
format, it displays
• collaborative discussion
conversation threads in a
• informal chat
linear stream with each new
message presented below the • Q&A info session
next.
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Add map markers to indicate • course introductions
information about specific • collaborative information
places. Supports comments gathering
and reactions.
Arrange your content in rows • digital storytelling
of boxes of equal width and • storyboarding
space apart in 4 columns. • noticeboards
Posts can be moved between • anything where visual
rows and columns by order is important
dragging posts between the
rows and columns.
Sharing settings (privacy and access)
When creating your Padlet, think about how you would like to share your Padlet and what level of access
you would like to assign to students and participants who will interact on your Padlet.
The defaults are private (privacy) and can read (access) but the recommended settings to apply would
be:
• Privacy: Secret (access via a link)
• Access: Visitors can write
Privacy setting Action
Private Keep the Padlet hidden from the public. Even if someone manages to get to the
board link, they should not be able to access it.
Password Keep the Padlet hidden from the public. If I choose to share the board link with
someone, they should require a password to access it.
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*Secret Keep the Padlet hidden from the public. If I choose to share the board link with
(Strongly someone, they should be able to access it.
recommended)
Org wide Keep the Padlet hidden from the public. Let anyone from the University of Cape
Town access this Padlet board.
Access setting Action
Can read Can view posts only.
*Can write Can view and add posts only.
(Recommended)
Can edit Can view and add posts, edit and approve others' posts only.
Can administer Can view and add posts, edit and approve others' posts, modify and delete
Padlet, invite collaborators.
Using Padlet within Amathuba or Microsoft Teams
Padlet integrates both within Amathuba and Microsoft teams, or hyperlinked and used directly in the web
browser.
Add Padlet to Amathuba at the Unit level on its own tab (using Add existing > More > Padlet)
In your Amathuba course site, select the Unit where you wish to add the Padlet, then click on:
• Add Existing > More > Padlet
• In the pop-up window, select the Padlet you wish to add.
Note:
o You may need to scroll down the list of Padlets if you have made a lot of Padlets
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o Check that the Padlet you want to insert is not indicated as “Private”
• Your selected Padlet will be added on its own tab as the last Content Item within the selected Unit
Add Padlet to Amathuba on a HTML page as a Quicklink (using insert Quicklink)
In your Amathuba course site, select the Unit where you wish to add the Padlet, then click on:
• Create New > HTML document
• In the “New HTML File” page, enter a Name for your new HTML page
• In the Page Content area, click on the “Insert Quicklink” icon
• In the “Insert Quicklink” window, under the “Third Party” heading, select Padlet
• In the pop-up window, select the Padlet you wish to add.
Note:
• You may need to scroll down the list of Padlets if you have made a lot of Padlets
• Check that the Padlet you want to insert is not indicated as “Private”
• Your selected Padlet will be added as a Quicklink into the Page Content area
o Optional: If you want to edit the Quicklink, click on the Quicklink > Edit link icon
o Edit the link title and / or the link URL > Update
• Select “Save” to continue editing the Page Content or “Save and Close” to return to your course
content
• Your selected Padlet will be added as a Quicklink on its own HTML page as the last content with
the selected Unit
Add Padlet to Amathuba to display on a HTML page (using Insert Stuff)
In your Amathuba course site, select the Unit where you wish to add the Padlet, click on:
• Create new > HTML document
• In the “New HTML File” page, enter a Name for your new HTML page
• In the Page Content area, click on the “Insert Stuff” icon
• In the “Insert Stuff” window, select Padlet
• In the pop-up window, select the Padlet you wish to add.
Note:
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• You may need to scroll down the list of Padlets if you have made a lot of Padlets
• Check that the Padlet you want to insert is not indicated as “Private”
• A preview of your selected Padlet will load in the “Insert Stuff” window
o If it has loaded as expected, click on “Insert”
o If it has not loaded as expected, click on “Refresh Preview”
• Your selected Padlet will be added into the Page Content area displayed as it appeared in the
preview window.
• Click “Save” to continue editing the Page Content or “Save and Close” to return to your course
content
• Your selected Padlet will be displayed on its own HTML page as the last content with the selected
Unit
Add Padlet to an MS Teams Channel
You can use Microsoft Teams as a supplementary platform to Amathuba for further engagement in
teaching at UCT, see the ICTS guide to Microsoft Teams. You can add a Padlet to a Microsoft Team.
• In the channel where you wish to embed the Padlet, click on “+” (Add a tab)
• In the “Add a tab” pop-up window, enter “website” in the search field
• Click on the “website” icon in the search results
• In the “Website” pop-up window
o In the “Tab Name” field enter the Padlet name you wish to be displayed on the tab
o In the “URL” field, enter the unique URL to the Padlet
o Select the checkbox “Post to the channel about this tab” if you would like to make all channel
users aware of the new tab being added > Save
• Your Padlet will be added to your MS Teams Channel as a tab at the top of the page
Tracking and Reporting
Student submissions can be marked and the grades sent to the Grades tool in Amathuba.
• You can see contributors’ names on posts if attribution is enabled and users have a Padlet
account.
• Padlet has a “Stats” feature where you can request basic information around student interaction
on the Padlet from hello@[Link]
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Using Padlet as a grading or peer assessment tool
Two of Padlet’s functions (grading and breakout rooms) allow for Padlet to be used in an assessment
context. If added to your course, Padlet’s Gradebook feature can be enabled (Additional options –
Gradebook). You can use this function to give marks based on student posts, and if the “Sync with LMS”
tab is enabled, you can send the marks from the Padlet to the Amathuba Grades tool.
Padlet’s Gradebook allows for different mark allocations to be set (defaulting to out -of-100), as well as
providing a Feedback space for adding text feedback. Both the grade and the feedback transfer to
Amathuba Grades if the “Sync with LMS” feature is enabled.
Padlet’s breakout rooms feature allows you to create a single Padlet board with different sections for ech
student group. While the lecturer will see all the different sections and all posts, each group will only
access their own section and see posts from their group members.
To enable breakout rooms, first create your groups in Amathuba, then create your Padlet board and then
follow the instructions provided by Padlet. In Amathuba, provide the breakout room links to the different
groups (for example, by including them in each group’s Description field) . This will allow users to post
their assignments via link or attachment, read and comment on each other’s posts , and for the teaching
team to collate the marks and comments and provide final grades to each user which then will sync with
the Amathuba course site’s Grades tool.
Setting up Padlet as a peer review tool can be difficult. If you need support, please contact cilt-
helpdesk@[Link] for support.
General Considerations
• Use of Padlet is fairly low data as long as there is not a large quantity of rich media posted to the
Padlet (Example: High-resolution images or video would increase the data consumption)
• A Padlet can be added into MS Team by the owner of the channel
• A Padlet account is required in order to create a Padlet board. A Padlet account is not required to
post to a Padlet.
• Each Padlet is created via the web at [Link] and then added to your site via URL embed
or External Tools
• A Padlet can be accessed
o In your course site via
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o directly in the web browser by sharing the Padlet URL
o in an MS Teams channel
• Padlet works well on desktop/ laptop / mobile devices across all browsers
Padlet Support
• Padlet’s Help Documentation
• Email support: hello@[Link]
General How-to Guides
• Getting started on Padlet
• Create your first Padlet
• CILT webinar recording: [Link]
• Padlet Q&A Guide
Additional Basic Instructions
• Layouts (Templates)
• Privacy
• Comments
Additional Resources
• Website: Padlet: You are beautiful
• Social media:
o Twitter: [Link]
o YouTube: [Link]/padlet
• Gallery of examples
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