Assessing Multimedia Influences on Student Responses Using a Personal Response System

Abstract

To date, research to date on personal response systems (clickers) has focused on external issues pertaining to the implementation of this technology or broadly measured student learning gains rather than investigating differences in the responses themselves. Multimedia learning makes use of both words and pictures, and research from cognitive psychology suggests that using both words and illustrations improves student learning. This study analyzed student response data from 561 students taking an introductory earth science course to determine whether including an illustration in a clicker question resulted in a higher percentage of correct responses than questions that did not include a corresponding illustration. Questions on topics pertaining to the solid earth were categorized as illustrated questions if they contained a picture, or graph and text-only if the question only contained text. For each type of question, we calculated the percentage of correct responses for each student and compared the results to student ACTreading, math, and science scores. A within-groups, repeated measures analysis of covariance with instructor as the covariate yielded no significant differences between the percentage of correct responses to either the text-only or the illustrated questions. Similar non-significant differences were obtained when students were grouped into quartiles according to their ACT-reading, -math, and -science scores. These results suggest that the way in which a conceptest question is written does not affect student responses and supports the claim that conceptest questions are a valid formative assessment tool.

A Mixed Methods Study of the Effects of Clicker Use on Math Anxiety and Achievement in Mathematics

“…Following the second poll, the calculus instructor displayed histograms indicating the respective percentages of students who voted for each answer choice during the two polls. Although the Peer Instruction framework can be used without clickers, previous studies have found this format helpful in facilitating clicker use in large lecture classes (Bruff, 2009;Cline et al, 2013;Gray, 2012;Lucas, 2009;McGivney & McGivney-Burelle, 2011). In this dissertation study, the interview participants expressed that the instructor's chosen format for the clicker activities was helpful and enjoyable.…”

“…Mathematics instructors need to adjust their pedagogical strategies when they begin using clickers in the classroom in order to accommodate the technology (Elicker & McConnell, 2011;Gray, Owens, Liang, & Steer, 2012;Kolikant et al, 2010;Larsgaard, 2011;Lim, 2011;Lucas, 2009;McGivney & McGivney-Burelle, 2011;Shaffer & Collura, 2009;Sun, 2014;Titman & Lancaster, 2011). According to Titman and Lancaster (2011), the primary benefits of using clickers "stem from the pedagogical shift from passive to active learning" encouraged by the technology (p. 10).…”

“…According to Titman and Lancaster (2011), the primary benefits of using clickers "stem from the pedagogical shift from passive to active learning" encouraged by the technology (p. 10). Several authors have related clicker use to Eric Mazur's Peer Instruction (PI) framework (Crouch & Mazur, 2001;Gray et al, 2012;Lucas, 2009;McGivney & McGivney-Burelle, 2011).…”

“…Clickers may serve as a formative assessment tool when instructors consider which students choose specific responses and identify patterns in student responses (Butler et al, 2010;Gray et al, 2012;Popelka, 2010;Titman & Lancaster, 2011). Finally, clicker software may assist in identifying student misconceptions and facilitating error analysis (D'Inverno et al, 2003;Robinson & King, 2009;Sharp, 2011).…”

“…When teaching mathematics with clickers, an instructor needs to be willing to adjust her/his pedagogical techniques to adapt to the technology (Elicker & McConnell, 2011;Gray et al, 2012;McGivney & McGivney-Burelle, 2011;Titman & Lancaster, 2011). During the instructor interview, the calculus instructor discussed the challenges he experienced when using the clicker technology in a large lecture class but also expressed enjoyment of the process.…”