Student response systems and learner engagement in large classes

Abstract

The use of student response systems is becoming more prevalent in higher level education. Evidence on the effectiveness of this technology can be an important resource for tutors seeking to engage with learners and raise the quality of learning experiences. Student response systems have been found to increase student engagement and participation in the classroom, yet few studies examine why this is so. This research seeks to explore the effects of student response systems on student participation in large classes. The methods used included both quantitative and qualitative data. A pre-test/mid-test/post-test design (quantitative approach) was deployed to examine the effects of a classroom response system on interactivity. Students involved in a final year undergraduate business course took part in investigating the use of student response systems from the student perspective. Qualitative data were collected to identify the strengths and weaknesses of using a classroom response system to enhance classroom interaction through semi-structured interviews. This research builds on previous studies by investigating why students become more participatory, interactive and engaged during learning sessions which utilise student response systems. Implications for teaching practice are discussed, and avenues for future research on student response systems and student engagement in large class scenarios are outlined.

Multiple-Choice Testing Using Immediate Feedback—Assessment Technique (IF AT®) Forms: Second-Chance Guessing vs. Second-Chance Learning?

“…Methods that permit immediate feedback to students during lectures and tests have been shown to increase more effective long-term understanding (Roediger & Butler, 2011). Classroom response systems, for example, have gained considerable acceptance in engaging students during lectures in large classes (Schell, Lukoff, & Mazur, 2013;Heaslip, Donovan, & Cullen, 2014). In addition, continual "retrieval practice" enhanced with rapid feedback has been shown to assist persistent learning (Roediger & Butler, 2011).…”

Using Clickers in a Large Business Class

“…A fair number of research studies (e.g., R. Guthrie & Carlin, 2004;Heaslip et al, 2014) on clickers have suggested that students appreciate anonymity for better participation in the class. However, R. Guthrie and Carlin (2004) also revealed that a reasonable percentage of students were not worried about being judged poorly by their peers while answering incorrectly in the classroom.…”

Lecture Engagement and Metamotivational States: Tracking and Intervention

“…Of interest for future research is the question of how many paratelic activities should be introduced in the course of a lecture (as per the time specified) so as to maximally optimize student engagement (Heaslip, Donovan, & Cullen, 2014). Several different types of mid-lecture activities can be compared for their relative efficacy in engagement, for example relaxation, taking a minute to review notes or the textbook, or noting a question one might wish to ask (Tangney, 2014).…”

“…Whereas McKeachie notes the traditional "sage on the stage" method has proven to be largely ineffective, it is undermined by the nature of longer class times (those exceeding 75 minutes), which necessarily require a brief recess to reinvigorate fatigued students; this may come in the form of active learning exercises spaced 10-15 minutes apart (see Heaslip, Donovan, & Cullen, 2014;Tangney, 2014). However, an alternative approach (as hypothesized using Reversal Theory) may help to explain how this same outcome can be achieved in situ, throughout an ongoing lecture.…”