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Real-time voting: activity and interactivity in large

student groups(version for web archive)

Dr. Stephen BostockAdvisor for Technology and Learning

Keele University, UK

s.j.bostock@keele.ac.uk

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Summary

How do we create active learning or engagement in lectures and seminars?

There are five modes of engagement in student groups.

Voting works and can be done cheaply.

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Teacher Student

With one or a few students, dialogue can prompt intellectual activity, provide feedback to tune concepts, and require participation. Feedback to teacher enables real-time adaptation of teaching.

Dialogue

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passive role

Delivery

5 Enhanced Delivery

6 Individual activity

7Examples of student

activities Solve a problem Complete a gapped handout Answer quiz questions Read something short with a purpose Write their own questions and answers

8 Student interactivity

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Examples of student interactivities

Make notes on a topic together Compare notes made so far Buzz groups – discuss something Recap slot: summarize to each other

10 Student-teacherinteractivity

11Summary: Modes of engagement

in large groups1. Information delivery: talking

no learning activity beyond listening & note taking2. Enhanced presentations3. Student individual activity4. Student interactivity in small groups 5. Student – tutor interactivity:

individual feedback to a teacher through a ‘personal response system’ and feedback to students on their responses

12How many modes of engagement

are there in large groups?

1 Vote A

2 Vote B

3 Vote C

4 Vote D

5 Vote E

6 Vote F

13CommuniCubes

14Do you understand how to vote

with a CommuniCube?

1. No, say it again

2. Not sure, let’s see how it goes

3. Yes, carry on

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First year Psychology

16 Second year Law students with CommuniCubesphotograph removed

17Dr Ian Stimpson using the cubes

with a widening participation group

A video was shown here of students using CommuniCubes in a geology session on earthquakes that cause tsunamis.

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Two ways of giving resultsBack to the group, if you needTo display them.

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Electronic voting handsets– anonymous but can opt out– automatic counting and

display– electronic: high risk for

teacher, training needed– expensive

CommuniCubes - partially anonymous - manual counting/ estimating - low tech, low risk, no training - cheap

Simila

r pedagogy

Response technologiesPersonal Response Systems

20Types of questions with a

Personal Response System Multiple choice quiz/problem solving at start

to diagnose initial understanding Students self-report relevant experience “Concept check”: Multiple choice quiz on

content just delivered Students self-report level of understanding Students opt for a revision topic Combine MCQ with small group discussion

(activity), and presentations.

21 After several sessionsOn balance, what net (dis)advantage?

0

5

10

15

20

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9advantage (1 = best, 5=neutral, 9 = worst)

3 = "a significant advantage"

fre

qu

en

cy

1st yr Psy

3rd yr Law

2nd yr Law

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1st year Psychology after several sessions: reasons cubes are helpful

Score: high= most important

12. Gave me feedback on my understanding

12. It was fun, made lecture interesting

8. Participation, made me think, contribute, be involved, express an opinion

6. (Mention of) “interactive”

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With your CommuniCube

Vote for:1. Hear an interview with Ian Stimpson

2. Say more about student evaluations

3. Say more about electronic Personal Response Systems

4. Say more about CommuniCubes

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Sources

CommuniCubes: intermediate technology for interaction with large groups, Stephen J. Bostock, Julie A. Hulme and Mark A. Davys in Audience Response Systems in HigherEducation ed David Banks 2006

Steve Draper Interactive lectures web sitehttp://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/ilig/il.html

Davies, P. 2003 Practical ideas for enhancing lectures Birmingham: SEDA Special 13, Staff and Educational Development Association, UK

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stop

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Interview with Ian Stimpson(5 minutes)

(This may not work on the web archive)

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Evaluation conclusion

Most students found them helpful to learning: modal value is “significant advantage”

A few (able?) students may dislike them In first year lectures the main reasons were

getting feedback on understanding and fun In second and third year seminars the reason

was the enforced participation The learning gains will depend on

appropriate use, of course

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Personal Response Systems PRS

Infrared or radio handsets with unique codes in a set. Codes are detected and numbers fed to software to display/store results, maybe through PowerPoint.

Can be anonymous or use non-anonymous class register

Cost £60-150 per handset Staff training needed Risk of technical failure?

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CommuniCubes

Coloured cards and triangles have been used for voting

Cubes refine the idea and give 5 number choices Best in a raked lecture hall with benching or

seminar with tables Pedagogic practice similar to PRS; participation is

enforced; mix with other modes Anonymous to different degrees Different uses in seminars Intellectual Property Rights:

Stephen Bostock