Enhancing lectures through electronic voting systems Susanne Krauß DAAD-Lektorin Canterbury,

Outline Definition Using EVS in lectures Teaching method: lecture Uses for and pedagogical benefits of EVS Challenges How I used Turning Point Summary and outlook

Definition Electronic voting system Example: “Who wants to be a millionaire?” EVS – electronic voting system GRS – group response system ARS – audience response system SRS – student response system CRS – classroom response system

Using EVS in lectures

What is your job title? 1. Administrative staff 2. Educational support staff 3. Management staff 4. Research staff 5. Teaching staff 6. Other Answer Now 0 of 50

Do you give lectures? 1. Yes 2. No Answer Now 0 of 50

Name the three most important aids/tools you need or would like to have when listening to a lecture. 1. No aids 2. Take notes 3. Visualization (ppt, maps, charts, …) 4. Lecturer’s notes afterwards 5. Notes/material beforehand 6. A recording of the lecture afterwards 7. Oral discussion(s) during the lecture 8. Written discussion(s) afterwards 9. Other Answer Now

Which aids/tools do you use in your lecture? 1. PowerPoint during the lecture 2. Notes on OHP 3. Notes on the Whiteboard 4. Notes/slides on WebCT or Moodle 5. Recordings on WebCT or Moodle 6. Material/handbooks beforehand 7. Other Answer Now 0 of 50

Are you likely to approach and adopt new technology with confidence into your teaching? 1. Strongly Agree 2. Agree 3. Neutral 4. Disagree 5. Strongly Disagree Answer Now 0 of 50

Teaching Method: lectures Transmitting knowledge: one to many Teacher-centred Student: passive role Questions: Learning styles? Interactivity?

Teaching Method: lectures Laurillard’s conversational model: (Cutts et al. 1)

Uses for and pedagogical benefits of EVS assessment formative feedback on learning formative feedback to the teacher peer assessment community mutual awareness building experiments using human responses initiate a discussion (Draper)

Uses for and pedagogical benefits of EVS Advantages Activation through anonymity “digestible” chunks “construct meaning rather than merely memorise facts” (Bates 3) Immediate feedback Motivational

Challenges New or amended lecture layout (cf. Simpson & Oliver 20) Takes up time from the lecture (cf. Bates et al. 7; Simpson & Oliver 20) Question design “In a good multiple choice question, each response option would relate to a common student understanding or misunderstanding of the material.” (Cutts et al. 3)

How I used Turning Point

Setting GE301/516 cultural studies lecture Post-A level, mostly 1 st year students Held in German 1 contact hour per week Lecture slides (without TP questions) and a movie of the slides with an audio commentary were available on WebCT afterwards

Setting Attendance in 2007/2008 (no EVS) 82% (avg) Attendance in 2008/2009 (EVS) 73.6% (avg) “… the instructional design mostly isn’t in the equipment or software, but in how each teacher uses it.” (Draper)

Usage Quick and easy to use Does not require prior technological knowledge on the students’ behalf Trial run is nonetheless recommended

Usage Most often used to test the understanding In 13 out of 15 lectures Min. of 4, max. of 7 questions per lecture Content: covered material, understanding of video clips Used for surveys and polls In 6 lectures Content: feedback on the lecture style, asking for students’ opinions etc. Used for the end of term evaluation

Did you find the integration of Turning Point useful?

Summary and outlook

Summary Positive experience No experience of a “time-loss” due to the polling Designing questions can be challenging Generally, a positive student reaction

Outlook Pedagogical benefit for the learning process Checking understanding (esp. with non- native speakers) Monitoring students’ approach to learning Tendency to memorise facts rather than constructing concepts and establishing relations Help to improve note-taking strategies?

Thank you very much for your attention!