The Use and Effects of an Interactive Personal Response System (PRS) in General Chemistry Daniel Lewicki Russell Sage College Troy, New York

Outline Introduction PRS in the Classroom Achievement Study Sample Method Results Discussion Attitude Survey & Results Future Plans

Rationale for Using PRS in the Classroom A student response system is designed to make the classroom into more of a learner- centered environment by: 1. Increasing activity & decreasing passivity. 2. Allowing students to express their knowledge & understanding w/o inhibitors. 3. Initiating discussion since each respondent has a vested interest in the outcome. 4. Providing feedback on the reception of teaching activities.//

The PRS System The PRS system consists of: Handheld input devices (clickers). A classroom receiver that receives student transmissions. A lap top computer (or desktop) with software to process the responses. A projector for displaying the slides and results.

How I use the PRS in the class? To review for weekly quizzes. To permit students to respond individually or follow a pattern of question  discussion  answer with a partner. To follow the sequence of PRS question  demonstration  PRS question  discussion. To evaluate students level of class participation. To encourage students to “take risks” in order to assess misconceptions. To assess conceptual understanding or behavioral skills at different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy.//

Any substance composed of only one type of atom is called a(n) 1. compound 2. element 3. formula 4. mixture

Which of the following is a chemical property? 1. Substance is liquid at room temperature. 2. Substance is very dense. 3. Substance is combustible. 4. Substance is blue in color

Convert 500 mL to liters L L 3. 5 L L

In an atom that is a negatively charged ion, the number of electrons must be____. 1. Greater than the number of protons. 2. Equal to the number of protons. 3. Less than the number of protons. 4. More than the number of neutrons. 5. I don’t have a clue

Which of the following is not true regarding gases? 1. When the pressure upon a gas increases, its volume decreases if the temperature is held constant. 2. When the temperature of a gas decreases, its volume increases if the pressure is held constant. 3. Equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain the same number of molecules. 4. The molecules of a gas are in constant, rapid motion

Types of Questions Yes/No True/False Yes/Abstain/No Likert-type (4, 5, 7 scale) Generic choice (2-10 choices)

What were the perceived benefits of the PRS? Encourage Ss to be active thinkers. Provide opportunities for immediate feedback from Ss which helped with pacing. Help the class dynamics by making it easier for the instructor to interact with all of the students not just the one who raises her hand. Help students to remain alert and anxious. Have a positive effect on achievement.//

The Effect on Achievement as measured by weekly quiz scores Sample Method: “Equivalent Materials, Pretest, Posttest Design” Over the course of 10 weeks students were given weekly objective- type quizzes that were each worth 10 points. Questions spanned all of Bloom’s taxonomy. Control group, N=22: Mean raw score on 10 quizzes before using PRS = 70 (SD = 12) Experimental group, N=22: Mean raw score on 22 quizzes after using PRS = 76 (SD = 12) t-test for non-independent samples t = 3.966, p<.05, df = 21 Effect Size = 0.5 Conclusion: The null hypothesis was rejected. T-test results revealed a significant difference between control group (not using PRS for review) and the experimental group (using PRS for review) for mean cumulative General Chemistry quiz scores.//

How did students feel about using PRS in class? Used PRS and asked students to respond to a number of statements relating to the use of the system.

How much did you like having the PRS transmitters in this class? 1. Liked them a lot. 2. Somewhat liked them. 3. Neutral 4. Somewhat disliked them. 5. Disliked them a lot.

If you had a choice, would you have preferred this class use or not use the PRS system? 1. Greatly prefer the class with transmitters. 2. Somewhat prefer the class with the transmitters. 3. Neutral- either way is fine. 4. Somewhat prefer the class without the transmitters. 5. Greatly prefer the class without the transmitters.

Do you feel that the in-class response system helped you understand the topics that were reviewed? 1. Helped a lot. 2. Helped a little. 3. If didn’t help or hurt. 4. Hindered learning a little. 5. Hindered learning a lot.

Was the PRS easy to use? 1. Yes. 2. Somewhat yes. 3. Neutral 4. Somewhat no. 5. No.

Was the use of PRS a good use of class time? 1. Definitely yes. 2. Somewhat yes. 3. Neutral- neither yes or no 4. Somewhat no. 5. Definitely no.

Did the in-class response system help you stay involved/interested/awake in class? 1. Helped a lot. 2. Helped a little. 3. If didn’t help or hurt. 4. Hindered a little. 5. Hindered a lot.

Did using PRS make the instructor more effective? 1. Yes 2. A little more effective. 3. Neutral- neither yes or no. 4. A little less effective. 5. No.

Would you like other instructors to use the PRS System? (assuming you don’t have to buy a transmitter for each class) 1. I definitely want other instructors to use PRS. 2. I somewhat want other instructors to use PRS. 3. I’m neutral- no preference. 4. I somewhat don’t want other instructors to use PRS. 5. I definitely don’t want other instructors to use PRS.

What are some implementation considerations? Teaching style will need to change. The pacing of presentations changes. There is an increase in class preparation time. There is an increase in formative assessment. Cost considerations. Management of materials and set up.//

The Future Increase data bank of questions that span Bloom’s taxonomy for all topics. Keep track of individual student responses over the entire year. Use PRS with pre-service teacher education. Use PRS with POGIL techniques.//

Thanks Froman Fellowship Grant General Chem Students You all for listening!

Questions?