Sally Phillips on Technology Integration in the Classroom
- All
- General
Sunday June 11, 2006
Blog #1 Beaming Info to the Teacher!! Computer Response Systems
Up until taking some ECI graduate courses, I would guess, "Ignorance was Bliss." As a result of my recent enlightenment, I have begun to realize that I am not as good a teacher as I thought I was. In ECI 705, I was made aware of my own questioning skills?or lack of them. The students that are the most challenging are those who are timid, afraid to speak in front of others, or do not want to participate at any level. Without badgering them, it becomes difficult to access their understanding during a class discussion and direct instruction.
I was delighted to read about the Computerized Response Systems (CRS) in our Session 6 readings. [The readings are: "Increasing Interactivity in Lectures Using an Electronic Voting Machine" by S.W. Draper & M.I. Brown (2004) and "Learning from Past and Present: Electronic Response Systems in College Lecture Halls," by Eugene Judson and Daiyo Sawada.]
Basically, a CRS allows students in a lecture type setting to anonymously respond to questions by the instructor using a small remote control-like device. An infrared signal sends the response to the computer of the instructor, where the instructor can immediately tell who has responded and the quality of their response. When the student is "beaming" the answer, a small screen on the remote device informs the student whether their answer is right or wrong. The system can be set up in a variety of ways, allowing the instructor to customize the information that he/she wants from the students. Students can use specific buttons to "beam-in" when they understand, or don?t understand a concept. The responses produce a running graph that lets the instructor know the general level of understanding of the class at any given moment. (Judson) Using this information the instructor customize his presentation on the spot.
Both articles report benefits and shortcomings of the CRS. Both emphasize that any the technology was able to support the pedagogy?not that the technology made the difference. The Draper & Brown article reported a previous study that showed that when the technology is used as part of a peer-interactive teaching strategy that there were significant improvements on the standardized test scores. Other research reported improvement in exams scores, especially of those who went into the exams with low grades. Instructors reported value in being able to get responses from an entire class in a very short period of time. Having the whole picture helped the instructor meet the needs of the class, rather than the needs of just those willing to respond.
The Judson article pointed out that CRS has been around in one form or another since 1960. My opinion is that times have finally caught up with the technology. In our technology dominate times it does not seem so impersonal to be gathering information from students in this way. Judson points out?over and over?that the technology is not the instruction. The instruction comes only when students dialogue with one another about the questions and possible responses. That is the instruction. Critical to the success of the technology are the questions themselves. Questions can be presented before the lecture and a warm-up exercise. Students can chat about them before they are called upon to respond. The peer interaction fosters deeper understanding of the material.
I have struggled with the whole issue of questioning, and eliciting enough information from students to determine their level of understanding. This seems like a way for me to get the information I need. The Judson article reported that the students liked using the CRS and had some positive feelings about the class based on its use. Much of the class, my students work on machinery that they enjoy using as they create their projects. Interior Design is a lot of hands on work with designing. When we have to have "seat time" they hate it. It is like calling them in from playing. They kind of "pout." They"ll show me!they won't answer! (These are usually all girls, ages 14-17.) Is the CRS the only thing that will solve this problem? NO! but it seems more interesting. And what it will do is get information from students who are very reluctant to respond. I think it would be great for test review. My Apparel students are on such a high when they are sewing, to ask them to quit just shuts them down. The CRS might keep up the level of enthusiasm for them, and me.Posted at 04:42PM Jun 11, 2006 by PHILLIPS, SALLY in General | Comments[0]
This is a personal weblog, I do not speak for my employer.