Enabling Active Learning in Large Classes Through the Use of Plickers

Chanialidis, C. (2019) Enabling Active Learning in Large Classes Through the Use of Plickers. In: 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances, Valencia, Spain, 25-28 Jun 2019, (doi: 10.5281/zenodo.3336383)

Abstract

Class response systems allows for just-in-time teaching (JITT) assessments and quizzes. Unfortunately, most of them require students to have an electronic device and do not allow for students to participate and engage in critical thinking. Plickers, on the other hand, is an alternative class response system which does not suffer from the previous disadvantages and can stimulate debate and discussion during the class which as a result may enhance learner motivation. I assessed the effect of using Plickers on the engagement and participation of the students by having a questionnaire at the end of the course with questions related to the Plickers application and what students thought about it. Results were positive and it seems that students felt that the application enabled them to measure the understanding of the subject and they were more involved compared to courses that were not using Plickers. Overall, Plickers could be a potentially useful tool for classrooms, and it has yet to be evaluated in empirical research. The lack of research with this application leaves a potentially vital absence in the literature that may improve both learning and teaching with the use of this new technology.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Chanialidis, Dr Charalampos
• Authors: Chanialidis, C.
• Subjects: Q Science > QA Mathematics
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Mathematics and Statistics > Statistics
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 The Author
• First Published: First published in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Higher Education Advances
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License