Why Peer Discussion Improves Student Performance on In-Class Concept Questions
M. K. Smith, W. B. Wood, W. K. Adams, C. Wieman, J. K. Knight, N. Guild, and T. T. Su

When students answer an in-class conceptual question individually using clickers, discuss it with their neighbors, and then revote on the same question, the percentage of correct answers typically increases. This outcome could result from gains in understanding during discussion, or simply from peer influence of knowledgeable students on their neighbors. To distinguish between these alternatives in an undergraduate genetics course, we followed the above exercise with a second, similar (isomorphic) question on the same concept that students answered individually. Our results indicate that peer discussion enhances understanding, even when none of the students in a discussion group originally knows the correct answer.

Read the full report at the Science magazine link below…

Link: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/323/5910/122

Using Student Response Systems to Increase Motivation, Learning, and Knowledge Retention
David J. Radosevich, Roger Salomon, Deirdre M. Radosevich, and Patricia Kahn

Student response system (SRS) technology is one of many tools available to help instructors create a rich and productive learning environment. David J. Radosevich, Roger Salomon, Deirdre M. Radosevich, and Patricia Kahn describe a study designed to measure the effect of an SRS on student interest and retention. Two sections of an undergraduate management class participated in this study. Section 1 served as a control group by participating in a typical class without SRS; section 2 used SRS throughout the semester to facilitate active learning. Results indicate that although the classes were comparable at the onset of the semester, those students who used the SRS as an integral part of the classroom reported greater interest in the class and higher expectations of success, performed better on a midterm exam, and more importantly, performed better on a knowledge-retention test administered at the end of the semester. Radosevich, Salomon, Radosevich, and Kahn argue that SRS technology can have beneficial outcomes for student performance and knowledge retention.

Link: http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=449

Using Classroom Clickers To Engage Every Student
Linda Briggs

In this interview, a writer for the Campus Technology magazine interviews professor Edna Ross about how she uses clickers and what benefits they bring to her classroom. Edna points out, “With clickers, you’re giving every student a voice, even the introverts.” See the link below for the full interview!

Link: http://www.campustechnology.com/articles/67903/

Interaction and engagement are often limited by class size and human dynamics (a few students may dominate the conversation while most avoid interaction). Interaction and engagement, both important learning principles, can be facilitated with clickers. Clickers can also facilitate discipline-specific discussions, small work-group cooperation, and student-student interactions. Clickers—plus well-designed questions—provide an easy-to-implement mechanism for enhancing interaction. Clicker technology enables more effective, more efficient, and more engaging education.

Link: http://www.educause.edu/node/156805