In-class Polling Methodology for Effective Education: The Voting Machines

Physics Education Research Group
The Ohio State University

What's New!

• AAPT Invited Talk: "Toward an Effective Use of Clickers in Lectures," N.W. Reay, Lei Bao and Pengfei Li, July 24th, 2006.
• Paper in AJP: Reay, N.W., L Bao, P. Li, R. Warnakulasooriya and G. Baugh, “Toward the effective use of voting machines in physics lectures,” Am. J. Phys. 73, 554 (2005).

Introduction

Personal response systems, also called clickers or voting machines, are in-class electronic polling systems used by students to answer multiple-choice questions. If used properly, clickers provide a low-cost option that introduces active learning to traditionally passive lectures. Based on years of clicker experience, members of the Physics Education Research Group (PERG) at The Ohio State University are attempting to establish a new methodology for clicker use. With $85K of OSU seed funding, they have started by researching student attitudes toward clickers and evaluating whether clickers improve student learning. NSF funding would permit creating and thoroughly evaluating clicker question sequences sufficient to populate an entire year of algebra and calculus-based introductory physics courses. Additional funding would permit an investigation both of the methodology of developing and using clicker question sequences, and also assessing whether this methodology is transferable between STEM disciplines (physics to engineering).

A New Clicker Methodology

Based on the hypothesis that learning is context dependent, the PERG has proposed, used, and is researching a new methodology for clicker use. We believe that one question per concept is sufficient neither for learning nor for assessing the level of student understanding. Instead, we present concepts in sequences of questions containing different surface features, or contexts. These sequences thus far can be grouped into two types, easy-hard-hard (example-1) and rapid fire ( example-2). In the former, an easier question building confidence is followed by a more difficult question. Students typically select several different answers, and a chart displaying this result provides a visual impasse that stimulates conversation. A third equally-difficult question with different surface features assesses whether a concept has been assimilated. Lecturers have the opportunity to address student needs in real time.

Rapid fire sequences contain questions that are of moderate difficulty, but also provide views of single concepts in a variety of contexts. The PERG is studying whether this sequence is better suited to students in the lower quartiles. Finally, we occasionally have begun interleaving lecture demonstrations within question sequences, and in the future plan to research benefits of this interesting combination.

Present Research Program

Question sequences sufficient to populate the electricity and magnetism (E&M) quarter of calculus-based introductory physics have been developed and are being used in a three-quarter test to optimize student enjoyment of using clickers, and to investigate whether clickers help students learn. Two lecture sections of OSU’s E&M quarter of calculus-based introductory physics are taught in fall, winter and spring. During academic 2005-6, clickers are being used in one of these sections and not in the other. Student opinions are elicited via end-of-quarter surveys, while learning gains are evaluated through pre and post testing with the Conceptual Survey on Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) and by comparing response to selected common conceptual multiple choice questions placed on examinations in both clicker and non-clicker lecture sections. Results are positive, and can be viewed by clicking on this link (Reference-1) and also discussed in the recent AAPT invited Talk listed above.