Monday, 7 November 2005
7

Incorporating and Evaluating Student Response Systems in the Classroom.

Jenni Swenson, Dept of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota, 439 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, John Lamb, Dept of Soil, Water, and Climate, U of MN, 439 Borlaug Hall, 1991 Upper Buford Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108, and Albert Markhart III, Dept of Hort Sci, U of MN, 439 Borlaug Hall, St. Paul, MN 55108.

Time allocation within the 50-minute classroom is often limited to lecturing via prepared verbal and visual presentations (e.g. overheads, chalkboard, PowerPoint®, etc.). While this method of teaching works well for delivering learning points, other educational delivery methods that encourage unstructured dialogue can enhance student understanding, help resolve confusion, or measure understanding. Interactive classrooms improve the learning process — they peak and hold student interest, they improve the relevance and quality of student responses, and they are highly favored by the students (Horowitz, 2004). Student Response Systems (SRS) provide a mechanism for active learning in the classroom and, initially, are receiving positive feedback (especially in large classrooms). Instructors can benefit by using SRS in the classroom as they allow for instant assessment of student understanding of important concepts and provide for an automated record of attendance. Students can benefit from using SRS in the classroom as the system: encourages student participation and interactivity; allows for anonymous contributions to controversial topics; and provides for equal participation among all students. This poster presents the experiences of using SRS in three different courses taught in the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences. Results include summarized student evaluations and faculty feedback, positive and negative experiences of using SRS in the classroom, and recommendations for future use.

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