The miniproject investigated the introduction of an electronic voting system into lectures of MSOR in order to transform the lecture experience from a one-way transmission of information in to a two-way conversation between lecturer and students, mediated by the technology. The aim was to create an enjoyable means for continuous assessment of students’ conceptual knowledge.
The use of technology to enhance the teaching and learning experience is increasing in HEIs. Since assessment is an integral part of learning, there is great interest in the possibility of technology-based continuous assessment in mathematical education. Electronic Voting Systems (EVS) are a type of interactional technology that allows students to turn inherited passivity into dynamic interaction. An EVS system usually consists of a computer (laptop), projector, one or more receivers, and a handset unit called a clicker for each student. Clickers are remote-control handheld electronic transmitters making use of either infrared or radio frequency information transfer.
Interaction in a lecture is achieved by a feedback loop in which a question is asked or an issue raised. Questions are displayed to students by embedding them within PowerPoint slides. Once a multiple-choice question is asked, use of clickers allows students to select their preferred option for the answer. The handsets transmit this information to a receiver, which in turn transmits it to the voting software on a computer. After an allocated time, chosen by the lecturer, the software produces and displays a histogram or bar chart of the results and the lecturer then chooses a course of action to respond to the results. Voting can be used as a way of introducing and stimulating interest in a new topic, or to test how much students had remembered about a topic from their previous lectures. The computer keeps a record of the numbered handsets’ responses allowing the results to be analysed later.
Eleven publications on applications (all references are included in the final report [1]) of Electronic Voting Systems in mathematical or statistical teaching were reviewed as part of this miniproject. The content of each paper was analysed to identify three aspects: the context in which voting systems are used (module and class size), pedagogical practice, and student perceptions. Electronic Voting Systems were used in large groups with class sizes of more than 100 students, as well as in smaller groups with class sizes of less than 50 students. When looking at the pedagogical practices, two important factors in using EVS are the design of the multiple-choice questions used and the incorporation of peer instruction.
[1] Retkute, R. MSOR Connections, 9(1), 24-28.