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This is a WWW document maintained by
Steve Draper, installed at http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/ilig/main.html.
You may copy it.
How to refer to it.
Web site logical path:
[www.psy.gla.ac.uk]
[~steve]
[ilig entrance lobby]
[this main
index page]
Frequently used dependent pages:
[compilation]
[vendors]
[EVS users]
[Ped. examples]
[video]
[bib]
Restricted pages:
[Quintin stats]
Interactive lectures interest group (ILIG): main website index page
(written by
Steve Draper)
Short URL for this page:
http://evs.psy.gla.ac.uk/
This is the home page for some web documents about interactive lecture methods
in general, and using classroom
electronic voting systems (EVS)
in particular. (EVS are also sometimes referred to as PRS, GRS, CCS: for a
discussion, see this list of terms used.)
(If you find this site useful, other major sets of pages on a similar
topic are
at
Vanderbilt;
Amherst;
or
this Simpson & Oliver 2002 report (33 pages);
pages on EVS use in maths
from Loughborough and
from Surrey.
or a page
at Colorado.)
If you are located in the UK, particularly, then you might want to join
the special interest group on EVS
"ESTICT":
"Engaging Students Through In-Class Technology".
(Other, desperate enquiries about it to Sian Cox [sian.cox.1 AT city.ac.uk].)
You might also want to join this email list:
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ELECTRONIC-VOTING-SYSTEMS.html
(electronic-voting-systems AT jiscmail.ac.uk).
You might want to look at this:
here.
You can access the pages on this website in alternative ways:
There are basically two ways for a newcomer to tackle these web pages and the
subject of interactive teaching with EVS.
If you just want to know what EVS are, or if you have already decided to give
them a try (perhaps because you have an idea where and how they would fit into
your own work), then you want the "bottom up" approach: go to the section
below on "How-to advice", and it will take you
from low level practical details, up through designing a question, then the
presentation issues (such as explanations) around a single question, then on
to designing sets of related questions, and on "up" to wider scopes. On the
other hand, if you aren't particularly committed to technology but are
interested in systematically changing teaching to be more effective by being
more "interactive", then you want the "top down" approach, and should begin
with the first section "Interactive Lectures".
You are more likely to be interested in this approach if you are a head of
department or at least a course team leader, and can consider substantial
changes to the demands made of your students and the timetable.
Interactive Lectures: overall points.
The EVS technique
The one minute paper technique.
Short (2 pages and a table) overview of our past work with electronic
voting systems. PDF file
EVS: a catalyst for lecture reform
by Alistair Bruce.
Transforming lectures to improve learning
Information on using the university's EVS equipment is accessed from a
single web page (and if necessary this phone number: x3286).
The university now owns quantities of PRS RF equipment, which is centrally
managed. (There is also older IR equipment available, and computing science
owns some new WordWall equipment which allows freeform texting input from the
audience.)
You may want to consider these elements (you can find links for these from the
link above):
- Booking equipment for a lecture. There's an
online form, and it can then
be picked up from and returned to the nearest janitor station.
- The software is pre-installed on all standard lecture theatre PCs: you need
only take a memory stick if you wish.
- You will need to install the software on your own machine in order to
create voting-enabled question slides in powerpoint. You can download and
install this yourself.
- You will want to practise on the software and can get some brief training.
The software is as easy to use as most other software on your machine, and
getting started in your own office is unlikely to be a problem. However you
will probably want a high standard of smoothness and confidence to operate the
voting while a large audience waits for you, on a machine not your own, while
you stoop awkwardly over the machine on the podium (stooping greatly
increases the number of typing slips and slips in operating menus by mouse),
peering at a poorly lit screen. The user interface is to a normal standard,
but not to the higher fool-proof standard that mission-critical controls need
to be.
-
Persuade a colleague to assist you the first few times.
I'd recommend this if it is your first time using it.
If anything goes wrong, one person can focus on the equipment while the other
manages the audience. Furthermore, an extra person can pick up more about how
it goes down with the audience which is also very useful, because they can
spend their time studying the audience not thinking about what to say next.
Ideally you want someone with experience of the equipment, but simply sharing
the load with someone who also wants to learn to use it has often proved
useful in the past.
- The university pages on this have insstructions; but don't describe the
handsets. Here are the
manufacturer's instruction pages.
Past work and advice on the older IR handsets
The EVS technique
(short introduction with pictures)
More practical details (longer introduction)
Physics has its own equipment
Past workshops for prospective users
Overview evaluation paper
about uses Oct 2001 - Dec 2003.
This section is essentially a "bottom up" tour, beginning with practical
technical details, and gradually leading to wider questions of how to string
questions together or redesign whole sessions.
If you want a quick look at what it's all about, to see if it might interest
you, then try
The majority of the lecturers and presenters who have approached us to try
using the EVS have already had an idea about how they might be used, and
wanted practical tips on putting this into practice.
Here are some introductory how-to topics for your first few uses.
What are the pedagogical benefits / aims?
Short answer
Best summary
(an alternative expression)
Long answer (a whole paper)
Summary list of pedagogic purposes for EVS
Technologies and alternatives are given on this page,
which also includes contact information on
equipment purchase
(and a few bits of history
of earlier efforts)
Some other common questions not answered elsewhere on these pages are
here.
There are basically three classes of evidence to consider:
- Improvements in exam marks and/or dropout rates
- Improved voluntary attendance by students
- Favourable data on attitudes e.g. from questionnaires
as discussed on this page.
Ad hoc bibliography.
In that bibliography, a very few outstanding things are starred: if you want
to do some reading, you could do much worse than start with them.
See also below.
- Draper,S.W.,
Cargill,J., & Cutts,Q. (2002)
Electronically enhanced classroom interaction
Australian journal of educational technology vol.18 no.1 pp.13-23.
This paper gives the arguments for interaction, and how EVS might
be a worthwhile support for that.
- Interim evaluation report
- Evaluation report Oct 2001 - June 2002
- Wit,E. (2003) "Who wants to be... The use of a Personal
Response System in Statistics Teaching"
MSOR Connections Volume 3, Number 2: May 2003, p.5-11
(publisher: LTSN Maths,
Stats & OR Network)
Account of using EVS in level 1 Statistics tutorials
(local copy).
- Stuart,S.A.J.,
& Brown,M.I. (2003-4)
"An electronically enhanced philosophical learning environment: Who wants to
be good at logic?"
tool
Discourse: Learning and teaching in philosophical and religious studies
vol.3 no.2 pp.142-153
- Draper,S.W.
& Brown,M.I. (2004)
"Increasing interactivity in lectures using an electronic voting system"
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning vol.20 pp.81-94
- Stuart,S.A.J.,
Brown,M.I. & Draper,S.W. (2004)
"Using an electronic voting system in logic lectures:
one practitioner's application"
Journal of Computer Assisted Learning vol.20 pp.95-102
- Stuart,S.A.J.,
& Brown,M.I. (2004)
"An evaluation of learning resources in the teaching of formal philosophical
methods" Association of Learning Technology Journal - Alt-J
vol.11 no.3 pp.58-68 pdf copy
-
"Feedback in interactive lectures using an electronic voting system"
Case study 3 (pp.21-22) in Enhancing student learning through effective
formative feedback (2004) (Higher Education Academy)
(
lead page for whole SENLEF report in PDF)
(
Nicol/Debra paper on feedback version 1)
- Cutts,Q.
Carbone,A., & van Haaster,K. (2004)
"Using an Electronic Voting System to Promote Active Reflection on
Coursework Feedback"
To appear in Proc. of the Intnl. Conf. on Computers in Education 2004,
Melbourne, Australia, Nov. 30th - Dec 3rd 2004.
- Cutts,Q.
Kennedy,G., Mitchell,C., & Draper,S.W. (2004)
"Maximising dialogue in lectures using group response systems"
Accepted for 7th IASTED Internat. Conf. on Computers and Advanced Technology
in Education, Hawaii, 16-18th August 2004
- Purchase,H.,
Mitchell,C. & Ounis,I. (2004)
"Gauging students' understanding through interactive lectures"
(local copy).
- Cutts,Q.I.
& Kennedy,G.E. (2005)
"Connecting Learning Environments Using Electronic Voting Systems"
Seventh Australasian Computer Education
Conference, Newcastle, Australia. Conferences in Research and Practice in
Information Technology, Vol 42, Alison Young and Denise Tolhurst (Eds)
- Cutts,Q.I.
& Kennedy,G.E. (2005)
"The association between students' use of an electronic voting system and
their learning outcomes"
Journal of Computer Assisted learning vol.21 pp.260-268
- Kennedy,G.E. ,
Cutts,Q.I.
& Draper,S.W.
(2006)
"Evaluating electronic voting systems in lectures: two innovative methods"
in D.A.Banks (ed.) Audience response systems in higher education: Applications and cases (Information Science Publishing: London) ch.11 pp.155-174
- Miller,A. & Cutts,Q. (2006)
"Teaching formal methods using and Electronic Voting System" pp.3-8 in
Proceedings of the Formal Methods 2006 Symposium
(McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada)
See here (PDF)
- Drysdale,T. (2007)
Results of mini-evaluation study: "Where are the weaknesses?":
An electronic voting system and diagnostic tree approach to learning where
students struggle with digital logic Report.
- Draper,S.W.
(2009) "Catalytic assessment: understanding how MCQs and EVS can
foster deep learning" British Journal of Educational Technology
vol.40 no.2 pp.285-293
See here
-
Bill Madill (School of Property and Construction, University of Central
England) wrote an MEd thesis on Peer Instruction.
-
Bill Madill also has a case study of using PRS:
synopsis and
full
case study.
- Simon P. Bates, Karen Howie and Alexander St J. Murphy, "The use of
electronic voting systems in large group lectures:challenges and
opportunities"
New Directions: the Journal of the Higher Education Academy Physical Sciences Centre
(ISSN 1740-9888) -
Issue 2 Dec 2006
-
Caroline Elliott (Economics dept., Lancaster) has
a short report.
- Ray d'Inverno
(Maths dept., Southampton) has
a short report and pedagogic rationale for PRS use.
- Mike Diprose (Mechanical engineering, Sheffield) has
an evaluation report on a trial use.
- Nicholls,J. (1999) (Cardiff)
"The web between lectures and self-managed learning"
Computer Assisted Assessment Conference
- Irving,A., Read,M., Hunt,A. & Knight,S. (2000) (Portsmouth)
"Use of information technology in exam revision"
Computer Assisted Assessment Conference
- McCabe,M., Heal,A. & White,A. (2001) (Portsmouth)
"The integration of group response systems into teaching and LOLA,
the missing link in computer assisted assessment"
Computer Assisted Assessment Conference
- McCabe,M. & Lucas,I. (2003) (Portsmouth)
"Teaching with CAA in an interactive classroom: Death by Powerpoint,
Life by Discourse"
- McCabe,M. (2004) (Portsmouth)
"Taking the MICK: what is a Mathematics Interactive Classroom Kit?"
LTSN MSOR Connections Vol.4 No.1 Feb 2004
- McCabe,M. (2003?) (Portsmouth)
"Do Mobile Interactive Classrooms Help Academics Engage Learners, MICHAEL?"
THES
- McCabe,M. (2003) (Portsmouth)
"Do Mathematics Interactive Classrooms Help Academics Engage Learners, MICHAEL?"
LTSN MSOR Connections Vol 3 No 4 Nov 2003
- G. McKay (2003)
"New approaches to Teaching and Learning in Engineering at the University of
Strathclyde" In
Maths for engineering and science LTSN MathsTEAM, pp16-17
[Strathclyde University]
- Boyle, J.T. &
Nicol,D.J.
(2003)
"Using classroom communication systems to support interaction and discussion in large class settings"
Association for Learning Technology Journal vol.11 no.3 pp.43-57
[Strathclyde University] pdf copy
- Nicol,D.J.
& Boyle, J. T. (2003)
"Peer Instruction versus Class-wide Discussion in large classes:
a comparison of two interaction methods in the wired classroom"
Studies in Higher Education vol.28 no.4 pp.457-473
pdf copy
[Strathclyde University]
- Nicol,D.J.
& Macleod, I. (under review) "Using a Shared Workspace and
Wireless Laptops to Improve Collaborative Project Learning in an Engineering
Course" Submitted to Computers & Education
[Strathclyde University]
-
"The new approaches to teaching and learning in Engineering (NATALIE) project"
Case study 5 (pp.25-27) in Enhancing student learning through effective
formative feedback (2004) (Higher Education Academy)
[Strathclyde University]
- Wendy Beekes (2003)
Revision Classes in Accounting and Finance Using the PRS
Lancaster University.
- Anne Dickinson (2005)
"Investigation of the potential use of a classroom communication system
in the HE context" Technical report, Coventry University.
- Alistair Bruce (2005)
EVS: a catalyst for lecture reform
By A.Bruce, School of Physics, University of Edinburgh. January 2005
- George Masikunas, Andreas Panayiotidis & Linda Burke (2007)
"The use of electronic voting systems in lectures within business and
marketing: a case study of their impact on student learning"
ALT-J vol.15 no.1 pp.3-20 [Kingston University]
- Russell, Mark (2008) "Using an electronic voting system to enhance
learning and teaching" Engineering Education vol.3 no.4 pp.58-65
- Simpson,V. & Oliver,M. (2007) "Electronic voting systms for
lectures then and now: A comparison of research and practice"
Australasian journal of educational technology vol.23 no.2 pp.187-208
- King,S.O. & Robinson,C.L. (2009) "'Pretty lights' and Maths!
Increasing student engagement and enhancing learning through the use of
electronic voting systems"
Computers and Education vol.53 no.1 pp.189-199
Mentions in
THES (Times Higher Education Supplement)
include:
Guardian Education
21 may 2003 pp.14-15
Andy Sharman
"Lessons at the click of a finger" The Independent, Education section
14 Feb 2008 p.6
A large, if rather random, collection of articles related to EVS written
elsewhere in the world are in the ad hoc bibliography.
Here are a few notable ones.
- Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional
methods: A six-thousand student survey of mechanics data for
introductory physics courses. American Journal of Physics vol.66 pp.64-74
PDF copy
- J.Poulis, C.Massen, E.Robens, & M.Gilbert (1998)
"Physics lecturing with audience paced feedback"
Am.J.Physics vol.66 pp.439-441
[Empirical evidence of improved exam pass rates.]
- Crouch, C.H. and Mazur, E. (2001), "Peer Instruction: Ten years
of experience and results", American Journal of Physics,
vol.69, no. 9, pp.970-977
pdf copy
[Empirical evidence of improved exam pass rates.]
- H.M.Horowitz (2003)
"Adding more power to powerpoint using audience response technology"
- D.A.Banks (ed.) (2006)
Audience response systems in higher education: Applications and cases
(Information Science Publishing)
- Smith,M.K., Wood,W.B., Adams,W.K., Wieman,C. Knight,J.K., Guild,N.
& Su,T.T. (2009)
"Why peer discussion improves student performance on in-class concept
questions" Science vol.323 2 Jan. 2009 pp.122-124
- A course using PRS heavily
First year chemistry at Berkeley
Newsletter ad for users at University of Glasgow
Second Newsletter ad for users at
University of Glasgow
Third Newsletter ad for users at
University of Glasgow
Newsletter article on use in English Literature
A letter to THES
Alternatives, TECHnologies, and VENDORS.
Unnecessary technical details of PRS
[not finished yet]
Hake and what matters (To be written)
Undigested notes and URLs
Some pictures of PRS:
at the end of this page and also
here
Some UK sites and PEOPLE who use EVS
Here's just a very few websites related to EVS that you might like to try.
Some other UK sites and people who use EVS are
listed here.
If you want to actually talk to someone, you could try:
Other important Glasgow University contacts:
Other people who use EVS (and PRS users) in the UK are
listed here.
Web site logical path:
[www.psy.gla.ac.uk]
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