Educational Technology: Audience Response Systems
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Clickers: Audience Response System (ARS) Technology
What is ARS? An audience response system (ARS) is a type of multimedia technology that allows students to actively participate during a lecture, often anonymously, by entering responses into a remote device (“clicker”) or smart phone (Filer, 2010).
Are there different options? There are multiple types of audience response systems available on the market, but at minimum they consist of a central receiver and software program that processes and displays responses to provide immediate feedback to the audience (Barbour, 2013). There are also multiple types of remote devices that are available.
What about mobile devices? Traditional ARS technology uses proprietary remote devices, which creates an incremental hardware cost to either the student or facilitator, but newer mobile ARS technology utilizes the student’s personal electronic device (Shon & Smith, 2011). The disadvantage of mobile technology is it relies on wireless (Wi-FI) or text-based (SMS) signals, which may create delays due signal strength, whereas traditional clickers use radio-frequency (RFID) signals that reliably provides real-time responses (Shon & Smith, 2011).
Are there different options? There are multiple types of audience response systems available on the market, but at minimum they consist of a central receiver and software program that processes and displays responses to provide immediate feedback to the audience (Barbour, 2013). There are also multiple types of remote devices that are available.
What about mobile devices? Traditional ARS technology uses proprietary remote devices, which creates an incremental hardware cost to either the student or facilitator, but newer mobile ARS technology utilizes the student’s personal electronic device (Shon & Smith, 2011). The disadvantage of mobile technology is it relies on wireless (Wi-FI) or text-based (SMS) signals, which may create delays due signal strength, whereas traditional clickers use radio-frequency (RFID) signals that reliably provides real-time responses (Shon & Smith, 2011).
Why Use Clickers in Nursing Education?
What's the benefit? The use of clickers increases engagement of the students while improving the quality of their learning experience (Miller, Ashar, & Getz, 2003). Montenery et al. (2013) found that millennial-aged nursing students perceived that using clickers to provide anonymous audience responses during class increased their satisfaction level and classroom participation.
Is there a downside? The use of ARS technology doesn’t guarantee improved learning outcomes since faculty still have to incorporate them with other pedagogical practices (Conoley et al., 2006). A pilot study by Filer (2010) used a quasi-experimental design to examine whether the use of clickers increased student knowledge scores, student motivation, student-perceived quality of the lecture, and student participation. The study did show statistically significant higher motivation and student participation, but didn’t show a statistically significant improvement in test scores or student-perceived quality of the lecture (Filer, 2010).
Is there a downside? The use of ARS technology doesn’t guarantee improved learning outcomes since faculty still have to incorporate them with other pedagogical practices (Conoley et al., 2006). A pilot study by Filer (2010) used a quasi-experimental design to examine whether the use of clickers increased student knowledge scores, student motivation, student-perceived quality of the lecture, and student participation. The study did show statistically significant higher motivation and student participation, but didn’t show a statistically significant improvement in test scores or student-perceived quality of the lecture (Filer, 2010).
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References
Barbour, J. B. (2013). Consider clicking in: Using audience response systems to spark discussion. Communication Teacher, 27(1), 38-44.
Conoley, J., Moore, G., Croom, B., & Flowers, J. (2006). A toy or a teaching tool? The use of an audience response systems in the classroom. Techniques, 81(7), 46-48.
Filer, D. (2010). Everyone’s answering: Using technology to increase classroom participation. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(4), 247-250
Miller, R. G., Ashar, B. H., & Getz, K. J. (2003). Evaluation of an audience response system for the continuing education of health professionals. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 23, 109-115.
Montenery, S. M., Walker, M., Sorensen, E., Thompson, R., Kirklin, D., White, R., & Ross, C. (2013). Millennial generation student nurses’ perceptions of the impact of multiple technologies on learning. Nursing Education Perspectives, 34(6), 405-409.
Shon, H., & Smith, L., (2011). A review of poll everywhere audience response system. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29, 236-245.
Conoley, J., Moore, G., Croom, B., & Flowers, J. (2006). A toy or a teaching tool? The use of an audience response systems in the classroom. Techniques, 81(7), 46-48.
Filer, D. (2010). Everyone’s answering: Using technology to increase classroom participation. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(4), 247-250
Miller, R. G., Ashar, B. H., & Getz, K. J. (2003). Evaluation of an audience response system for the continuing education of health professionals. Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions, 23, 109-115.
Montenery, S. M., Walker, M., Sorensen, E., Thompson, R., Kirklin, D., White, R., & Ross, C. (2013). Millennial generation student nurses’ perceptions of the impact of multiple technologies on learning. Nursing Education Perspectives, 34(6), 405-409.
Shon, H., & Smith, L., (2011). A review of poll everywhere audience response system. Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29, 236-245.