Encouraging college student active engagement in learning: Student response methods and anonymity
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the role of anonymity in encouraging college students to be more cognitively engaged in lectures. Kinesiology majors from three universities were asked to respond to questions during two consecutive lectures using response methods of opposing degrees of anonymity, one using ‘clickers’ and the other using hand‐raising. Participation and comprehension rates were statistically significantly different following the use of the different response methods (*p = 0.000 and *p < 0.001, respectively). Participant survey responses revealed insight into student perceptions regarding the role of anonymity in encouraging their cognitive engagement during each of the lectures. From participant comments, four major dimensions emerged suggesting the anonymity of using clickers (a) increased participation; (b) influenced cognitive engagement; (c) allowed for normative comparisons and (d) allowed for more processing time.
Lay Description
What is already known about this topic:
- Students and teachers have positive perceptions about the use of clickers, permitting anonymous student response, to promote participation and cognitive engagement.
- Anonymity has been offered as a possible advantage for using clickers; however, little empirical data specifically regarding the role of anonymity exist.
- The ‘level of anonymity’ has been unidentified by researchers as an important attribute afforded by different technologies; however, no research exists that examine these differences in an education setting.
What this paper adds:
- The research shifts the focus away from the communication tools themselves, instead concentrating on the underlying attributes of the technology, specifically anonymity.
- This research explored in‐depth student perceptions of the role response methods of varying degrees of anonymity play in enhancing their overall learning experience in a traditional lecture setting.
Implications for practice:
- The implications of this research provide insight as to how best to incorporate different types of response methods into effective, appropriate instructional design.
Number of times cited: 2
- David P. Smith, Angela Hoare and Melissa M. Lacey, Who goes where? The importance of peer groups on attainment and the student use of the lecture theatre teaching space, FEBS Open Bio, 8, 9, (1368-1378), (2018).
- Etrat AlZahra Ghanaat Pisheh, Yaser NejatyJahromy, Rahim Badri Gargari, Touraj Hashemi and Eskandar Fathi‐Azar, Effectiveness of clicker‐assisted teaching in improving the critical thinking of adolescent learners, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, , (2018).
