1. Professional Contribution Elena Pellegrini April 2012

2. Student Response Systems A Study in Achievement and Engagement with Attention on Socioeconomic Status

3. Introduction to Student Response Systems • Technological changes have led to the development of innovated devices to assess retention and comprehension with a push of a button. • There are a variety of student response systems, but ultimately they all serve a question and answer function, ranging from simple to complex

4. Pros and Cons

5. History of Student Response Systems • Early 1950s- Answer by Card • Four cards with color coded tabs • 1958- Answer Light Systems • Device would light up indicating student response • Replaced by Student Instant Response System, which was even more advanced and had an instructor panel. • Early 1960s- EDEX Systems • Similar to past practices, but had a scoring component • 1968- San Jacinto College • Officially defined instant Student Response System, stating that it must in fact be a response device, have questions posed in yes-no or multiple choice, and allow for all students to answer.

6. Student Response Systems of Today • vClicker Mobile edition • eInstructionCPSPulse • Smart Technologies Response XE • MimioVoteDymo/Mimio ITT • CalifoneGOT IT • Promethean software company

7. Promethean Planet • ActiVote • 6 buttons with A-F interface and exports data in .txt or Excel • ActivExpression • A-F multiple choice, enhanced multiple choice, true/false, yes/no, sortable Likert scales, numeric input, text entry. • ActivEngage • Computer based program used for classrooms with 1:1 computers or in a lab setting

8. ActivExpression Machine

9. Research Design • This study is designed to measure the level of student achievement and engagement utilizing ActivExpression with regards to different socioeconomic statuses. • “At-Risk” students were identified using the PVASS system. • Prior to the survey, all students took a technology exposure survey.

10. Subjects • 9th Grade World History • 30 students total • 18 Female • 12 Male • 2 students (1 male, 1 female) were excluded from data analysis

11. Technology Exposure Survey Students deemed “clicker weak” use computer based technology more regularly than their “clicker strong” counterparts.

12. Students deemed “clicker weak” use cell phone based technology more regularly than their “clicker strong” counterparts.

13. Technology Tools Competence

15. Achievement Results • Quiz Results: • 12 students strong • 9 weaker • 9 showed no difference • Exam Results • 14 strong • 14 weak • 2 showed no difference • Average improvement for strength: 3.78 points • Average decline for weak: 16.93 points

16. Engagement Results • At the conclusion of the study, students were asked to take a short survey to give their impression of using the educational tool. • Areas address were growth, retention, level of user ease, interest level, attention holding, and usefulness.

17. I feel like I learned more using the clickers

18. I feel like I remembered more using the clickers

19. I found the clickers to be confusing

20. I found class to be more interesting with the clickers

21. I paid more attention when using the clickers in class

22. I found there to be no difference between using and not using the clickers

23. Student Perceptions • Students who showed achievement with the clickers used the following terms with the most frequency to highlight their experience: 6- Easy 4- Fun 3- Interesting 3- Different 2- Cool 2- Not preferable 2- Confusing

24. Students who did not show achievement with the clickers used the following terms with the most frequency to highlight their experience: 10- Fun 6- Interesting 6- Different 4- Easy 2- Helpful 2- Fast 2- Not preferable 2- Confusing 2- Frustrating

25. Educational Implications and Contributions of Research • Important to utilize best practices. • When best practices are not clearly defined, research is imperative • Need to acknowledge individual students strengths and weaknesses

26. Clickers should be used to improve instruction, not as a busy tool. • Early exposure and intervention with technology is key. • Moderation and variety is ESSENTIAL.

27. Study Summary • Achievement results were even, with 14 students succeeding, 14 faltering, and 2 remaining the same. • However, while the improvement utilizing the clickers was minimal, students who did not improve showed remarkable decline. • It is important to analyze the study holistically as well as individually to spot trends. • Highest point improvement: 29 points • Largest decline: 46 points

28. Engagement was fairly consistent in both sets of students, indicating that new devices do hold attention. • Students who had higher achievement were more likely to indicate a less favorable reaction to the clickers. • Suggestion for improved implementation: Early exposure, proper training, and judicial use of devices.