HOME HELP FEEDBACK ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Supplemental Material Submit Reader Comments Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Reader Comments are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Sign up for eTOCs Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Preszler, R. W. Articles by Shuster, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Preszler, R. W. Articles by Shuster, M.

Assessment of the Effects of Student Response Systems on Student Learning and Attitudes over a Broad Range of Biology Courses

Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003-8001

Monitoring Editor: Marshall Sundberg

Address correspondence to: Ralph W. Preszler (rpreszle{at}nmsu.edu)

With the advent of wireless technology, new tools are available that are intended to enhance students' learning and attitudes. To assess the effectiveness of wireless student response systems in the biology curriculum at New Mexico State University, a combined study of student attitudes and performance was undertaken. A survey of students in six biology courses showed that strong majorities of students had favorable overall impressions of the use of student response systems and also thought that the technology improved their interest in the course, attendance, and understanding of course content. Students in lower-division courses had more strongly positive overall impressions than did students in upper-division courses. To assess the effects of the response systems on student learning, the number of in-class questions was varied within each course throughout the semester. Students' performance was compared on exam questions derived from lectures with low, medium, or high numbers of in-class questions. Increased use of the response systems in lecture had a positive influence on students' performance on exam questions across all six biology courses. Students not only have favorable opinions about the use of student response systems, increased use of these systems increases student learning.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. W. Preszler Replacing Lecture with Peer-led Workshops Improves Student Learning CBE Life Sci Educ, September 1, 2009; 8(3): 182 - 192. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Armbruster, M. Patel, E. Johnson, and M. Weiss Active Learning and Student-centered Pedagogy Improve Student Attitudes and Performance in Introductory Biology CBE Life Sci Educ, September 1, 2009; 8(3): 203 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. Crossgrove and K. L. Curran Using Clickers in Nonmajors- and Majors-Level Biology Courses: Student Opinion, Learning, and Long-Term Retention of Course Material CBE Life Sci Educ, March 1, 2008; 7(1): 146 - 154. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]