Interactive classrooms
What is it?
The word ‘interactive classroom’ typically refers to use of audience response systems (electronic voting/polling tools) such as Mentimeter, which succeeded the use of handheld ‘clickers’. Such tools can be used to ‘test’ learners recall or understanding of a topic, or to promote debate and discussion around a topic. The most common type of question is a multiple-choice question (MCQ) though most e-voting tools allow for various question types including open text questions (and associated word clouds), rating scales, and image hotspots.
How does it work?
The anonymous nature of polling tools enables all students (including quieter students) to be actively engaged in the class and contribute to the discussions. A typical use of audience response systems is for students to respond individually, then the tutor gives feedback and moves onto the next question or plenary. However, in Mazur’s peer instruction method (Crouch & Mazur, 2001), students are asked to think about the answer to a question on their own and use the polling system to share their answer anonymously with the tutor and the class. The lecturer then asks each student to discuss their reasoning for their original answer with a peer, and to vote again. Again, the answers are shared anonymously, and the students’ answers often shift as a result of misconceptions being addressed by peers. Any further misconceptions are addressed by the lecturer. Thus, peer instruction enables an electronic form of the think-pair-share activity.
Electronic polling systems are also increasingly used as part of other active learning methodologies; for example, in team-based learning, students are required to complete an independent Readiness Assurance Test (iRAT) before taking a team Readiness Assurance Test (tRAT), both of which constitute a series of MCQs. While in the past, this test might have been conducted on scratch cards, the use of polling tools allows student responses to be stored and then used for summative assessment processes, if required (however, students do need to log in and be identified for the purposes of assessment).
Does it work?
A systematic review of 20 qualitative and mixed methods empirical studies of learner experience of polling technologies, including clickers, revealed six pedagogical themes: (1) student engagement (fun, attention) and cognitive engagement (metacognition, reflection), (2) interaction (with teachers, peers and technology), (3) anonymity (creating a safe environment for students to answer honestly), (4) questioning (purpose, types of questions and question duration), (5) instant feedback (facilitating self-monitoring), and (6) technological considerations (including ease of setup and teacher proficiency).
What do I need?
Although typically used as a means of fostering interaction in large group teaching (lectures), interactive classroom voting can be used in smaller active learning spaces, as the furniture, layout and technology infrastructure of the rooms encourage discussion and technology use. Online polls can also be used in virtual classrooms.
The university supports the use of Mentimeter, which allows you to import and existing PowerPoint presentation into which you can insert polling questions, or you can just use it for polling. Question types include MCQs (for which you can have a single or multiple correct answers), word cloud, open-ended questions, rating scales, ranking items in order of importance, place the pin on an image, or a 2 by 2 grid.
It is possible to use other systems such as Kahoot, Poll Everywhere, or Vevox; however, Menti is the university supported tool and therefore is not only GDPR compliant, but the Learning Innovation Support Unit provide upskilling for staff. Other polling systems can only be used in an anonymous, low-risk way, to avoid breaching GDPR.
It is also important to consider digital equity – not all students have laptops or smartphones, and of those that do, not all devices will be fully charged. Thus, unless you’re looking to implement the peer instruction method specifically, or asking students to submit a Readiness Assurance Test that will be summatively marked in the context of team-based learning, you might want to give students the chance to vote in pairs.
References and further reading
Crouch, C. H., & Mazur, E. (2001). Peer instruction: Ten years of experience and results. American Journal of Physics, 69(9), 970-977.
Richardson, J. (2022). Modern muddiest point: The use of polling apps to enhance classroom dialogues in large groups. In T. Betts & P. Oprandi (Eds.), 100 ideas for active learning. University of Sussex Library. https://doi.org/10.20919/OPXR1032/94
Wood, R., & Shirazi, S. (2020). A systematic review of audience response systems for teaching and learning in higher education: The student experience. Computers & Education, 153, 103896.