Educating the Mobile Generation - using personal cell phones as audience response systems in post-secondary science teaching

摘要

Post-secondary classrooms are increasingly being filled by students of the mobile generation. This research study investigates the use of a cell phone-based audience response system (ARS) in post-secondary science teaching. Survey results show that students who either used or watched others using such a system enjoyed the activity, reported less boredom in class, found the activity made the class more interactive and were more emotionally engaged in the classroom. In addition, the activity was not considered to be a waste of either the students' time or learning time. From an instructor perspective, the resulting change of pace and the renewed student attention during a lecture was a positive outcome of the cellphone ARS.rnSeveral correlative variables were identified which can negatively impact (such as age, amount of post-secondary experience) or positively impact (such as text-messaging frequency) the perceived benefits of the ARS activity. Significant participation frequency effects that were documented suggest that the degree of participation in the ARS activity may affect the students' perceived desire for use of this technology in more than one class per semester. Implications for best practices in the use of cell phones as an ARS in science teaching are discussed.