Abstract
In large university classes it can be difficult to provide an engaging
environment for effective student learning. Many instructors have turned to
using student response systems (e.g., clickers) to mitigate this problem, with
the i>clicker brand common in North America. However, usage of such systems is
typically limited to administering multiple choice questions to the class, with
real-time feedback displaying only an aggregate representation of the result
distribution.
We developed an architecture for Classroom Synchronous Participation Systems
(CSPS) to extend the use of such systems to support a wider variety of
activities. We implemented a working system called Rhombus CSPS which allows
clickers to be treated as generic five-button controllers that can be used as
inputs for interactive, multi-player applications.
Several game-theoretic exercises were implemented using the system and tested
in a classroom setting with students enrolled in a third-year university
cognitive systems course. The evaluation took place across two consecutive
terms, with the researcher assisting with using the system in the first, and
the instructor using it alone in the second. The results indicate both students
and the instructor had a positive experience using the system. Students
reported high levels of engagement and valued the activities' effect on their
learning, although there were differences between the two terms. The instructor
praised the system for enabling him to teach the curriculum of activities he
desired to, where he was previously limited by lack of technological support.
Displaying individual feedback to users in a CSPS can be challenging when
there is only a single shared display all students are viewing, especially if
it is desirable to keep responses private. To tackle this problem, we developed
a display technique for providing semi-private feedback to users based on
exploiting limitations in visual perception. We ran two experiments to test the
efficacy of our technique, with results indicating that our technique provides
a high degree of accuracy for interpreting one's own feedback, while limiting
the ability to simultaneously interpret another's feedback to near random chance.
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