Do Not Turn Off Your Mobile Phone in My Lectures – iQlickersTM: A Low Cost Personal Response System
Albert Lee
Joseph Ng
Eva Wong
Alfred Tan
Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
Abstract:
A student-centered learning environment should have two important characteristics: effectively encourage students’ active engagement; provide timely feedback to motivate students to work towards a high standard.
The provision of such a learning-centre environment is particularly challenging with large classes. In a large class, interactions among students and with the instructor are usually very limited. When questions are posed, students’ responses are usually very passive. They are afraid to speak up and try to avoid embarrassment. Straight talk becomes the norm and learning can be rather passive.
A Personal Response System (iQlickersTM) was developed to remedy the situation. Every student has a powerful wireless signal transmitter, the mobile phone. When a question (in multiple choice or opinion survey format) is posed to the class, students can comfortably send in their personal responses anonymously via their mobile phones. IQlickersTM can carry out a real time analysis, and display the statistics of the answers or opinions. It can further stimulate discussions and interactions among students. Cell phones are no longer just interpersonal communication necessities. They become handy teaching and learning tools in lectures via the iQlickersTM platform. With iQlickersTM, class interactions are greatly enhanced.
No set-up or purpose built response pads (clickers) are needed. iQlickersTM requires no dedicated hardware in the lecture rooms and it is location independent. The operation and maintenance cost of the iQlickersTM platform is very low.
Timely feedback provided to students can help them improve and maintain their motivation in learning. This presentation will outline our iQlickersTM project and explain to the audience how this e-learning endeavour helps in creating a learner-centred environment.
Website :http://www.iqlickers.com
Media Coverage :http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20120628/16466799