Audience response systems

How to interact with a huge audience in a lively way? Audience response systems are used a lot nowadays, either through handheld transmitters (clickers) or through mobile phones. Through an input device participants express their views in complete anonymity, and the cumulative view of the group appears on a public screen. You can either introduce statements, multiple-choice questions, opinions or open text inputs from your participants. The collective feedback is immediately available to everyone and can be the start of a lively discussion.

If these systems support active learning approaches and improve learning outcomes further research still needs to determine.

According to EDUCAUSE two important features we might take into consideration:

Clickers or mobile phones:

– provide a mechanism for participants to participate anonymously.
– integrate a «game approach» that may engage participants more than in a traditional classroom discussion.

Also for evaluation of learning events or courses they might be useful. The immediate results are visible on screen and can be the input of a more in-depth discussion that might generate more qualitative input for your evaluation.

Try it out with a small group for free: Live audience polling : http://www.polleverywhere.com