how live polling can enhance student learning: applications for general and research classes

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 1

How live polling can enhance student learning: Applications for

general and research classes

Teaching, Learning, Mentoring Conference, Springfield, MO.

 Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., November 5, 2005

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 2

Presentation Outline

Part 1: General Interest1. Overview of live polling

2. Examples of live polling

3. Live polling software

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 3

Presentation Outline

Part 2: Details of the application1. WebCT approach

2. Getting data into Excel and SPSS

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 4

What Is Live Polling?

Live polling is a method for getting responses from a group of people and displaying their responses in realtime.

In the context of teaching, realtime means the current classroom time frame.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 5

Why Live Polling?

Our rationale for live polling may derive from several sources

• Authority• Affiliation• Geek savoir faire• Financial• Theoretical• Empirical

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 6

Authority & Live Polling?

National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council

Educators should provide “active learning environments for all students, even in large sections, lecture-dominated courses (p. 39).”

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 7

Affiliation & Live Polling?

Active learning, like many ideas in the history of education, is a buzzword. Live polling is a strategy to encourage active learning.

Affiliation is a human need. If you feel the need to belong, join the crowd. Buzz a few words, do some polls, then follow the wave to the next hot item. You will feel better and students may feel good even if they do not learn any more.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 8

Geek savoir faire & Live Polling?

In a period of Geek revivalism, such as we now experience, it is useful to display a knowledge of all things Geek. Live polling is one of those things.

p.s. googling savoir faire will give you a french lexicon, which is not useful.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 9

Financial Considerations& Live Polling

There is funding for technology and research related to the use of technology to promote student learning.

Finances can be a reason to obtain the technology and determine its value in active learning. Add live polling software as a part of your purchase and research plans.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 10

Theoretical Reasons for Live Polling: Schemas

Students enter courses with various cognitive schemas.

An accurate schema of the concepts presented in the course may require a modification of their existing schemas (most likely).

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 11

Theoretical Reasons for Live Polling: Schemas

As an educator, live polling provides you with

-An understanding of a student’s pre-existing schema.

-An understanding of how they have changed as a result of the learning activities.

-An understanding of how many students “get it” as a result of the learning activities.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 12

Theoretical Reasons for Live Polling: Schemas

As a student, live polling provides

-Knowledge of how well they already understand course concept.

-Knowledge of how well they have understood a newly presented concept.

-Knowledge of how they are doing compared to others.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 13

Theoretical Reasons for Live Polling: Feedback

Feedback, or knowledge of results, promotes learning when it is immediate.

So much feedback in education is delayed feedback.

Live polling can provide immediate feedback

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 14

Theoretical Reasons for Live Polling: Attention

Theoretically, students need to attend to a stimulus in order to learn.

Live polling may increase the attention of more students if it is a

>novel stimulus

>relevant stimulus (e.g., net polling)

>discriminative stimulus ( learning cue)

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 15

Empirical Reasons for Live Polling

Attention span for students ~ 15 minutes

(Prince, 2004)

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 16

Empirical Reasons for Live Polling

Recall- for the first 10 minutes of lecture ~ 70%

Recall- for the last 10 minutes of lecture ~ 20%

(Prince, 2004)

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 17

Empirical Reasons for Live Polling

Common lecture rate ~ 120-140 wpm

Student notetaking rate as low as 20 wpm

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 18

Examples of Live Polling

WarmUps (Cox & Junkin, 2005)

• Ask 3 questions about the assigned reading before class begins.

• Use results for Just-in Time Teaching-- tailor your presentation to the customer.

• [Software can set a timer to end availability of questions to end when class begins.]

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 19

Examples of Live Polling

Learning Consolidation & Mid-lecture Polls

Engage with the material by reviewing their notes and solving a problem.

> Individual work

> Group activity

Respond to the question and get feedback.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 20

Examples of Live Polling

Attention & Focus Stimulus

Survey the class on a topic of interest to students and relevant to the course content.

Tattoo

Use of WebCT

Elections

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 21

Examples of Live Polling

Self-Test

Ungraded questions provided at the end of class to reinforce accurate learning.

Feedback can guide the learners to notes or text pages for the answers or lead them to other resources.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 22

Examples of Live Polling

Selected Course Evaluation

Outside of class time, a survey of selected course components can involve the students in feedback about the perceived value of various learning activities used by the instructor.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 23

Examples of Live Polling

Specific Use-Testing & Research Classes: Develop skills for:

writing questions & items

web-based research

downloading files

Using Excel

Using SPSS / data analysis software

Live stuff is more fun!

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 24

Live Polling Software

• Webforms

• A variety of options including live polling available at no charge from William F. Junkin. Wjunkin@erskine.edu

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 25

Live Polling Software

• WebCT

• Quizzes and Options Module

• I will illustrate WebCT in the next section

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 26

Live Polling: Some Thoughts

• Time to prepare the activity

• Familiarity with the software

• Familiarity with the equipment

• Knowing the limitations– E.g., how to enroll people in a class

End of Part I

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 27Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 1

How live polling can enhance student learning: Applications for

general and research classes

Teaching, Learning, Mentoring Conference, Springfield, MO.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., November 5, 2005

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 28

Part 2

In this Part of the Presentation I will cover

1. Adding Surveys in WebCT

2. Downloading files to Excel

3. From Excel to SPSS

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 29

Surveys in WebCT

Refer to the handout, which is based on the WebCT help guidelines.

Begin by adding surveys from the control panel Add Tool feature.

Complete the options information- including choice of an icon

Click to add the tool and the features.

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 30

Control Panel--- Surveys

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 31

Create the Survey in WebCT

• Course Menu- select survey

• Select Create

• Add title and create

• You have set up the Survey but need to add questions

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 32

Add Questions to the Survey

• Select Survey

• Edit

• Add questions/ items

• Create

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 33

Add Questions

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 34

Add Questions to the Survey

• Type the item

• Type responses e.g., Agree…

• Save and Add

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 35

Enter New Questions

Answers

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 36

Schedule the Survey

• Select the settings

• For example - for the class period

• Update

• That is it!

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 37

Survey Settings

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 38

Examining the Data

• Select detail to see results

• Update table

• Click summary to see item responses

39Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005

Survey Detail

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 40

Examining the Data

• Click detailed statistics to see basic stats

• That is usually enough for the live class polling

• Have a discussion or move on…

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 41

WebCT Live

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 42

Downloading

• From the survey/detail page, select export to disk

• Select where to download

• Open Excel

• Open file from download

• Select comma delimited

• Accept defaults and finish

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 43

Downloading

• From the survey/detail page, select export to disk

• Select where to download

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 44

Export & Download

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 45

In Excel

• “Clean up” data

• Do statistics or,

• Save the file as an Excel file

• See the examples

46Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005

Excel View

No attractive embarrassedexpressionget tattoo religious be...25

1419212430 3 4 4 434 3 1 23523 2 1 2 1 28 2 4 4 4

31 2 2 2 2 21 3 3 3 2 3

Missing data

47Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005

Excel “Cleaned”

No attractive embarrassedexpressionget tattoo religious be...23 2 1 2 1 28 2 4 4 4

31 2 2 2 2 21 3 3 3 2 37 4 3 4 2 43 4 4 4 5 54 3 4 4 39 1 4 4 2 3

10 3 4 2 3 312 2 4 2 2 513 2 4 3 2 415 4 4 5 4

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 48

In SPSS

• Open SPSS

• Open a new file

• Select the excel file you created

• Begin data analysis

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Ph.D., 2005 49

The End

Please refer to the handout available on line for a list of procedures and references.

Please send corrections to suttong@evangel.edu

Thank you.