*Not being one to explicitly tell students to place their electronic devices away, I wanted to see if I could not only do that (that is, have them put them away) but also assess their basal understanding of communication concepts within COM 225, public speaking.
Problem: I have been noticing a lack of engagement amongst 4/24 students who are consistently either on their cell phones or on their laptops/tablets during lectures and group-based activities. Possible Solution & Measure of Content Learned: I used plickers.com as a technological medium in order for the students to "see" their real-time, projected scores on this formative assessment. Process: Each student is given a QR-espue, laminated code with a specific number. In alphabetical order of surname, the students are given one card with either a {1...24} upon it. The question is posted online, and the students respond in complete anonymity since no one knows anyone's number (save, of course, if they actually had the roster to the class.)
Findings: Three students put their cell-phones face-down on their tables; one student closed her laptop on final day.
Comments
Great student engagement and accountability tool!
I had to go to the website to understand what this meant. This is very cool. I am interested in learning more about this for my self. Thanks for sharing.