DOES ELECTRONIC STUDENT RESPONSE TECHNOLOGY WORK IN A SMALL LIBERAL ARTS CLASSROOM?

Electric student response technology can be an effective teaching and learning tool in large introductory geoscience classes. It is less clear to what degree small classes benefit from the use of this technology. As a first order measure of "effectiveness," students from two very different academic settings were surveyed to determine the student-perceived utility of this technology in their classroom.

The Classroom Performance System (CPS) was utilized as a pedagogical tool in Geosc 20: Planet Earth at Penn State University in 2002-2004 (up to 210 students per section) and Geo 102: Historical Geology at Washington and Lee University in Winter 2004 (22 students). Both are introductory geoscience general education courses designed for non-majors. While Penn State is a large research-1 state university, Washington and Lee is a small private liberal arts institution with an enrollment of ~2100 students.

Preliminary indications are that Geo 102 students at Washington and Lee consider CPS to be a highly useful classroom tool for synthesis of material presented in the course despite initially seeming less engaged and invested in the process than students at Penn State. A significantly higher percentage of Washington and Lee respondents (in comparison with Penn State students) more strongly agreed with the following statements: The CPS helps me to gauge my level of understanding of course material; The CPS reinforces important concepts presented in lecture; The CPS improves my problem solving skills; and The CPS is an effective teaching and learning tool. A greater percentage of Washington and Lee respondents also found the system fun to use. CPS use was less effective in increasing the desire of Washington and Lee students to come to class.

The overall level of satisfaction with CPS was higher at Washington and Lee than at Penn State. Perhaps most surprising, despite the small class size at Washington and Lee (which is believed to facilitate more classroom interaction), a higher percentage of Washington and Lee students agreed that the CPS system increased their willingness to ask questions in class. In fact, 100% of Washington and Lee respondents recommend the use of CPS technology in Geology 102 and other classes at Washington and Lee.