IMAGEQUIZZES: A STUDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM FOR IMAGES

The use of "clickers" as a student response system has been shown by many authors to increase student engagement and learning, notably in large classes. We have been experimenting with a web-based student response system, LectureTools (http://www.lecturetools.com), which allows the instructor to pose questions about images. The instructor can upload an image and ask students to mark on the image their response to a question (like "Which rock layer in this image is oldest?"). The results can be instantly displayed giving the instructor the opportunity to comment on the answers for feedback to the students. In surveys over multiple semesters students overwhelmingly preferred the use of LectureTools in geosciences courses to clickers and, despite the increased potential for distraction that laptops in class pose, student engagement is significantly higher. This talk will demonstrate the use of image quizzes (bring a laptop!) and describe lessons learned from multiple semesters of use.