It’s a scene that’s played out every day on campuses all over the world. The instructor enters a large lecture-hall and begins to speak. As he gazes out on the one hundred or more assembled students, he has to wonder, “Do they understand what I am saying? Are they even paying attention to what I am saying? Are they taking notes? Are they taking the right notes?” These are all great questions. You teach because you want to have an impact, so the question becomes, “what do I want my students to know, versus what do I want to say to them?”

With active learning technology you can actually measure that impact. Active learning solutions allow you to ask questions, create polls or surveys, and connect with your students before, during and even after class. Students won’t have to raise their hands. They can respond on their own Internet-enabled devices,  –  smartphones, tablets or laptops.

Students no longer have to feel afraid to answer a question for fear of making a mistake in front of their classmates. Using their own devices to respond anonymously, their responses are confidential. This is one of the most empowering and liberating pieces of a true active learning system – the ability to increase inclusiveness for students. Those students might be women in technology or science class or students for whom English is a second language.  An active learning solution that includes a student engagement system is the great equalizer. It helps you identify students at-risk, earlier in the term. It levels the playing field for all students.

Here are 3 examples of how leading institutions are currently using active learning technology to boost student engagement.

University of Michigan – Dr. Melissa Gross teaches Musculoskelatal Anatomy to classes of 80 or more students. Frustrated by what she perceived to be lack of engagement, she began using LectureTools to ask questions and plan more dynamic classroom activities. She also modified her lecture materials to encourage greater student interaction. Students who may have been too embarrassed or shy to ask a question in class are now asking more questions and participating more in class.

Elon University – Dr. Jim Barbour, Chair of the Department of Economics uses LectureTools to improve understanding of complex material. According to Barbour, “Engagement is more fairly spread out across the classroom population. For example, the students that may have appeared to be disengaged before, now immediately go to their keyboards for a LectureTools response. They may not have spoken up in a traditional raise-your-hand class structure.

Ohio State University – Eric Weismantel, a second year Graduate Teaching Assistant at Ohio State University uses LectureTools to gauge comprehension of complex material. He starts off a class with a short quiz, what he terms as “low-stakes testing” to determine whether or not students comprehend the course material.

Teaching fearlessly using active learning technology helps you answer that critical question, “How do you know what your students don’t know?”  You have to start by asking questions.