Partnering Peer Instruction with PointSolutions for Enhanced Engagement

Alison Maloney & Mary Jane Pettola

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, we are constantly seeking innovative strategies to enhance student engagement and comprehension. It is a dynamic and evolving process that has seen the use of learning management systems, gamification, VR and AR, as well as flipped learning models in recent years.

Meaningful Student Interactions

Dr. Andrew Straw is an Associate Professor for Pharmacy at Cedarville University in Ohio. Cedarville, a private university in Ohio, has seen significant growth every year over the past 15 years with regard to enrollment. Dr. Straw, in his teaching processes, focuses on the importance of building strong patient relationships through direct patient care services, and he brings that same focus on person-to-person interaction into his classroom. Straw uses peer instruction, popularized by Eric Mazur’s research in the 1990’s, and incorporates Echo360’s student response system (ARS), PointSolutions, to create a learning environment that fosters active learning and meaningful student interactions.

Peer instruction has grown in popularity as an engaging way to manage lectures as it enables checking student understanding before moving on to more complex material, whilst also promoting discussion among students around questions with no single or clear-cut answer.

The Critical Role of PointSolutions

At the heart of successful peer instruction lies an effective student response system offering real-time data during class. PointSolutions’ flexibility, combining both clicker response cards and mobile responses, enables focused discussion on areas of student misconception and/or incomplete knowledge. By strategically incorporating pre-reading quizzes and revisiting concepts during class, Straw can ensure students encounter the material multiple times, enhancing long-term retention.

Overcoming Challenges

Acknowledging that peer instruction and polling may demand additional time and preparation, Straw emphasizes the transformative benefits of this investment. The shift from traditional lecture-style teaching to interactive learning forces educators to prioritize essential content and receive real-time feedback, ultimately leading to more effective teaching.

In speaking with him at his university recently, Straw said, “as a teacher, this actually forced me to see the most essential things that my student has to know. And then, how am I going to ensure that they know that before they leave? I’m not going to wait until the exam happens.”

He continued, “I think that because it’s a little bit lower stakes – because they do get to discuss – it creates a more creative atmosphere. Students aren’t as afraid to disagree and discuss and ask questions. My research study also found that students did agree that they could ask questions, and they didn’t feel awkward doing that. There was widespread positive agreement that this helped them with both comprehension and recall questions, and deeper conceptual questions across the board. So all those were very, very positive and that’s great.”

The Importance of Anonymity

While peer Instruction is the primary teaching method for Associate Professor Straw and his colleagues in pharmacy,  the technology is also used in traditional lecture and blended learning environments.  PointSolutions seamlessly integrates into various teaching styles and the ability to maintain confidentiality in responses adds a layer of flexibility and utility.

“Because I’m using peer instruction, I don’t want the students to see what other people are answering. And for many polling Software (options), I cannot do that. So, the opportunity to not only do the mobile response but to have the clickers to do the combination of those to put it in the powerpoint. The amount of flexibility and utility in that I think is, is a huge selling point for me that really seals the deal.”