Guest Blog by Dr. Katrina G. Boyd, Assistant Professor in Film and Media Studies, University of Oklahoma

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Having taught film studies at several institutions for 15 years, I’ve seen the impact of technology creeping into the classroom. The distractions resulting from student devices prompted me to uncover innovative approaches that would work with the new wireless options.

Each semester I teach 3 film studies courses at the University of Oklahoma, the largest being my Introduction to Film and Media with an enrollment of 300 students. Student use of mobile devices in this class came to a head about 3 years ago when I became all too familiar with non-engaged “Facebook faces.” At that time, I decided to impose a no-screen policy in all my classes.

Recently, as I started relying on my own iPad for both work and personal enjoyment, I began to rethink my decision to ban devices from my courses. With more and more students using e-books and note taking apps, I came to the conclusion that the very devices that were the root of distraction would soon become mainstays in the learning process. This led me to uncover ways to use technology as a means of engagement, particularly in my large lecture courses.

First, I looked into clicker technology. I quickly realized the limitations of these devices. Clickers would not work for my discipline, as the ability to ask open-ended questions of my students is a must.

Then I learned about BYOD options for student response systems, which enable students to bring their own mobile devices and eliminate the need to purchase separate devices for each class.

I was already using Cengage textbooks in some of my courses when my Cengage representative introduced me to LectureTools (an Echo360 company). I decided to try it based on the fact that LectureTools was offered as part of an extremely economical package, particularly for students who select the e-book option.

Luckily I was already signed up to teach two sections of summer school so I could try the system out and trouble shoot any problems before dealing with the 300-person section in the fall. As it turned out, adopting the system required very little adjustment. By the end of my second summer session, I could see a definite and positive impact even in these small classes.

If you’re an instructor dealing with the issue of device distractions in your own courses, I want to share the benefits I observed during my summer using LectureTools:

EASE OF USE:

Personally, I found the system easy to use. Uploading and/or modifying presentations is quite quick.

TRACKING ATTENDANCE & QUESTIONS:

It was helpful to have instant access to attendance data and the results for questions posed. The fact that this was automated made it easier to spot attendance and comprehension issues early on.

MORE ENGAGED STUDENTS:

Since answers are submitted anonymously, I found that participation increased, especially among students who were hesitant to participate before using LectureTools.

BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS:

In addition to answering the questions I pose, students can also flag particular presentation slides as confusing and ask me general questions about the lecture. This allows me to better gauge student comprehension, even on topics I did not ask about specifically.

INCREASED EYE CONTACT:

I noticed that students were making more eye contact with me during my lectures. Since they knew they had their notes and slides within the platform, they didn’t feel the need to copy everything word-for-word. Much more rewarding than “Facebook face!”

LESS PREP TIME:

Students have my slides right in the LectureTools platform and can access them 24/7, which allows me to simplify handouts and have fewer hardcopy materials.

IMPROVED PERFORMANCE:

While it is early to tell, compared to prior summer sessions, student performance improved, particularly at the low-end. Students frequently assume a film class will be an “easy A,” but the in-class questions allowed them to see that they were missing the finer points and seemed to impact attentiveness and performance.

SIMPLIFIED CONTENT ORGANIZATION:

I can quickly review the slides presented at the end of a lecture and delete anything I did not get to. This keeps me on track, allowing me to quickly assess where I am in the material—and what I need to go back to—for the next class.

My students were not shy to voice their preference for using LectureTools versus traditional clickers. They especially appreciate the note taking feature and the ability to participate anonymously. I ask all different types of questions using the system. Students can see whether they have understood the concept AND see how they are doing relative to their peers. Based on their responses to my questions, flagged slides and their individual questions, I have been able to fine-tune my own presentation, returning to topics they found confusing.

The success of my summer experiment with LectureTools has led to the use of the system in ALL of my fall classes. I also plan to present my findings and share my personal experience with LectureTools at a couple of OU conferences.