Bill Dixon Innovation Day

USING ELECTRONIC VOTING SYSTEMS IN LARGE GROUP TEACHINGBill DixonSchool of Criminology, Education, Sociology & Social WorkTeaching Innovation Day 2006-729 May 2007

WHAT’S THE USE OF LECTURES? Donald Bligh (1998: 6-9)

Acquisition of information• A framework for private study

Promotion of thought• Awakening critical thinking

Changes in attitude• Acquisition of ‘discipline’ values• Inspiring interest and enthusiasm

Development of behavioural skills

MAKING LECTURES USEFUL Bligh (1998: 224-7)

Providing feedback• Student – student and student - lecturer

Allowing time for ‘rehearsal’• Reviewing and restructuring information

Avoiding interference and negative transfer• The dangers of information overload

Encouraging active learning• Problem-solving and discussion

Maintaining high levels of attention

USING EVS FOR INTERACTIVE LECTURES

Draper (2005)EVS and MCQs to promote interaction

in lectures• Testing understanding

• Prospective adaptation• Retrospective (self) assessment

• Initiating small group discussion• Providing feedback to lecturer on

teaching

BACKGROUND

CRI-10001 Introduction to Criminology 2005-6

• New module leader and (sole) lecturer• New textbook

• Criminology: A Sociological Introduction

• Increased contact time• 22 rather than 11 lectures (plus 5 tutorials)

• Revised assessment• Diagnostic test

• 1,500 word course work assignment (50% marks)

• 1 hour/50 question MC examination (50% marks)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Knowledge and understandingCriminology as a disciplineCriminological data and researchA criminological understanding of

crime and criminal justice Study skills

Studying criminology• Thinking, talking and writing

criminologically

CONTEXT

Module revisions Course work assignment

• Practical exercise and auto-critique• Negative marking of MC exam

VLE• Online resources• Asynchronous discussions

Numbers 200+ registered students

• 120 – 50 present Accommodation and equipment

Westminster 64 handsets and a laptop

GETTING STARTED

Introduction What is an EVS? Why use an EVS?

Practicalities Distribution and collection

Dying on the first day Power cut The wrong USB port Things can only get better …

ELECTRONIC VOTING

What is an EVS?Ask the audience on ‘Who wants to be a

millionaire’ Why use an EVS?

Make lectures more interactive• Encourage discussion in small groups• Formative assessment and feedback• Identify ‘wicked issues’ for clarification and

revision• Become familiar with multiple choice question

(MCQ) format

MUSIC

Which of the following kinds of music do you like best?

A.Hip-hop

B.Dance

C.Rock

D.Classical

REVISION QUESTION

Which of the following views is NOT characteristic of the classical tradition in criminology?

A. As rational beings people will choose not to offend if the punishment fits the crime 17%

B. Punishment should be public, prompt and parsimonious 19%

C. Criminals are driven to offend by social, psychological and other forces beyond their control 44%

D. Penal laws should seek to provide for the greatest good of the greatest number 19%

EVALUATION AND FEEDBACK

In response to the following questions, please respond as follows:

A. Strongly disagree

B. Disagree

C. Neither disagree nor agree

D. Agree

E. Strongly agree

STATEMENTS

1. Carrabine et al’s Criminology: A Sociological Introduction is a good introductory text 81% agree

2. Lectures are useful 86% agree

3. I have used the VLE (WebCT) 86% agree

4. Electronic voting makes lectures more interesting 78% agree

5. This module is too difficult 55% disagree

HATE CRIMES

Which of the following incidents involves a ‘hate crime’?

A. A young white man is called a ‘redneck’ by a group of young Asian men

B. A man assaults his girl friend for being a ‘dirty slag’ and coming home drunk

C. A member of staff at the check-in desk pushes past a disabled passenger protesting about a budget airline’s failure to provide wheelchairs free of charge saying that she should get out of the way of ‘normal people’

D. A group of Muslims demonstrate outside a Catholic church calling for the Pope to be executed

E. A man sprays ‘Fuck u batty boys’ on the door of a gay bar

BURGLARS

According to recent Home Office Research (Hearnden and Magill, 2004) what was the main reason given by burglars for committing their first offence?

A. Boredom 20%

B. Funding drug use 11%

C. Saw an easy target 34%

D. Influence of friends 25%

UNDERSTANDING BURGLARS

Which of the following theories appears to be supported by Hearnden and Magill’s (2004) research on why burglars committed their first offence?

A. Classicism and rational choice theory 9%B. Mertonian strain theory 31%C. Sutherland’s theory of differential association

30%D. Sykes and Matza’s theory of neutralisation

11% E. Labelling theory 6%

EVALUATION

Methods Self-completion questionnaire Administered in (compulsory) tutorials in Week 11

Questions Attendance

• Number of classes Positive and/or negative contribution to learning

• Maximum of three each in rank order of importance Overall rating

• 10 point scale from 1 (negative) to 10 (positive) Recommendation

• Future use of EVS Response rate 62.5% (n = 125)

ATTENDANCE

No. of classes

Students Percentage

0 2 1.6

1-2 3 2.4

2-5 24 19.2

6-9 64 51.2

All (10/11) 30 24

FEATURES

Students Percentage

Positive (≥ 1 mentioned)

113 90.4

Negative(≥ 1 mentioned)

56 44.8

No response 14 11.2

OVERALL RATING

Rating Students Percentage

1 0 0

2 0 0

3 2 1.6

4 3 2.4

5 4 3.2

6 9 7.2

7 20 16.0

8 35 28.0

9 36 28.8

10 13 10.4

RECOMMENDATION

Recommendation Students Percentage

Use EVS again

111 92.5

Don’t use EVS again

4 3.3

Don’t know 5 4.1

POSITIVES

Mentions

Assessment 97

Concentration 69

Knowledge 47

Discussion 43

Interest 29

NEGATIVES

Mention

Overuse 30

Distraction 26

Technical 15

Pointless 9

Questions 9

OTHER MEASURES

Attendance 9.00 – 11.00 Thursday morning Rarely above 50% Struggling to make 25% in later weeks Lower than for comparable Year 1 module

and previous year’s CRI-10001 Performance

Assessments changed Unprecedented failure rate in MC exam

• Effect of negative marking?

CONCLUSIONS

What is the use of EVS?Popular with studentsProvides opportunities for ‘arousal’,

feedback, ‘rehearsal’ and active learning

Reduces interference and negative transfer

May promote achievement of some learning outcomes

REFERENCES

Bligh, D. (1998) What’s the Use of Lectures? 5th edition. Exeter: Intellect.

Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K., and South, N. (2004) Criminology: A Sociological Introduction. London: Routledge.

Draper, S. (2005) Using EVS for Interactive Lectures. [Online document available at http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/ilig/handsetintro.html (accessed 27 May 2007)]

Hearnden, I. and Magill, C. (2004) Decision-making by house burglars: offenders’ perspectives, Research findings 204. London: Home Office. [Available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/r249.pdf (accessed 10 August 2006)]