Classroom response systems: inclusion, attainment and active learning

The 'clickers project' is a University-wide project, designed to provide an inclusive facility for technology-enhanced learning to staff and students. Every level 4 student received a free clicker device. Students were asked to register their clicker using the University's virtual learning environment (VLE) in order to investigate student engagement with in-class quizzes using clickers. Participation in the clicker registration process was recorded and evaluated as an indication of engagement with classroom technologies. Overall, significant differences in progression and participation in the registration process were observed with respect to ethnicity, gender and non-continuation rates for fulltime, first degree entrants. In an accompanying survey, students who were less confident in their in-class responses were more likely to resist working with peers or to give-up more quickly when tackling difficult questions. This paper presents three key elements of the project: First, Kingston University's inclusive approach in promoting classroom technology, second, analysis of engagement with the clicker registration process, and finally student perceptions of the use of classroom technologies. The objective is to show how classroom technologies can be seen as inclusive tools for feedback, capable of providing early signs of gaps in attainment among learners.