Opinions on “Classroom Response System” by First-year Engineering Students

The aim of this research is to gather students’ opinions about an implementation of Classroom Response System in university lectures. The study covers the thoughts of first-year undergraduates enrolled in an introductory physics course belonging to an engineering degree. The teaching methodology consisted on Concept-Test questions which were answered by all the students using a Classroom Response System, followed by small discussions leaded by the teacher. Opinions were collected through an on-line survey that was delivered to participants at the end of the academic year. The questionnaire consisted in nineteen Likert scale items that covered three categories: the tool, attitudes and learning. A final open-ended question was also added. Data was interpreted using descriptive statistical methods. Findings show that students gave an overall positive evaluation of the tool, as well as to its advantages as an enhancer of: (a) attention, (b) participation, (c) classroom dynamics, and (d) learning, with a special remark on the role it plays on real time self-evaluation of their own learning during lectures.