Phil Malouf, MD
History
Audience Response Systems (ARS) use a combination of software and hardware to facilitate interaction during presentations. Audience members use a device (a clicker or mobile device) which transmits their response to a receiver – either hardware or cloud-based. ARSs allow presenters to poll or quiz the audience providing a great way to gauge understanding, facilitate learning, and assess the effectiveness of content delivery.
Historically, ARS started with clicker devices—Turning Point being the prototypical example. With Turning Point each audience member had a clicker that was wireless connected to a physical receiver. During a presentation, a presenter might ask a question and the audience members respond by clicking an alphabetic letter on their clicker that corresponds to their selected answer. After a satisfactory number of answers is submitted, the presenter can show the correct answer as well as what proportion of respondents selected each answer choice. During the early days of ARS, Turning Point provided a nicely streamlined solution, as the polls could be embedded and show up directly in a PowerPoint presentation.
It is now possible to use computers and mobile devices as a “clicker” which means that most audience members will be able to participate as smartphones have become almost ubiquitous. Most of these methods communicate to a receiver in the cloud, replacing a physical receiver device and meaning even less hardware is necessary. Some systems that use mobile devices as the “clicker” also embed polls and responses directly into PowerPoint presentations.
More recent advances allow the use of smartphones or computers to submit responses to multiple types of question: multiple choice, short answer, ranking, or click the target on a picture. Complex games, offline learner-directed polling, and other novelties have spawned from this giving an educator unique tools to increase the interactivity of their presentation and assess learning.
Benefits
While research on ARS is by no means robust, most findings suggest it does not significantly improve long term retention compared with other methods of learning. In most studies, short term performance was improved over traditional teaching methods. ARS does present new options for presenting and solidifying information. Additionally, it allows for interactive learning – it has particular use in the large group or lecture setting where previously it was difficulty to incorporate meaningful learner interaction. Most studies evaluating medical student perceptions demonstrated positive attitudes toward ARS use and consensus that it improves attention and feedback on understanding of the material. Its main benefit is creating an active learning environment that can be used in multiple settings from the lecture hall to the bedside. It permits anonymity, which takes some of the pressure off the student compared with traditional Socratic method. Some modalities allow tracking of student performance. Almost all, however, allow the learner to gauge their understanding of the material and allow the educator to assess his or her audience.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantages of ARS are technical in nature. It requires wireless connectivity and adequate bandwidth. While several formats allow you to poll your audience “on the fly,” most require time up front to prepare the questions and situate them appropriately in the presentation. Both presenter and audience need to be comfortable with the format to get the most out of it and avoid wasted time or distraction.
Tips for Use
Start simple. Make sure your presentation is clear and dynamic even without the ARS questions.
Align questions with your objectives. Identify the goal of each question and choose the appropriate question type and timing.
Do not allow too much or too little time to respond to each question. Make sure to plan for time to discuss. Do not waste time with explanations for questions that score highly.
If there are stakes, include 1-2 practice questions at the beginning to allow the audience to get “up to speed” on the use of the ARS.
Spread questions out throughout a presentation to break up the flow, regain the attention of your audience, and confirm understanding before moving on to more complex topics.
Don’t forget to include visual cues or your own direction about when a question is open to submit responses, when time is up (and a countdown timer if available), and correct answer indicators. These will help the presentation run more smoothly.
Use the feedback you get. What content did students struggle with and how can you improve comprehension for the next learners?
Use questions to stimulate further discussion. If your audience performs poorly on a question, discuss with them why one option is better than the others.
References
Atlantis E, Cheema BS. Effect of audience response system technology on learning outcomes in health students and professionals: an updated systematic review. Int J Evid Based Healthc. 2015 Mar;13(1):3-8. doi: 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000035. Review.
Abdel Meguid E, Collins M. Students’ perceptions of lecturing approaches: traditional versus interactive teaching. Adv Med Educ Prac. 2017;8:229–241.
Gousseau M, Sommerfeld C, Gooi A. Tips for using mobile audience response systems in medical education. Advances in Medical Education and Practice. 2016;7:647-652. doi:10.2147/AMEP.S96320.
Cody Nelson, Lisa Hartling, Sandra Campbell & Anna E. Oswald (2012) The effects of audience response systems on learning outcomes in health professions education. A BEME systematic review: BEME Guide No. 21, Medical Teacher, 34:6, e386-e405, DOI: 10.3109/0142159X.2012.680938
Nevins E, Moori P, Richards B, Alexander L, Pazmany L, Sharma A, The Impact of Live Audience Participation Teaching on Medical Education at The Surgical Scousers, an Undergraduate Surgical Society, MedEdPublish, 2017, 6, [2], 18, doi:https://doi.org/10.15694/mep.2017.000080