Plickers and Peer Instruction in a Software Design Course

Drew Alex Clinkenbeard; Joshua B. Gross

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Conference: 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Baltimore , Maryland
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Start Date: June 25, 2023
End Date: June 28, 2023
Conference Session: Computing and Information Technology Division (CIT) Technical Session 9
Tagged Division: Computing and Information Technology Division (CIT)
Page Count: 14
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--43901
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/43901
Download Count: 234

Paper Authors

biography

Drew Alex Clinkenbeard California State University Monterey Bay

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Drew A. Clinkenbeard teaches in the School of Computing and Design and California State University Monterey Bay. He primarily teaches Software Design and Software Engineering courses designed for sophomores (both transfer and native students) and seniors respectively. Dr.Clinkenbeard primarily focuses on educational research aimed at increasing achievement and equity in underrepresented student populations.

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Joshua B. Gross California State University Monterey Bay

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Joshua Gross is an assistant professor of computer science at California State University Monterey Bay. He worked for nearly a decade as a software engineer before earning his PhD. His primary interests are programming pedagogy and the psychology of programming.

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Abstract

Active learning strategies, such as peer instruction, have been shown to increase student achieve- ment in STEM classes. This paper explores a case study of peer instruction with direct student feedback using printed response cards (Plickers) or Zoom polls. Combining peer instruction with Plickers provides instructors and students with timely feedback on course material. This feedback allows instructors to gauge which topics students have understood and which may need more explanation or practice. Additionally the use of peer instruction provides students with multiple perspectives on challenging topics. This paper examines how these tools are used to provide instruction to students where it is needed most in a scalable and relatively low effort way. Students were polled once or twice per class meeting and responded with either Plicker cards (for in-person classes) or Zoom polls (for remote classes). Peer instruction was used when the initial poll resulted in a low percentage of correct answers; pre-selected student groups discussed the question for a set amount of time, after which students were polled once again. Peer instruction allowed students to get real time feedback on topics that needed more coverage and allowed the instructor insight into students comprehension. Data collection took place in a junior level computer science software design course over five semesters. The course ran for two hours, twice a week. Student perception of the use of Plickers was measured with a questionnaire that was administered at the end of each semester. In total there were eight sections across five semesters as shown in table 1. In total there were 163 responses to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%.There were 269 total students of which 163 responded to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%. The data collected indicate that students found peer instruction to be helpful in their understanding of the material. Similarly, students reported that the use of peer instruction helped them pay atten- tion and that it was a valuable tool in learning the material. Zoom polls worked well during remote instruction and may be a viable option for remote learning. After the initial effort in creating the question banks used for polls, this process takes very little extra work for the instructor and provides valuable insight to the instructor and students. Calling on students to explain answers allows further insight into student understanding. The additional instruction helps students to engage with their peers and to better understand the material. Future work will focus on comparing the pre and post poll responses and in improving group discussion and interaction.

Citation
Format

Clinkenbeard, D. A., & Gross, J. B. (2023, June), Plickers and Peer Instruction in a Software Design Course Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43901

TY - CPAPER
AB - Active learning strategies, such as peer instruction, have been shown to increase student achieve-
ment in STEM classes. This paper explores a case study of peer instruction with direct student
feedback using printed response cards (Plickers) or Zoom polls.
Combining peer instruction with Plickers provides instructors and students with timely feedback on
course material. This feedback allows instructors to gauge which topics students have understood
and which may need more explanation or practice. Additionally the use of peer instruction provides
students with multiple perspectives on challenging topics. This paper examines how these tools
are used to provide instruction to students where it is needed most in a scalable and relatively low
effort way.
Students were polled once or twice per class meeting and responded with either Plicker cards (for
in-person classes) or Zoom polls (for remote classes). Peer instruction was used when the initial
poll resulted in a low percentage of correct answers; pre-selected student groups discussed the
question for a set amount of time, after which students were polled once again. Peer instruction
allowed students to get real time feedback on topics that needed more coverage and allowed the
instructor insight into students comprehension.
Data collection took place in a junior level computer science software design course over five
semesters. The course ran for two hours, twice a week. Student perception of the use of Plickers
was measured with a questionnaire that was administered at the end of each semester. In total there
were eight sections across five semesters as shown in table 1. In total there were 163 responses
to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%.There were 269 total students of which 163
responded to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%.
The data collected indicate that students found peer instruction to be helpful in their understanding
of the material. Similarly, students reported that the use of peer instruction helped them pay atten-
tion and that it was a valuable tool in learning the material. Zoom polls worked well during remote
instruction and may be a viable option for remote learning.
After the initial effort in creating the question banks used for polls, this process takes very little
extra work for the instructor and provides valuable insight to the instructor and students. Calling
on students to explain answers allows further insight into student understanding. The additional
instruction helps students to engage with their peers and to better understand the material. Future
work will focus on comparing the pre and post poll responses and in improving group discussion
and interaction.

AU - Drew Alex Clinkenbeard
AU - Joshua B. Gross
CY - Baltimore , Maryland
DA - 2023/06/25
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - Plickers and Peer Instruction in a Software Design Course
UR - https://peer.asee.org/43901
DO - 10.18260/1-2--43901
ER -