Mobile voting tools for creating a new educational design of the traditional university lecture in Russia

Abstract

Mobile voting tools can enhance learning and teaching experiences in many ways, by providing instant feedback, better diagnosis of learning problems and creating new formats of enquiry-based activities. Mobile voting apps, also known as mobile clickers, which directly introduce dialogue and interactivity between teacher and student, have been used successfully within the context of the university classroom for the last decade. The objective of the international study Enhancing Technology Awareness and Usage of m-Learning in Russia and Norway was to evaluate the impact of a mobile voting tool student response system (SRS) on creating a collaborative environment for university lecture courses. As part of a comparative experimental study, this research quantitatively compares student’s test scores across two groups (56 students) of Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia). This data was combined with that from a qualitative attitudinal student survey. Research indicates that an SRS-supported approach influenced important aspects of lecture design such as time management, the mode of material presentation and activity switch patterns. In addition, SRS was also found to impact on learner-teacher interactions, student collaboration and motivation and formats of activities.