Perception of smartphone use as clicker in lectures: a student–teacher perspective

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact, and students’ and teachers’ perceptions, of using smartphones as clickers during formal lectures. This was an observational study based on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews. Forty French dental students received conventional lectures, and 40 additionally used the Socrative® digital tool to answer several questions during the session. Thematic analysis makes it possible to state that students were bored by, and unwilling to take part in, conventional lectures. The use of real-time, smartphone-based questions helped them to stay focused and share opinions with their classmates. Teachers also found the lecture livelier and the students more involved thanks to the immediate feedback. The results of this study imply that using smartphones as clickers may simplify the use of clickers, encourage students to participate and increase student–teacher interaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Smartphone
• qualitative analysis
• clickers
• interactive lecture
• student-centred pedagogy

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Drs Marion Daries, Thibault Canceill, Damien Ostrowski and Jean-Noël Vergnes for their advice and help.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mathieu Marty

Mathieu Marty, DMD, PhD in Educational Science, is an assistant professor and hospital practitioner in paediatric dentistry. He works on university pedagogy in the field of dental surgery.

Sabine Joniot

Sabine Joniot, DMD, PhD, is an assistant professor and hospital practitioner in dental biomaterials. She is Vice Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of Toulouse, in charge of pedagogy.

Philippe Pomar

Philippe Pomar, DMD, PhD, is a university professor and hospital practitioner, and a qualified specialist in oral medicine (maxillofacial prosthesis orientation). He is also Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of Toulouse.

Isabelle Bailleul-Forestier

Isabelle Bailleul-Forestier, DMD, PhD, is a professor and head of the department of Paediatric Dentistry at Dental Faculty, Toulouse University, France. She is Visiting Professor at the Centre of Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.

Paul Monsarrat

Paul Monsarrat, DMD, PhD in Physiopathology, is an assistant professor in the department of anatomy and head and neck imaging, and a hospital practitioner. His skills are currently focused on the use of digital technologies for educational and research purposes (in-silico modelling, automated processing of imaging data, artificial intelligence).