In-class use of Laptop Computers to Enhance Engagement within an Undergraduate Biology Curriculum: Findings and Lessons Learned

Figures & data

Table 1 Representative questions from the student survey

Use of the tablet computer helped you to think critically about the task or problem presented.

Use of a laptop computer encouraged discussion between you and your partner(s).

Use of a laptop computer encouraged discussion between your group and other members of the class.

Use of a laptop computer helped you to think critically about the task(s)/problem(s) presented.

Use of a laptop computer helped you to understand and learn material.

Use of a laptop computer helped make this exercise an enjoyable learning experience.

I would want to use laptop computers for this type of exercise in the future.

Note: Students answered these questions using a Likert scale.

Figure 1 Percentage of students reporting favourable, neutral, or unfavourable responses to questions measuring critical thinking, engagement, comprehension, and the desire to use laptop computers in the future for (A) Biology of Fishes (the third/fourth year lecture course), (B) Physiology (second year lecture course) and (C) Genetics (second year laboratory course). Bars represent ± one standard error over three years.

Figure 2 The percentage of students reporting favourable responses to survey questions of critical thinking, engagement, comprehension, and the desire to use laptop computers in the future across 11 different sections of Genetics laboratory and three years of the study. Each dot on the graph represents the results for a laboratory section, with some dots overlaying others when multiple sections have identical favourability ratings. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01.