Supporting active learning in an undergraduate geotechnical engineering course using group-based audience response systems quizzes

Abstract

The use of audience response systems (ARSs) or ‘clickers’ in higher education has increased over the recent years, predominantly owing to their ability to actively engage students, for promoting individual and group learning, and for providing instantaneous feedback to students and teachers. This paper describes how group-based ARS quizzes have been integrated into an undergraduate civil engineering course on foundation design. Overall, the ARS summary quizzes were very well received by the students. Feedback obtained from the students indicates that the majority believed the group-based quizzes were useful activities, which helped to improve their understanding of course materials, encouraged self-assessment, and assisted preparation for their summative examination. Providing students with clickers does not, however, necessarily guarantee the class will be engaged with the activity. If an ARS activity is to be successful, careful planning and design must be carried out and modifications adopted where necessary, which should be informed by the literature and relevant student feedback.

Keywords:

• active learning
• clickers
• civil engineering
• peer interaction

Additional information

About the author

Shane Donohue is a Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at Queen's University Belfast having previously held the position of Lecturer at the University of Bath. His main research interests involve engineering and environmental applications of geotechnical and geophysical site investigation techniques and the effect of climate variation on infrastructure. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.