Conceptual question response times in Peer Instruction classrooms

Abstract

Classroom response systems are widely used in interactive teaching environments as a way to engage students by asking them questions. Previous research on the time taken by students to respond to conceptual questions has yielded insights on how students think and change conceptions. We measure the amount of time students take to respond to in-class, conceptual questions [ConcepTests (CTs)] in two introductory physics courses taught using Peer Instruction and use item response theory to determine the difficulty of the CTs. We examine response time differences between correct and incorrect answers both before and after the peer discussion for CTs of varying difficulty. We also determine the relationship between response time and student performance on a standardized test of incoming physics knowledge, precourse self-efficacy, and gender. Our data reveal three results of interest. First, response time for correct answers is significantly faster than for incorrect answers, both before and after peer discussion, especially for easy CTs. Second, students with greater incoming physics knowledge and higher self-efficacy respond faster in both rounds. Third, there is no gender difference in response rate after controlling for incoming physics knowledge scores, although males register significantly more attempts before committing to a final answer than do female students. These results provide insight into effective CT pacing during Peer Instruction. In particular, in order to maintain a pace that keeps everyone engaged, students should not be given too much time to respond. When around 80% of the answers are in, the ratio of correct to incorrect responses rapidly approaches levels indicating random guessing and instructors should close the poll.

Uma revisão da literatura acerca da implementação da metodologia interativa de ensino Peer Instruction (1991 a 2015)

“…Alguns trabalhos tiveram como foco elementos específicos do método, focando no(a): tipo de sistema de votação utilizado [100]; tipo de interação que ocorre na etapa de discussão entre os colegas [94,[101][102][103]; importância das atividades préviasàs aulas [87]; tempo de submissão das respostas dos estudantes [104]; apresentação dos resultados da primeira rodada de votação [105,106]; relação entre a localização dos estudantes e a distribuição de repostas [107]. Além disso, um dos trabalhos encontrados nesta revisão almejou construir uma expressão analítica que revela a correlação entre a taxa de acertos, nos Testes Conceituais, dos estudantes antes e após a discussão entre os colegas [108].…”

“On Second Thoughts…”: Changes of Mind as an Indication of Competing Knowledge Structures

“…In recent times, a number of authors have made use of electronic delivery techniques to probe various cognitive aspects of student responses. For example, Lasry et al 15 and Miller et al 16 have explored the time taken for students to select their answer to FCI and FCItype conceptual questions, and noted (among other observations) that response times are generally greater for incorrect answers.…”

Effects of image‐based and text‐based active learning exercises on student examination performance in a musculoskeletal anatomy course

“…For instance, peer instruction is an active learning practice that asks students to respond to Conceptest questions before and after discussing them with classmates (Mazur, ; Crouch and Mazur, ). Peer Instruction and Conceptests have been used in STEM courses including physics (Crouch and Mazur, ; Lasry et al, ), chemistry (Donovan, ; Miller et al, ), mathematics (Schlatter, ), and geosciences (McConnell et al, ). Conceptests are short conceptual questions that are designed to reveal common misconceptions (Fagen et al ) and to assess student learning at the comprehension, application or analysis level of Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, ) rather than just memorization (McConnell et al, ).…”