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As a physics teacher, I often wonder how much my lecture is really helping students learn the subject matter. Do they understand what I am speaking to them about, or are they simply trying to copy down everything I say? When I finish discussing one topic, are they ready for the next? Am I getting my key points across to them during the lecture?
The solution I found uses familiar technology—a computer with an Internet Web browser—and works as follows: I write a quiz in conjunction with my lecture preparation, inserting the quiz at a point where I'd like to know how the students are doing. I type the quiz into an editing program, like SimpleText on Mac or Notepad on a Windows operating system. (This system supports multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions.) I then run the quiz file through a software program that converts the text of the quiz into an HTML [1] file. The HTML file (the now Internet-ready quiz) is then placed on the school's Web server, which I can access in the classroom, using a computer connected to the Internet. (The requirements and process are described in more detail on page 5.) My classroom does not have an Internet computer for each student, so during the lecture I present the quiz questions using an overhead projector. As students arrive at their answers, they walk up to a computer that I set up in the classroom. The computer is configured with a Web browser that students can use to access the quiz document (the same graphic they see from the overhead projection).The overhead slide of the Web document is "clickable" from the computer, and the students may "click in" their answers, which are subsequently logged and saved by the Web server. A sample quiz, as a student would see it, is shown in Figure 1. When first using this system, a student might ask, "Do I have to log in or type in my name?" They do not, because quizzes are administered after I activate the Web browser. This allows them to enter their answers anonymously, thereby reducing individual performance anxiety. All students can participate without being singled out or embarrassed if they don't know the correct answer. When all students have "clicked in," I can access an instructor-only link that will instantly tell me how the students answered the quiz. For multiple-choice quizzes, a histogram appears on the screen, showing me the distribution of answers selected. If it was a fill-in-the-blank quiz, each typed answer is displayed, which I can scan over, on screen. Figure 2 shows a typical results screen, viewable instantly in the classroom. In smaller classroom environments (20 - 30 students), the computer monitor can be rotated toward the students so they, too, can see how they did as a class. (If you would like to see this feedback system in action, look at my sample quiz .) Some classrooms are equipped with a computer projector, which is a fantastic option that can be used to project both the quiz and quiz results on the wall, for high visual impact. After the students have all "clicked in" their answers, it is now the instructor's turn to do something with the results. Whether I project the results onto the wall or simply read them from a monitor that only I can see, the class is generally at attention. The students seem to sense that I really know exactly how much they just learned (or did not learn). I like to read each question and tell them what percentage of the class chose which answer. Then I discuss the question and correct answer with the class. The computers the students use to click in their answers can be just about anything. I needed a portable system because our classrooms are wired for the Internet but are not designed for any permanent computer setup. As shown in Figure 3, my computers are assembled onto a cart that I can easily wheel into any of my classrooms. All I must do is wheel in the computers, plug in the power and Internet cables, and turn on the computers. The computers do nothing except immediately run the Netscape browser when turned on, and I set the Netscape startup page to point directly to the day's quiz. For my setup, I salvaged two 486-class computers and installed the Linux operating system onto each. I found the Linux operating system ideal because it runs wells on older machines . Windows would work fine also; to take the quiz, the students just need a computer connected to the Internet and equipped with a Web browser. I would recommend at least one computer system per ten students. To save time and prevent lines from forming in front of computers, I usually break the students up into groups, and only have one person from each group actually click in the group members' individual answers. I created the software that generates the HTML files from quiz text files, and that accepts, instantly categorizes, and displays the class's answers. (You may obtain a copy of the software from the author's Website). My software contains three programs; none is particularly long or complicated. The first is a standard Windows program, and it uses the quiz text to create the classroom-ready HTML version of the quiz. The second and third programs run only on a Web server. One accepts and handles the students' answers as they are clicked in, and the other instantly compiles and displays the results. On my website you can find a sample session that illustrates how to create a quiz using Notepad [3] and the Windows quiz creation software. This is a short, step-by-step tutorial that takes a quiz (from the way it would appear on paper) and shows how to turn it into a quiz that can be administered in class on a website. You can use the Windows program on your own desktop computer. The Web server programs should be installed on your campus Web server, which may require a few steps outside of your control. Campus policies for placing content and programs on the university server can vary widely, but generally each campus has people specifically assigned to this particular issue. If in doubt, begin by calling your campus "Information Technology Center" or "Academic Computing" office. In this Internet age there is almost certainly someone on your campus whose job it is to help you use the Internet in your teaching. I have found this instant feedback system to be a welcome addition to my teaching. It meets my goal of quickly telling me how the students are doing, without causing any great disruption during the lecture. It also provides a diversion for the students during the lecture. I allow them to work on the questions in groups, and when done with the questions, they have a chance to get up and "stretch out" when coming up to click in their answers. While waiting for everyone to finish, the students and I all get an appreciated pause in the lecture, and we can collect our thoughts before proceeding. From the students' perspective, the system brings a touch of accountability to the lecture. I am taking a quantitative measure of their understanding, and I can see precise percentages of who selected what answer. A dramatic reading aloud of their results ("Gosh! Only 95% of you chose B when the answer is A") brings about both laughter and reflection during the lecture. Learning that they chose the wrong answers, students see directly that they still need to work on understanding the lecture material. I have been using this system for two years now. The results on the quizzes are often not what I expect. At times, no one will choose the correct answers, which tells me the students did not understand what I just presented. This quiz system not only provides a mechanism for finding out about the students' understanding, but also provides an immediate opportunity to stop and address misunderstandings. Also, since the computer displays results from specific questions, I can easily define the particular problem area. Let me close with one rather surprising experience (of many) with this quiz system. In one particular instance, I discussed a rather difficult topic: Force Law, the force a magnetic field exerts on a charged particle. It's very difficult to visualize at first, but I thought I had delivered a good and complete picture of how it all works. I was satisfied and issued a quiz, covering only the very basic points about the topic. I was startled to see that only 5% of my students answered the quiz properly! I had just delivered what I thought was a "good" lecture. I couldn't help but think about the prior years, when after discussing this law, I simply moved on to the next topic: How many students did I leave behind? [1] HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is a textual way of formatting (marking up) a document for posting on the Internet. Most pages on the Web are HTML files. [2] Part of the appeal of this feedback system is its low cost. Using old computers destined for the garbage is an excellent way to reclaim and use old technology. [3] A text editing program such as Notepad (as opposed to something like Microsoft Word) must be used here because the text-to-HTML conversion program that makes the quiz interenet ready can only understand text files. Microsoft Word creates ".doc" files which are in a format only understandable to Microsoft Word (jibberish as far as humans go). Notepad comes standard with Windows. You can run it by clicking on the "Start—>Run. . . " menu, and typing "notepad," then pressing [Enter]. Posted January 22, 2001 All material appearing in this journal is subject to applicable copyright laws. |