2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Active learning strategies, such as peer instruction, have been shown to increase student achieve-
ment in STEM classes. This paper explores a case study of peer instruction with direct student
feedback using printed response cards (Plickers) or Zoom polls.
Combining peer instruction with Plickers provides instructors and students with timely feedback on
course material. This feedback allows instructors to gauge which topics students have understood
and which may need more explanation or practice. Additionally the use of peer instruction provides
students with multiple perspectives on challenging topics. This paper examines how these tools
are used to provide instruction to students where it is needed most in a scalable and relatively low
effort way.
Students were polled once or twice per class meeting and responded with either Plicker cards (for
in-person classes) or Zoom polls (for remote classes). Peer instruction was used when the initial
poll resulted in a low percentage of correct answers; pre-selected student groups discussed the
question for a set amount of time, after which students were polled once again. Peer instruction
allowed students to get real time feedback on topics that needed more coverage and allowed the
instructor insight into students comprehension.
Data collection took place in a junior level computer science software design course over five
semesters. The course ran for two hours, twice a week. Student perception of the use of Plickers
was measured with a questionnaire that was administered at the end of each semester. In total there
were eight sections across five semesters as shown in table 1. In total there were 163 responses
to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%.There were 269 total students of which 163
responded to the questionnaire for a response rate of 60.59%.
The data collected indicate that students found peer instruction to be helpful in their understanding
of the material. Similarly, students reported that the use of peer instruction helped them pay atten-
tion and that it was a valuable tool in learning the material. Zoom polls worked well during remote
instruction and may be a viable option for remote learning.
After the initial effort in creating the question banks used for polls, this process takes very little
extra work for the instructor and provides valuable insight to the instructor and students. Calling
on students to explain answers allows further insight into student understanding. The additional
instruction helps students to engage with their peers and to better understand the material. Future
work will focus on comparing the pre and post poll responses and in improving group discussion
and interaction.