Interactivity in the amphitheatre

Initial situation

The ever-increasing number of students, particularly in the 1st year of Bachelor’s degree, is saturating the auditoriums. Learning and teaching conditions are sometimes compromised. To remedy this situation, the teacher offers the possibility of following courses remotely and live (streaming), as well as the opportunity to participate in the course by answering surveys. He also devotes part of his first lesson to sharing scientific findings on learning techniques.

Project implementation

This introductory economics course brings together a large number of students in a large auditorium. To capture their attention and maximize their memorization and learning, the teacher has set up several devices.

To get students actively involved, he sequences the lesson by offering online polls every 15-20 minutes using Pingo software. At the beginning of the lesson, for example, he can ask students to position themselves individually about the subject of the lesson, and then ask the same question again at the end of the lesson to see how the responses have evolved. During the course, this tool can be used to set up small group work by asking a question and requiring the students to answer it in collaboration with those sitting around together for a few minutes. The live display of the answers allows students to know where they stand, and the teacher to identify any difficulties that need to be addressed. These online votes stimulate discussion and reflection, while encouraging interaction.

Since 2016, class sessions have been filmed and broadcast live during class time, then recorded on Mediaserver. In the video, the teacher appears in an insert of his presentation. Seeing the teacher present the course and following his movements adds an extra dynamic dimension compared with recordings that only show the slides.

The teacher also uses Openboard software, enabling him to write with a stylus directly on his presentation support. Annotating the course in this way allows him to slow down the pace of the lesson, while at the same time giving rhythm to the learning by highlighting what’s important. It also adds interactivity with the students.

In his first lesson, the teacher sets out a few empirical facts about learning, so that students can adopt the strategy best suited to them. For example, he warns about the impact of streaming on learning. Indeed, one study showed that the use of streaming accentuated the gap in exam performance between students with good results before arriving at university and those with poorer results. While the most independent students do better on the exam when using streaming, less independent students do less well. Attendance seems to lead to better results, especially if students have problems learning independently.

The teacher also points out that studies have shown that a student’s brain activity during a lecture is quite low if the student is not active. In a seminar, on the other hand, this activity is higher due to note-taking and invitations to ask questions. In an auditorium, active engagement by taking notes increases brain activity and maximizes comprehension and memorization. The results also show that taking handwritten notes is more conducive to memorization and comprehension than notes taken on a computer, as they are more filtered, selected and therefore require active reflection.

The course assessment takes the form of a 30-question MCQ, including comprehension questions, questions requiring students to develop their answers in draft form, and complex questions based on press articles related to the course content. Previously, students could use any documents they wished. From now on, their reference medium is limited to a handwritten A4 sheet. This format offers added pedagogical value by encouraging them to organize and synthesize the information they deem essential, thus promoting memorization.

Thoughts and advice

Streaming is a very useful tool when students are unable to attend class due to illness or other reasons. However, it’s important to remember to adapt one’s practice a little when offering a streaming course: you need to remember to address both the students present and those online, repeat questions asked in the audience into the microphone, and summarize discussions to those online when exchanges are taking place in person.

A second significant benefit of this innovation has emerged: students with attention difficulties or dyslexia use streaming videos directly in the auditorium. This enables them to focus on the lesson in hand, while benefiting from the presence of peers. This presence helps them target key moments in the course (e.g., when they see their colleagues’ intensive notetaking). To this end, another device is currently being proposed: some large auditoriums are equipped with a radio sound broadcasting system on dedicated headphones. These allow students to listen to the sound taken from the teacher’s microphone through headphones.

Regarding the use of online participation tools, the teacher points out that the choice of tool depends on the degree of control you wish to retain. The use of Pingo allows students’ answers to be framed. With a tool like Speakup, the questions are not necessarily defined, and leave a greater degree of freedom to the students. The teacher generally prepares the questions posed on Pingo before the lesson, but the tool leaves open the possibility of adding new ones during the lesson, depending on the discussions in progress. The undeniable advantage of these tools is that they can be used both in class and remotely.

The Opendboard and Pingo tools are very easy to use and can be adopted without drastically changing the course. If you like the technology, then you can gradually rethink the structure of your course to add more interaction. Bear in mind, however, that the use of Opendboard can make a lesson more static, and that over-use of Pingo can quickly chop up a lesson.

Finally, the teacher stresses the importance of informing students about the potential effects of the tools used on their performance. It’s important to make students aware of their responsibilities and to make them aware of the potential effects of the tools they’re using on their performance: if they have difficulty being autonomous, it’s not advisable to use the streaming course format, for example. In addition to the pedagogical elements presented at the beginning of the year, the teacher encourages students to visit the SEA cluster website, where numerous modules, podcasts and videos are available to inform them about different learning methods.

Student feedback

“Being able to follow the notes live on Openboard means you can see all the steps the teacher takes in his or her reasoning, with the possibility of interrupting at any time if you don’t understand. If a step isn’t clear, you can ask the teacher for more details, which is interesting for learning. ”

“Better comfort: with large numbers of students and sometimes crowded auditoriums, taking the course in a more comfortable place helps you assimilate it better. Choosing when to watch your lesson allows you to select the moment when you feel most inclined to follow it correctly and understand it better. Streaming gives you the opportunity to listen to the teacher’s explanations again, which is an incomparable help. You can make up a lesson if you’re unable to attend (sick, appointment, etc.)”.

“I’m able to assimilate much more information than when I’m in class. My concentration is much better during a streaming course.”

“It’s not compulsory to travel to follow the course, which is useful when you’re ill.”

“Excellent idea whether for students who can’t come or those who want to review the course. Personally I go to all the classes, but I’ve also taken them all in streaming which has allowed me to understand most of the classes better.”

“Very interesting course, the slides are clear and the teacher takes the time to explain the concepts even if it means spending more time on an element. The in-class quizzes also make the course more dynamic. It’s also great to have the course available remotely, so that if you’re absent you can catch up or follow up from home. What’s more, the system with classes every other week and seminars every other week is very relevant. ”

“I really like the use of Pingo; it allows us all to participate and be active, whether it’s face-to-face or distance learning.”

“The course is great! It’s super interesting and clear, both the subject matter and the way it’s taught. The fact that the course is updated according to the year and the attractions of each class is great! Likewise, the questions about Pingo encourage us to pay attention and take an active part in the course, rather than just watching, making it easier to assimilate. And the detailed explanation behind each one is a pleasure for those who may not have understood. We can see that he is attentive and takes our understanding to heart, which is appreciable.”