Best Practices for Student Response Systems
| Ask Questions that challenge student | When considering pre-determined questions, make sure the questions challenge students just enough. Make sure that questions arent too easy or too hard. This would ensure students are adequately motivated and challenged. The questions should also be relevant to the content. |
| Ask the right amount of questions | Don’t overwhelm students with too many questions or too frequently during the synchronous session. A good practice is that each time you use questions, ask one to three questions. It is also recommended that you spread out your questions throughout the session. Its good to break for a SRS poll/question set every 15-20minutes. |
| Use low-stakes assessments | It is best used for formative, low stakes assessments such as check-ins, review of previous or introducing new concepts or gamification in the class. |
| Build in time for things to go wrong | Expect that things will go wrong. Whether it be an unstable Wi-Fi connection or a hardware device that stops working and students cannot participate, expect it will happen and build in time and/or an alternative activity if you run into technical difficulties. |
| Use it often and regularly | If you have decided to use a student response system where students are required to purchase the hardware or license, you should ensure that you integrate it into your teaching regularly. It is a good idea to let your students know why you are using this technology and how it will benefit their learning. It should also be avoided to be used for attendance as its primary purpose. |