It can be difficult for lecturers to assess student experience and learning given the rather one-directional communication flow of the lecture format. However, with student response systems (SRS) like Vevox you can pose multiple-choice questions, collect the responses anonymously in real time and display a summary of the results.
James Butterworth in the Faculty of Music used Vevox to get students to respond quickly on their own phones and laptops. With a range of questions and polls he was helped to assess the level of his students' understanding. This also forced them to do some active thinking and learn from others' ideas.
James got students to submit short critiques of particular theories that he had outlined, which he was instantly able to display on the screen, generating around 20 student-generated critiques that he could then discuss and share with the whole group. He also invited questions and feedback anonymously and on a regular basis, which enabled him to clarify or emphasise particular points in subsequent sessions.
Vevox has been an invaluable tool for both student engagement and student feedback in my undergraduate lectures. Student feedback on using Vevox was hugely positive and some suggested it should be taken up more widely by lecturers.
– James Butterworth, Faculty of Music
