TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM: NEARPOD PARADIGM AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Publication Date

4-5-2019

Document Type

Poster

Degree Type

Undergraduate

Department

Psychology

Mentor

Julie Campbell

Mentor Department

Psychology

Abstract

Purpose: Previous research has shown that students report using their devices even if the use of devices has been forbidden (Morphitou, 2015). Restricting the use of personal devices in the classroom may be ineffective. Additionally, students feel constrained by traditional lecture methods (Atas & Delialioglu, 2017). Technology, such as Nearpod, allows instructors to reach out to students using new teaching methodologies. This project examines the effect of a teaching paradigm on college students' learning outcomes. Several classroom behaviors were recorded to see if there is any effect of teaching methodology on students' participation in class activities. Procedure: Two sections of the fall 2018 Adolescent Development course (PSY 302) at Illinois State University were observed for this project. The "PowerPoint" section did not use technology/Nearpod and only PowerPoint slideshows were presented in class. The "Nearpod" section did use technology/Nearpod for student interactions. Each session had a total average of 39 students attending lecture. Every class session, student behaviors were recorded, including attendance, hand raising, asking questions, making comments, and using a device for a purpose not related to class. Every 15 minutes, additional student behavior was recorded to see if students were participating in the class material or using a device for an unrelated activity. At the end of the semester, a proportion of each of the observed behaviors was calculated for each class section. Results: A multivariate analysis of variance was performed to examine the effect of the independent variable, instruction methodology, on the six dependent variables. There was a statistically significant difference in hand raising based on class section, F(1, 46) = 8.04, p < .025; partial η2 = .15. Students in the Nearpod section raised their hand significantly more often (25%) than those in the PowerPoint section (11%). Similarly, significant results were found for students asking questions and device usage. There were no significant differences in attendance or making comments between the two sections. Conclusion & Implications: An increased amount of hand raising and question asking indicates that students in the Nearpod section were found to engage in class more than students in the PowerPoint section. These results indicate that using technology in the classroom, specifically Nearpod, enhances teaching and engages students. The implications are that this application may be a useful way to increase student participation in a classroom setting at the university level.

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