Student Response Systems and Facilitating the Large Lecture Basic Communication Course: Assessing Engagement and Learning

Instructors of large lecture classes face a variety of challenges, including student engagement and participation. With budget cuts and increasing class sizes, more schools may turn to large lecture/lab formats for the basic communication course (Stanley & Porter, 2002); instructors must understand how these classes engage students. One viable technique is the use of student response systems (e.g., clickers). However, the relationship between these systems, learning, and the factors that impact participation in basic communication courses is unclear. This study will explore the effectiveness of incorporating student response systems into large lectures.