Promoting active learning using audience response system in large bioscience classes.

Area of Science:

• Biosciences
• Nursing Education
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Bioscience teaching in pre-registration nursing faces challenges with large student groups.
• Active student participation is crucial for effective learning but difficult to achieve in large cohorts.
• Audience response systems (ARS) are emerging technologies to boost engagement and understanding of complex bioscience concepts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate pre-registration nursing students' perceptions of using ARS in bioscience education.
• To identify how ARS impacts student participation and understanding of bioscience.
• To explore student recommendations for ARS integration in future modules.

Main Methods:

• An evaluation was conducted within a university department.
• Pre-registration nursing students' perceptions of ARS use in bioscience teaching were assessed.
• Data was collected on student engagement, misconception identification, and perceived usefulness.

Main Results:

• ARS significantly increased student participation in bioscience sessions.
• The system effectively aided in identifying and correcting student misconceptions.
• Students reported ARS as highly useful and desired its wider application across modules.
• ARS enhanced peer-to-peer discussion and students' self-awareness of their knowledge relative to others.

Conclusions:

• ARS is a valuable tool for improving bioscience teaching and learning in nursing education.
• While ARS boosts engagement and understanding, its impact on pre-session study motivation requires further investigation.
• Future research should explore ARS's effectiveness on student performance in final assessments.