An Inexpensive Lecture Feedback System A problem with large lecture groups (over 100 students) is that i t is often difficult for the lecturer to know whether he is heing understood or for the student t o judge his level of understanding of the lecture. Feedback devices have been described in the literature and may range from elaborate systems with response buttons a t each student position1 to a show of hands to a question. The former method is versatile and gives the lecturer an accurate assessment of understanding, hut i t necessarily requires a considerable capital outlay. The show of hands has the disadvantage that the student who is uncertain is not likely t o respond. A show of hands for successive multiple choice questions is also time consuming and i t is not always easy to compare correct responses. A number of inexpensive devices for "private" response have been described, e.g., the Cosfard cuhez with colored faces on a cube. This can he held up so that essentially only the lecturer sees the response color. A simple and inexpensive variant on this, which has been used with classes of up to about 200 for a number of years, is a set of 5 colored cards made by cutting old 80 column computer cards into thirds. A set of these is given to the students a t the start of the course. They are easily kept with the students lecture note pad and are therefore readily accessible for use with a minimum of disruption to the lecture. The colors can he chosen to he sufficiently different so that the lecturer can see the range of responses to a n objective question a t a glance.
W. R., Lagowski J. J., O'Connor R., J. CHEM. EDUC., 45,63,1968. Taplin G., Industrial Traininglnternational, 4,218, 1969.
1 Barnard 2
Monash Cniversily Wellington Road ('layton. Virturia 316% Australia
E. K. Nunn
Volume 52, Number 7. July 1975 / 433
