By David Kenyon, Rhodes University.
By David Kenyon, Rhodes University.
Many students resist lecture interaction. They often lack the confidence to ask questions, ask a lecturer to slow down, repeat something, or explain a topic further when they are unsure of the subject matter. A lecture comprehension indication system based on the literature was created to address this matter. Prior to the testing of this system, students were asked to complete a questionnaire to gain insight into interaction in lectures. The results gathered from this showed that students resist interaction for many reasons such as lacking confidence, fearing their peers and lecturers, not wanting to offend the lecturer and other concerns. The system was tested for 2 weeks during computer science 112 lectures. Subsequently, students were asked to complete a second questionnaire to determine the perceived value of the system. The data showed that students perceived the system as valuable. It gave the students the ability to interact anonymously with a lecturer at any time during class and throughout a course. Students believed that it also gave confidence to shy students and provided students with an easier way to interact in lectures.