Abstract:

The main purposes of using PRS are to increase interaction, engagement, participation and understanding. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the use of the PRS and showed increasing in interactivity. However, the learning activity with the PRS has not been seen as a joint activity. Whereby, learner here interacts with different components in the PRS activity to achieve his / her object. The reason behind the lack of view of the PRS activity as joint learning is unsystematic approach to study the use of the PRS. This study has selected activity theory as lenses to evaluate the use of the PRS in higher education. Activity Theory provides a holistic approach to analyse using PRS as learning tool. In order to understand PRS’s activity, the research has considered the components of the activity which are students, lecturer, PRS, rules for the activity, the roles for the participants in the activity and the objects of the activity. The study used case study approach and King Khalid University in Saudi Arabia was chosen to conduct the study there. The data mainly relied on qualitative methods, which include interview, group interview and questionnaire. The findings of the study show improvements in the learning through the relationships between the components of the activity. For example, relationships between students and a lecturer, and students themselves. This improvement allows transformation for the object into outcome. Additionally, PRS technology was a solution for constrains in the traditional lecture, whereby the lecturer faced difficulties to measure students' understanding and assess his teaching style.

Keywords:

Personal Responses System, Activity Theory and Higher Education.