A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING THE SOCRATIVE PROGRAM TO ENHANCE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND ATTENDANCE TO THEORETICAL CLASSES

This study examines the effect of using new technologies in class at a Spanish public university by comparing the academic year 2016/2017, when we introduced the use of new technologies, with the year 2015/2016, when traditional assessment methods were followed. We hypothesize that there is a linear association between academic performance and attendance to theoretical classes and the average grade of the subject after using of the new technologies in the classroom. Our sample is based on 50 students in Sales Management, which is an optional subject for students in the fourth year of the Degree in Business Administration. The students were investigated over a two-year period, 25 of them coming from the academic year 2016/2017 and the others from 2015/2016. The theory of this subject was divided into seven lessons and, at the end of each one, students had to answer ten test questions regarding the lesson, in the next class before starting the new lesson. The main goal of this study is to know to what extent the grade obtained by the student has been influenced by the use of the Socrative application. More specifically, we want to see how academic performance and attendance to theoretical classes have changed with the use of the Socrative application. Our research is innovative in the sense that it investigates the relevance of using the new technologies in class to attract students to the theoretical classes and, at the same time, to motivate students to learn/study the optional subject in order to obtain a better final mark.