Abstract:

Student engagement continues to present challenges to those teaching on computing courses with these latter reporting a high dropout rate. The Covid 19 pandemic saw a rapid shift to increase use of technologies during remote learning, many of which were focused on increasing student engagement in remote learning environments. As teaching and learning have returned to in-person and on-campus activities, lecturers find it hard, particularly in large classes, i.e., < 70 students, to retain student engagement, which transcends mere attendance and participation to encompass active learning. This highlights the need for pedagogical strategies to be adopted that foster a dynamic environment where associated use of technology can be leveraged to promote student interest.

To this end, this paper explores the integration of Vevox, a real-time polling and Q&A platform, as a strategic tool to enhance engagement and support learning in computing courses. A pilot study was carried out over 4 weeks involving students from 3 courses across three years and from two different undergraduate programmes (i.e, Computing for Business and Computer Science). The study investigates the use of tailored Vevox quizzes containing questions focused on: recapping learnings from previous sessions, supporting learnings from current sessions and questions focused on promoting discussion and enhancing engagement. The quizzes contained a mix of text and multiple choice questions and were administered at different times during 1 and 2 hour sessions. Quantitative data are collected from Vevox to measure participation rate, engagement levels, and performance improvements. Qualitative feedback was also gathered through student surveys at the end of the fourth week, providing insight into the perceived effectiveness of Vevox in enhancing student learning experiences. A detailed analysis of the findings will be provided in the final paper.

We believe that this study will contribute to the body of literature on the use of engagement-enhancing tools in computing education, and will offer practical insights for lecturers seeking to use Vevox and other technologies to stimulate student engagement.

Keywords:

Computing, engagement, Vevox, undergraduate.