Themes > Student Centred Learning

Teaching Students to Think

Contributor(s): Prof Howard Davies and Dr Laurence Snider

Use of PISER

What is PISER?

PISER stands for Peer Instruction and Student Electronic Response. The peer instruction method, the basis of which was developed at Harvard University, involves reading and conceptual quizzes based on pre-lecture reading assignment. Their questions are designed to encourage students to learn by concentrating on concepts rather than on rote memorization, or on the conventional “plug and play” equation approach. Students answer the questions by themselves, following which they are encouraged to discuss their response with their peers and answer a second time.

Advantages of using PISER

• Create interaction or discussion among students in the large group of teaching
• Get students to attend lectures on time if marks are given for the PISER questions and begin questioning at the start of the lecture
• Allow students to emphasize concepts rather than memorization
• Provide instantaneous feedback to students

Disadvantage of using PISER

Steps to do it

Example

Preparation by the subject lecturer

• Develop a set of reading test and conceptual quiz questions for each lecture.
• Code the transmitters with students’ ID numbers before handing out the transmitters to students
• Provide student with a PRS transmitter with which he or she can respond to the on-screen multiple-choice questions prepared by the subject lecturer during the lecture. The performance of individual students can be tracked and stored in a computer database.

Procedures

• A short (5-10 minute) reading test is provided to students at the start of each lecture, and the marks count towards their final grades. The test comprises multiple choice questions designed to evaluate the degree to which the students read the material. Answering and assessment is done using the PRS, which will store the results in the database in a notebook computer.
• Following the reading test, a series (4 to 5 for a 1-hour lecture) of conceptual quizzes follows. These conceptual quizzes are designed to encourage students to learn by concentrating on basic concepts rather than on memorization, or on the conventional “plug and play” equations approach.
• Students are given time to think (around 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the nature or difficulty of the question) and they record individual answers using the PRS. The tally of answers by the personal response system provides feedback to lecturer. It gives some indication of the extent to which individuals understand the concepts.
• Students are asked to discuss with their neighbors. This is the Peer Instruction: the students, having answered anonymously (which avoids the “face” problem), now defend their views “locally”, i.e. to one or two other students (avoids the “shy” problem). Through these debates, they learn from each other.
• Students record revised answers, using PRS. This feedback will give some indication of the extent that the class as a whole understands the concept. The spread of answers will also indicate the direction that students are thinking, and help the lecturer formulate his or her explanations.
• The teacher explains the correct answer. This is a micro-lecture focused on a single specific topic. The attention of the students is virtually guaranteed: they have already considered the questions related to the topic and they are interested in the answer. Also, there is the possibility of being the “winner” of their mini-debate with their neighbors.
• Following the conceptual quizzes, a summary will be given, as well as a reminder of what to read for the next lecture.
• Two hours of peer instruction is followed by a 1-hour tutorial, where students will deal with problem assignments – conventional as well as conceptual.
• The final exam includes conceptual questions, in addition to conventional problem solving types.
  

next topic: Sample reading test question -->