Increasing Active Engagement: Guidelines for Using Student Response Systems

The use of response cards is a research-based strategy to increase active engagement, on-task behavior, and academic responding. With new and affordable mobile technologies, teachers now have access to a host of high-tech digital student response systems to increase engagement. This article describes the logistical, management, and pedagogical considerations for teachers using such systems. This article provides guidelines for teachers when planning, implementing, and monitoring the use of student response systems. A classroom example is provided along with data sheets and a graphing system to use when collecting data and evaluating effectiveness. This article also provides a table of digital student response systems including their descriptions and features.