A few years ago I was discussing a difficult problem in physics with an undergraduate student. It was a problem that departed somewhat from the problems that we had been solving, and typically, he did not even know where to start. After we solved the problem, I said, “Wasn’t that fun?” The student replied “No.” I asked, “Why not?” And he replied, “I used to think science was fun, but after all the exams, not anymore.” This student, and too many others, had lost the excitement to learn and the ability to think conceptually.

The Personal Response System (PRS) 
transmitter

Can learning to think be taught? It is a matter of opinion, but I would suggest that even under the best of conditions the conventional didactic lecture approach is of limited effectiveness in teaching conceptual thinking. We do not have the best of conditions: students arrive at the university with an educational background which does not encourage conceptual thinking, resulting in little grasp of basic concepts, lack of lateral thinking, limited creativity and insufficient motivation to learn. Rote learning and memorisation is the norm. Students are marks rather than results orientated; as one student put it, “don’t bother me with all this theory stuff…just tell me what’s on the exam!”

As teachers we need to rekindle students’ curiosity that has been long suppressed by continual exam pressure. Teaching is a good way to learn but learning needs motivation. More importantly, learning should be fun.

PISER

The Peer Instruction and Student Electronic Response¹ (PISER) system comprises a one-way wireless communication network where each student is provided with his own pocket-sized wireless Personal Response System (PRS) transmitter with which he responds to as many as 10 choices of multiple-choice questionnaires. Simple infrared receivers connected to a laptop computer collect all the responses. The results are then collected by the computer that summarises, stores (in an EXCEL spreadsheet format) and displays the results straight away. The PRS transmitters are individually coded so that the performance of individual students can be tracked and stored in a database.

The basis of the Peer Instruction method, which is to a large extent a form of problem-based learning, is as follows:

1. Students are told what to read before the next lecture.

2. Students do a 5–10 minute reading test at the start of the lecture. The test comprises multiple-choice questions designed to evaluate the degree to which the students have read the materials. To provide some extra motivation, students should be informed that the test marks count towards their final grade. This assessment is done using the PRS.

3. Students attempt a series of four to five conceptual questions (within the same 1-hour lecture) following the reading test. These questions are designed to encourage students to learn by understanding rather than simply memorising the basic concepts. The multiple-choice questions do not have to have ‘correct’ answers. In fact, some questions can be open-ended to provoke discussion in a broad range of disciplines. The main objective is to promote thinking and discussion.

4. Students are given time (two to five minutes depending on the nature/difficulty of the questions) to think before recording their individual answers using the PRS. The tally of answers received from the PRS transmitters provides feedback to lecturer. It gives some indication of the extent to which individuals have understood the concepts.

5. Students are asked to discuss with their neighbours after submitting their answers. This is Peer Instruction: the students, having answered anonymously,
   Student answering a concept question. Note the PRS student name grid:
   a square with a darker colour indicates the answer has been recorded.
   
   which avoids the ‘face’ problem, now justify their views ‘locally’ (to one or two other students), which avoids the ‘shy’ problem. Through these debates, students learn from each other.

6. Students then record their revised answers using PRS following their exchanges with each other. 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/her explanations.

7. The teacher explains the correct answer. At this point, 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’ in their mini-debates with their neighbours.

8. Finally, the teacher gives a summary as well as a reminder of what to read for the next lecture.

Experience Using PISER

I have been using PISER for the past four years and found it to be a valuable teaching tool especially for promoting conceptual understanding and critical thinking. In a course where there are three 1-hour lectures per week, I use PISER on every third lecture. Whenever the PISER is used, the students become quite animated. The noise level rises sharply as the students enthusiastically argue their positions with each other as well as with the lecturer when he joins their debates and gives the ‘correct’ answer to a concept question. I find that students improve in answering conceptual-based questions in class and in the final exams. Furthermore, the method requires minimal effort from the lecturer and is well suited for conducting continuous assessments, even with very large classes.

Students like the method. Here’s a selection of students’ comments on what they liked about the method:

• “Through the reading quizzes, I can discover what I really understand and don’t.”

• “Through answering the ‘Reading and Concept’ questions, I know which part I don’t understand, and thus can put in more effort to work on the specific area.”

• “Interactive, apply theory in questions, lots of chances to practice.”

• “Not boring. Encourages people to discuss and ask questions.”

• “Concepts are clear (better than normal lecture).”

• “Having opportunities to discuss the questions with classmates.”

• “Discussing the subject with peers can make the concept easier to understand.”

• “Having concept tests where no marks are counted. Having many discussions in the lecture.”

• “I like the multiple-choice question quizzes; they help me to study and learn more.”

Conclusion

My overall impression of using PISER is positive. It has helped students understand the concepts better and improve their critical thinking skills. The reading tests have also motivated students to read the material. From my own observations as well as the students’ comments, it is evident that students have enjoyed learning with the PISER approach and participated actively in the lectures. In fact, the attendance rate at lectures is close to 100%.
Another advantage of PISER is the reliable and user-friendly electronic response system. While some extra work is required to develop the multiple-choice questions, this is offset to a large extent by time savings realised from using PISER for continuous assessment.

Students engagaed in peer instruction,
actively defeding their answers

Several faculties at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as well as other universities in Hong Kong and abroad now use PISER widely for teaching and training in several disciplines, including Engineering Languages, Business and Health Sciences.

Reference

Mazur, Eric. (1997). Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual. NY: Prentice Hall.

1. Peer Instruction and Student Electronic Response (PISER) is an adaptation of the Peer Instruction method developed at the Harvard University. It is enhanced by the incorporation of an instantaneous student feedback system, Personal Response System (PRS) developed at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology