 |
| Image source: https://www.socrative.com |
Game-based
learning (GBL) as an approach to instruction has shown promise to enhance the
overall academic and social experiences of students. Researchers continue to explore the use of GBL
drawn on literature and evidence of practice in K-12 and higher education
settings. This month’s blog article
explores the use of Socrative, another game-based student response system.
About Socrative
Socrative
empowers instructors to engage and assess their students as learning takes
place. Instructors can design activities
and assessments online for students to access using any device (laptops, smartphones,
or tablets). Students can receive
immediate feedback from the instructor (Balta, Perera-Rodríguez, &
Hervás-Gómez, 2018). According to the
developers of Socrative, Socrative is a “classroom app for fun, effective
engagement and on-the-fly assessments,” which allows instructors to administer
in-class surveys, homework assignments and quizzes. In addition, instructors can aggregate results
in real time and generate reports to monitor and visualize student learning
(Socrative, 2019).
Socrative in Action
Within
the classroom environment, Socrative can promote active learning and facilitate
interactions between students and the instructor. In a qualitative study, El Shaban (2017) integrated active learning activities and
used Socrative with English second language learners in reading comprehension classes. Activities facilitated independent and
collaborative critical thinking, different teaching styles and course feedback,
and instant feedback. For example, some
activities involved case-based problem-solving exercises. The results showed that both Socrative, as a
student response system, and active learning activities contributed to
increased levels of student engagement, promoted critical thinking, and
stimulated collaboration.
In
addition, instructors can use Socrative to extend learning outside the
classroom. Balta, Perera-Rodríguez, and
Hervás-Gómez (2018) employed a quasi-experimental design to measure the effect
of homework completion through Socrative on students’ exam scores in physics. The experimental and control groups were
randomly created for students to prepare for their final exams. The experimental group was given homework
activities (sets of physics problems) through Socrative; while the control
group used conventional resources to prepare for the exam. Students in the experimental group had the
opportunity to complete eight homework assignments and were allowed to leave a
comment after each homework completion.
After completing each homework assignment, these students were able to
see the exact solutions and correct their mistakes. The researchers found Socrative to be
beneficial as a web-based homework platform to increase students’ performances
on exams.
Conclusion
Through
the use of game-based student response systems, instructors can enhance their
classes by engaging and motivating students to be more active learners in or
outside the classroom. Technology combined
with instructional approaches, such as active learning, can be effect and
impact students’ learning experiences. Socrative,
like Kahoot! discussed in March’s blog article, is a useful technology for
teaching and learning.
References
Balta,
N., Perera-Rodríguez, V., & Hervás-Gómez, C. (2018). Using Socrative as an
online homework platform to increase students’ exam scores. Education and
Information Technologies, 23(2), 837-850. doi:10.1007/s10639-017-9638-6
El Shaban, A. (2017). The use of Socrative in ESL
classrooms: Towards active learning. Teaching English with Technology, 17(4),
64–77.
Socrative by MasteryConnect. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.socrative.com.
Cite this blog: Washington, G. (2019, April 28). Socrative: Another game-based student
response system [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://pedagogybeforetechnology.blogspot.com/
