I’ve never seen or heard it this way!” Increasing student engagement through the use of technology-enhanced feedback

Two novel technologies—digitized oral feedback on written work and the Turning Point classroom active response system—were introduced into my undergraduate educational psychology course. The cognitive and motivational academic benefits of each were compared to more traditional pedagogy over the course of one full semester. Students who received digitized oral feedback expressed higher perceptions of competence, intrinsic motivation, and autonomy than those who received more conventional written feedback. Students who were taught using the Turning Point active response system reported enjoying class more and reading more attentively in preparation for class; they also attended class more regularly, responded more frequently and achieved at a higher level than undergraduates who were not exposed to this technology. Ultimately, the benefits of employing these technological resources were threefold: 1) students in my course were asked to demonstrate knowledge of theories of growth and development and their relevance in the classroom, 2) novelty of the technological vehicle encouraged students who might otherwise be reluctant to engage and, 3) creative utilization of technology was modeled for pre-service teachers