Audience response system (ARS); A way to foster formative assessment and motivation among medical students

Using an audience response system (ARS) is very effective to improve learning through active participation and enhanced interaction among medical students. Although the validity of ARS in engagement during the learning process is clear, we know little about its impact on self-motivation. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ARS as compared to other used methods such as quizzes on paper/verbal questioning and analyzed how ARS nurture motivation among medical students. Methods: This is mixed-method research and assessed the medical student's perceptions about the use of ARS and its role in the augmentation of motivation for learning. We used a google doc questionnaire for data collection and the qualitative part of the study we conducted by semi-structured focused group discussions to explore the impact on self-motivation. For data analysis, we applied students paired t-test, and a p-value of less than 0.05 determined the significant correlation between ARS and other methods of formative assessment (quiz on paper/verbal questions). We coded the focused group discussions and identified themes based on the grounded theory. Results: There is a significant correlation (P value= 0.008) for the comfort level of the formative assessment methods with ARS as compared to quizzes on paper/verbal response. ARS helped significantly to enhance the self-evaluation and self-motivation through instant comparisons of the results with the rest of the audience with P-value=0.027 and 0.021 respectively. ARS is a validated and proficient tool to assess student's learning and generating self-motivation. Conclusion: In medical education, ARS enhances the opportunity to recognize the knowledge gaps and encouraged conceptual learning. It provided students with a powerful insight into the learning of key concepts and self-assessment. Using ARS triggers not only motivation but also generates novel ideas and lifelong learning skills