Evaluation of YACRS on the Students’ Learning Experience in Singapore

This study is conducted to evaluate the students’ learning experience with Yet Another Classroom Response System (YACRS), so as to develop effective learning and teaching approaches with technology in Singapore. With vast improvements to hardware and software technology landscape today, there is renewed interest in the use of technology in learning and teaching. It is reported in the NMC Horizon Report: Higher Education Edition (2016) that 42% of colleges and universities in the US have implemented the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) strategy in 2014. In addition, it is also discussed that BOYD policies have enabled lecturers to come up with new ways to assess students’ learning. Currently, the majority of the students on the campus in Singapore are wirelessly connected to the internet through their own devices. In addition, there is excellent network connectivity in the lecture theatres on the Singapore campus. Hence, the Singapore-based lecturer would like to evaluate the use of a classroom response system, YACRS for teaching using the students’ own devices. Two questionnaires have been designed with a combination of open-ended and closed format questions, which enhances the quality of the feedback. The questionnaires were conducted to evaluate the students’ learning experience after their first experience with YACRS and whether their learning experience has changed after using YACRS for one semester. The areas evaluated with YACRS are as follows: (i) Level of experience and satisfaction with YACRS, (ii) Accessibility to YACRS through a smart device, (iii) Design of the question and answer format, (iv) Frequency of in-class quizzes, (iv) Students’ self-evaluation of themselves as a learner, and (v) Any suggested improvements. Based on the evaluation study, a summary of positive feedback and necessary improvements is presented. Last but not the least, a comparison between the perception of the students in Singapore and Glasgow on the usefulness of technology in their learning is drawn