Audience Response Software as a Learning Tool in University Courses

Abstract

The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has become a fundamental tool in all areas of today’s society, including higher education. Lessons cannot be envisaged without the use of tools such as computers, tablets or mobile devices. Many lecturers use audience response systems (ARS) to keep their classes engaged. ARS software allows teachers to interact with students via polls, text responses, or multiple-choice questions displayed via their mobile devices. A new example of the use of this type of devices in education is gamification, a technique that uses a set of activities with ludic character as a learning methodology in order to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge and competences. One of the most used gamification tools is Kahoot!, a free learning application based on a mixture of game and creativity, which encourages attention and participation of students through questions and answers formulated by the teacher and designed in a way that students respond via their mobile phones. This paper examines the use of Kahoot! in a subject belonging to the chemistry area. In order to assess the benefits of this tool, it was tested in a group of students to review the knowledge and skills acquired during the theoretical lessons prior to the exams, and the academic results were compared with those of a control group of students who did not use the tool. The results demonstrate that the use of Kahoot! led to an improvement in the teaching–learning process of the students and a noteworthy rise in their marks, and that its positive effects rise with increasing the frequency of use of this didactic tool.