Measuring Engagement and Attention by Means of Electronic Response Systems

Abstract

This paper develops simple measures of engagement and attention which are particularly appealing for active learning. They can be computed at a very low cost with Electronic Response Systems which are wildly available and whose use has substantially increased with the COVID-19-driven shift to online teaching. Their use is illustrated in an empirical application which uses data gathered during seven editions of a large-enrollment higher education course. Furthermore, an econometric model to test the impact on these variables of any novel features of the lectures is also developed. The span of students’ attention and engagement is found to be unexpectedly long over a given lecture. However, as the course evolves, attention builds up whereas engagement drops quickly. Our methods are further illustrated by displaying an evaluation of the introduction of a gamification feature in the classroom in the form of a contest. This new element proves effective in raising engagement after some adjustments but it delivers no impact on attention.