Sharing Teaching Ideas: Classroom Voting in Mathematics

Abstract

How do you get your students to take an active role during a mathematics class? For instance, how do you get them to form opinions and to participate in discussions about difficult concepts? There is a large body of education research demonstrating how active learning methods can be very effective, especially in comparison to traditional lectures (e.g., Bonwell and Eison 1991; Davidson 1990; Dees 1991; Hagelgans et al. 1995; Norwood 1995; Springer, Stanne, and Donovan 1999). Even when supplemented with demonstrations and PowerPoint, lectures encourage students to be passive observers, and passive students rarely learn. Classroom voting is a powerful technique promoting active learning. It engages every student in the material, and it can easily be incorporated into an otherwise traditional class. This technique breaks students out of the passive-receptive mode and requires them to participate, creating a more effective learning environment.