Student-generated questioning activity in second language courses using a customized personal response system: a case study

Abstract

This case study reports on the implementation of student-generated questioning using a customized personal response system (PRS) by two groups of students in second language (L2) courses at a university in the United States. This study aimed to understand more about instructor and student experience with student-generated questioning for promoting student interaction in the L2 classroom, and sources for investigation included class observation, instructor interview, student survey, and pre/post-test. The results of this study indicated that the classroom interaction could be fostered through student-generated questioning with the support of PRS in L2 courses. In addition, there was a significant difference in students’ achievement between the pre- and post-test. The results are consistent with the findings of previous studies that student-generated questioning fosters collaborative interactions and increases frequency of student engagement. The results also suggest that the adoption of student-generate questioning with a technology support may result in promoting classroom interactions where the students are able to practice the target language through conversation with an instructor and peers.