m-learning: Interactive Classroom Response and Polling System with Mobile Phones

Abstract

Mobile Response System (MRS) platform can be used to collect and analyze the answers or opinions sent in by the students via SMS messages after a question is posed during a lecture. With MRS, class interaction is greatly enhanced. Instead of using a dedicated ‘clicker’ device, students use their phone to respond to questions presented in class by an instructor. Responses are sent either using the phone's built-in web browser, or by SMS text message, MRS works with both. Personalized feedback is then returned to the user, to be stored, if required, directly on the phone. Examples of feedback include links to further reading, or materials and further quizzes on the institution’s Virtual Learning Environment. The system will be designed to be easy to use for both instructor and learner, and will work with any mobile phone. No set-up or purpose built response pads (signal transmitters) are needed. The operation cost of our system is very minimal.