Using an audience response system - what do the audience DO with the feedback?

An audience response system was used for whole class quizzes in a Level One applied mathematics module taken by approximately 180 students, with the aim of encouraging students to keep up to date with lecture notes between lectures. A questionnaire on student behaviour in relation to use of the technology was administered to evaluate the use of technology against this aim. Students who were more engaged with the quizzes took remedial action to a greater extent, even when they answered correctly. Students who were less engaged with the quizzes tended to take remedial action less often and when they did they most often took action by speaking with their friends about the question. Some recommendations for designing successful approaches are given with some questions for further investigation.