Each month, a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom. February’s digital faculty member of the month is Heath Henderson, assistant professor of economics, College of Business and Public Administration. Read an interview with Heath below:

What course do you use this technology in? Principles of Microeconomics (ECON 002) and Developing Economies (ECON 135)

What type of technology (hardware/software) do you use? PollEverywhere, an online service for classroom polling

In what context do you use this technology? I use PollEverywhere as part of a semester-long extra-credit competition where I ask student questions related to each week’s lecture. It allows me to gauge student understanding in an immediate and engaging way.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy? I try to use a mix of teacher- and student-led instruction, and this technology allows students to actively participate in class. Their responses also help determine how we allocate in-class time.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change? My inspiration follows from being unsatisfied with student participation, which prompted me to think about creative ways to get students engaged. I’m an economist so naturally I was looking for a way to incorporate incentives!

How long did it take for you to implement this technology? The implementation was easy and immediate, though it took me a couple semesters to figure out the best way to score the competition to maximize participation.

Did Drake ITS assist you in implementing this technology? ITS has not been involved with my implementation of PollEverywhere.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.

Interested in learning more about PollEverywhere? See PollEverywhere Audience Response System (Clickers) for Instructors (FAQ).

—Jon Hurdelbrink, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS