Response cards: an effective strategy for increasing student participation, achievement, and on-task behaviour

This article reviews the literature on the efficacy of response cards in improving student social and academic performance. Eleven small-n design studies are overviewed and synthesized in order to extract the pertinent elements applicable to the improvements in student responding and learning during whole-group instruction. The majority of the studies compared the use of response-cards with the more traditional use of hand-raising as a means of student responding. Event-recording and time-sampling were used to measure classroom behaviour. Quiz and test scores were used to measure academic achievement. The use of response cards was shown to increase quiz and test scores, and keep students more on-task. Several studies noted a preference for response cards among both students and teachers. The importance of active student response and its effect on student academic and social performance is discussed. Limitations of studies are discussed and possibilities for future research are presented.