The ActiveClass Project: Experiments in Encouraging Classroom Participation

Participation in the classroom has dropped precipitously in recent years. We describe the design and use of ActiveClass, an application for encouraging in-class participation using personal wireless devices. This system has been used in three sections of two different lower-division courses in computer programming at UCSD. Using ecologies as a method of analysis, these settings provide a rich source of insight into technology-mediated learning and how technology molds student life. We find that a broadening of classroom discourse is possible if attention is paid to both political and material forces present in the classroom.