How the Anonymous Feature of Audience Response System Influences the Interactions of Students by Different Types of Questions

The Audience Response System (ARS) has been found effective among educators as a good way of using technology to increase participation, involvement, and engagement. Many researchers suggest that the benefits of ARS on students’ participation and interactions are associated with its anonymity. ARS questions and using questing strategies during an ARS-based learning activity are also regarded as crucial factors influencing the effectiveness of the implementation of ARS in a class. To examine the influences of the anonymous feature of ARS on students’ interactions in light of different types of questions, a post-test only quasi-experiment was conducted with 17 college students. Findings suggested that in a face-to-face class, when given the option, the anonymous feature of ARS was increasingly used by students in their interactions, and the average class interaction was improved. Meanwhile, the effect of the anonymous feature of ARS on students’ interactions in class differed according to the types of questions. The anonymous feature might be more useful and effective when students interact with Evaluate questions. While for Create or Apply questions, students preferred real name interactions. Implications for future research were provided for effectively using ARS to facilitate learning.