Teaching and Learning Ethics using an Audience Response System: Experiences from a Planning Perspective

Live lectures are some of the most common learning experiences for students, yet may be alienating and unequal learning spaces for students. This paper reports the literature review and preliminary experiences of a project, Audience Response Systems ENhancing interAction in Lectures (ARSENAL). This initiative sought to increase student interaction with the lecturer and input into an ethics module. The project investigated the specific use of TurningPoint for Level 5 students of planning and property development. The methodological approach taken was action research, building on the notion of the value of critical reflection for continuous professional development (Biggs, 1999). The paper details the innovation, assesses the use of the technology, and suggests ways in which audience response systems might help make the live lecture learning environment more inclusive and interactive.