LAUSR

Might smartphones really help to increase attention during a lecture if they are used as an immediate response system? Benefits and challenges of audience response systems (ARSs) in lectures and seminars have been discussed for years. The previous requirement of acquiring dedicated hardware has been overcome by the widespread availability of smartphones and the ubiquity of Internet access. Mobile phone technology is familiar to students. Internet connection via a wireless local area network (WLAN) is free of charge. The software is usually located on a remote server (Software as a Service, SaaS); no installation is required on devices in the lecture hall, and the use is platform independent. Some experience of using ARSs in science education is summarised here. If properly applied, ARSs increase attention and collaboration of students, improve interaction between students and lecturers, and permit monitoring of the progress of learning in various environments.