Measuring Student Satisfaction Using a Mobile Phone App: A Case Study of QUT Reframe

The use of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets in classrooms has been met with mixed sentiments. Some instructors and teachers see them as a distraction and regularly ban their usage. Others who see their potential to enhance learning have started to explore ways to integrate them into their teaching in an attempt to improve student engagement. In a progressive decision to embrace mobile technology, Queensland University of Technology (QUT) decided to trial a smart phone app designed for students to check-in to class and leave feedback on the spot.

The Reframe project forms part of a larger initiative by QUT that seeks to deploy a new approach to the evaluation of teaching and learning across the university. The app was designed to be used as part of the Reframe toolkit to evaluate learner input, satisfaction, moods and content understanding in a more dynamic way than an end-semester survey alone.

The study’s objectives are to make the learner aspect of the teacher-student relationship more salient in the minds of the students; to use descriptive norms and mild peer pressure to encourage students to attend and prepare for class; to have a bit of fun in class and engage students in an informal way; and to monitor vital student input progressively and in real-time in an efficient and easy manner. This will help both the student and the teacher in keeping with current and new technological practices and interaction preferences.

Findings from trialling the app indicate that the application establishes a more immediate feedback loop between students and teachers. However, the app’s impact depends on how feedback is shared with students and how the teaching team responds.

Guiding Theory:

• Social Norms