Effect of audience response system technology on learning outcomes in health students and professionals: an updated systematic review.
OBJECTIVE
: Audience response system (ARS) technology is a recent innovation that is increasingly being used by health educators to improve learning outcomes. Equivocal results from previous systematic review research provide weak support for the use of ARS for improving learning outcomes at both short and long terms. This review sought to update and critically review the body of controlled experimental evidence on the use of ARS technology on learning outcomes in health students and professionals.


METHODS
This review searched using all identified keywords both electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science) and reference lists of retrieved articles to find relevant published studies for review, from 2010 to April 2014. A descriptive synthesis of important study characteristics and effect estimates for learning outcomes was done.


RESULTS
Three controlled trials in 321 participants from the United States were included for review. ARS knowledge retention scores were lower than the control group in one study, higher than control group provided that immediate feedback was given about each question in one study, and equivalent between intervention and control groups in another study.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an absence of good quality evidence on effectiveness of ARS technologies for improving learning outcomes in health students and professionals.
1School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, New South Wales 2School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 3School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, New South Wales 4The National Institute of Complementary Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia.
Evan
E
Atlantis
Birinder S
BS
Cheema
D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D018961:Educational Technology / Q000379:methods*; D005246:Feedback; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data