title: Mobile Audience Response Systems at a Continuing Medical Education Conference.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobile audience response systems (mARS) are electronic systems allowing speakers to ask questions and audience members to respond anonymously and immediately on a screen which enables learners to view their peers' responses as well as their own. mARS encourages increased interaction and active learning.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to examine the perceptions of audience members and speakers towards the implementation of mARS at a national medical conference.
  
  
  METHODS
  mARS was implemented at the CSO Annual Meeting in Winnipeg 2015. Eleven presenters agreed to participate in the mARS trial. Both audience and presenters received instructions. Five-point Likert questions and short answer questions were emailed to all conference attendees and the data was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-seven participants responded, 23 audience members and 4 instructors. Overall, responders indicated improved attention, involvement, engagement and recognition of audience's understanding of topics with the use of mARS. mARS was perceived as easy to use, with clear instructions, and the majority of respondents expressed an interest in using mARS in more presentations and in future national medical conferences. Most respondents preferred lectures with mARS over lectures without mARS. Some negative feedback on mARS involved dissatisfaction with how some presenters implemented mARS into the workshops.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall mARS was perceived positively with the majority of respondents wanting mARS implemented in more national medical conferences. Future studies should look at how mARS can be used as an educational tool to help improve patient outcomes.
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beaumont
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gousseau
authors.affiliation: University of Alberta.
authors.forename: Connor
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sommerfeld
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leitao
authors.affiliation: University of Manitoba.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gooi
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008350:Manitoba; D013663:Teaching; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods
keywords: CME; audience response system; conference; medical education; technology