Student Perceptions towards Using Clickers and Lecture Software Applications in Hospitality Lecture Courses

Personal response systems (i.e., “clickers”) have been used in classes for about 10 years, whereas lecture software that students access on their own devices is a relatively new technology in education. This study examined student engagement by integrating technology to promote active learning in lecture classrooms. A quasi-experiment was conducted to evaluate students’ perceptions of clickers and lecture software applications compared to traditional lecture methods in three sections of the same hospitality undergraduate course. The findings revealed that “clickers” enhanced student engagement whereas a lecture software application did not. The findings have implications for using technology to enhance student learning.