A new remote-control device that allows students to punch in their answers to quizzes electronically and get immediate feedback could spell the beginning of the end of traditional paper exams, according to officials at Allan Hancock College.

Since Hancock purchased the devices almost a year ago, the trend has begun to catch on among the college's professors and students.

Although most professors use the device for non-credit practice quizzes and reviews, the technology could eventually expand to formal testing.

“It's kind of a pilot ... Eventually, I can foresee every (department) have one or two sets” of remote controls, said Dave Brown, Hancock's educational technology specialist.

The remotes - formally known as student response systems - have become de rigeuer at several major universities for use in large, lecture hall-style classes. In January, Hancock decided to jump on the bandwagon, purchasing its first set of 32 of the devices for $1,500.

The college has since added to its collection, which professors in any department on the Santa Maria campus can reserve for use in their classes.

Teachers at Hancock's Lompoc campus have received training on how to use the devices, but the clickers won't be available for them until the end of this semester, college officials said.

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Employing technology similar to that popularized on several hit game shows, students use the devices to punch in their answers to questions displayed on a large projector screen.

Professors write the questions in either multiple choice or true/false format, and can make the projector display as colorful or as plain as they choose.

Once every student has punched in his or her answer to the professor's question, the device tabulates the results, and spits out a graph showing the answers and the percentage of students that chose each one.

“Instantly, students can feel connected with this kind of thing - anything with buttons on it,” Brown said, laughing.

Dr. Warren Gabaree - a Santa Maria-based dentist who also teaches a dental-assistant class at Hancock and regularly structures his lectures around the devices - said the devices also allow the professor to connect with his or her students.

“In the past I would just have to trust the students that they understood (the lecture) ... and I that I covered all the materials,” Gabaree said, but with immediate feedback “now I know what I need to spend more time clarifying.”

During a recent class, Gabaree's students busied themselves on a oral pathology quiz intended as a review for an upcoming exam.

The question on the board was: basal cell carcinoma is common on the floor of the mouth, under the tongue and on the side of the tongue?

While most students got the right answer (it's false. basal cell carcinoma most commonly appears on the lip), a small percentage of students answered true.

Another question asking students to identify the subtle differences between an abscess - an area concentrated with pus from an infection - and a cyst, indicated to Gabaree that his students weren't understanding the concept when most of them got the answer wrong.

Gabaree's students also appreciate the feedback.

“I like that it shows me what I need to study when I get home,” Shelby Torres said. “It definitely helps me concentrate (my efforts) on what I need to study.”

But besides being useful, the technology has another aspect that makes it appealing to students.

“It makes (learning) fun,” said dental-assistant student Becca Sapp.

Natalie Ragus can be reached at 347-4580 or nragus@lompocrecord.com.

October 11, 2008