Cold Calling and Web Postings: Do They Improve Students’ Preparation and Learning?

Abstract

Cold calling and pre-class web postings are frequently used to encourage students to read and come better prepared to class. Randomized experiments were conducted in two sections of an Empirical Methods course (API- 202) to assess to what extent these techniques increased student preparation and learning. Main conclusion is that in the context of this course, these two techniques led to increases in the amount of time that students spend reading before class, but not to learning gains. The study led the instructor to reflect on several aspects of his teaching practice, including the use of these two techniques for his courses, the interaction between the reading material before class and the material used during class, and the crowding out of student time from one course-related activity to another.