An Investigation into using Nearpod as an Interactive Tool to Aid Students’ Achievement and Motivation for Learning Educational Technology

Recently, the Department of Instructional and Learning Technology (ILT) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) has been using various interactive applications, such as Padlet, Nearpod, Wordwall, etc. The department has adopted and adapted its courses and teaching strategies to take better advantage of these advanced technologies in the teaching and assessment process. In this study, we selected Nearpod as an interactive tool for teaching an introductory course on Educational Technology (TECH3007). Nearpod is a web-based application that enhances students’ motivation with interactive content and serves as an excellent tool for increasing students’ achievement. The selection of this application is based on some of its features: it provides students with opportunities to interact and take effective control of their learning by offering immediate feedback and helping them draw on a map or diagram, respond to a poll question, post a note or image to a collaboration board or take a multiple-choice quiz. The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of using the Nearpod web-based application as an interactive tool applied to students’ achievement and motivation. A mixed-method (quantitative and qualitative) research method was used. The data collection tools applied in this research were achievement test, motivation questionnaire and interview. The sample in this study included 27 students enrolled in the course “Introduction to Educational Technology” at the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University. The results of the study showed that there was a significant difference in the mean scores of the pre- and post-tests (before and after treatment) in favour of the post-test. The results also showed that the students participated in the study were very satisfied with the use of the interactive applications such as Nearpod in teaching and learning process.