This case study describes the use of an innovative portable microphone; the ‘Catchbox’. Catchbox is a fun and safe device to throw around a room to allow all members of a class to be involved in discussions in an inclusive manner. The microphone can be connected to the computer and in-room sound systems, with its bright colour providing a clear visual signal over which speaker has the floor at any one moment. The Catchbox was introduced to large cohort classes (100+ students) in the management school to improve student interaction and dialogue within lectures. In this video, academics describe their experiences of using Catchbox within their classes, with the main benefits being an ability to easily incorporate active learning into lectures and increased student interactivity. The Catchbox also had benefits when running hybrid events simultaneously online and in person as online participants could clearly hear any questions raised by the in-person students. The light-hearted nature of the Catchbox would also lend itself well to non-curricula sessions such as welcome week activities or any other ice-breaker events.
Enhancing Class Communication and Engagement with Catchbox by Mark Wilcock is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.