Using Clickers Effectively
Table of Contents
Clicking with Clickers: Questioning Effectively
WKU has adopted TurningPoint Clickers (http://www.turningtechnologies.com/) as our standard, beginning August 2006. Training sessions (beginning and advanced) are available from Academic Technology. This material deals with why and how a teacher might use them for instructional purposes.
The bookstore will carry clickers for students to purchase, use during their time here and re-sell to the store. The TurningPoint website (http://www.turningtechnologies.com/highereducationinteractivelearning.cfm) provides some information about best practices and case studies.
FaCET has a collection of 50 that can be checked out and Academic Technology has a set as well. You may reserve the FaCET generic set, saving your students purchase costs. Remember that multiple faculty may be competing for the sets. While we do not expect high demand the first term, if we find conflicts developing, we may have to limit checkout to 3-day periods. Academic Technology has limitations on use as well. Their set is being used in training faculty a portion of the time. You do have to attend training first in order to get setup.
Generic sets may be easier if you just want to experiment. Associating individual names with the clickers for the generic sets will be something you have to do manually (easy for small classes, more onerous for large ones). If you are only using them for polling (as opposed to graded quizzes) or if you have a small class (for ease of distribution and collection) then the generic sets should suffice.
As you move toward graded activities (e.g., attendance, reading quizzes, etc.) or if your class is very large, then you’ll be more inclined to require students to purchase a personal clicker. The TurningPoint clickers will be registered by the student in Topnet, and you will be downloading your TurningPoint participant list from Topnet as well. Detailed instructions will be provided by Academic Technology staff at the time of installation. Student and faculty instructions can also be found on the WKU TurningPoint Clicker website (http://www.wku.edu/clickers).
Options in TurningPoint
TurningPoint (TP) operates through PowerPoint. You can start from an existing PowerPoint show and insert slides with TP questions. Most question types are available (not essay) and the slide can be set to show who is responding and to run a timer (max time is 90 seconds, but you can time questions on a wristwatch if you want longer).
You will need to tell students and put on your syllabus which channel your classroom is assigned. Students adjust their clicker to the classroom channel using the following steps:
a. Press the Go button,
b. press the channel number (ex: 04 for 4, 76 for 76),
c. press the Go button again,
d. and then press the 1 button to complete the process.
When Academic Technology comes to set up your system, they’ll tell you which channel number is yours. They will also come to give you the TurningPoint software and set up the other equipment.
Quick Tips
- Start with a Polling Test every day—it can be done quickly but it confirms all clickers are working. When a clicker flashes yellow instead of green, the batteries are weak.
- F8 is a key worth remembering as it shows the names of those who haven’t responded yet.
- If a student presses any other button than the options you provide, nothing happens. When polling, you may want to offer a “Don’t Know” option.
- Do not select a textbook option that bundles the clickers with the text. It could cause a student to have to buy two clickers.
- It is possible for TurningPoint to assign points to answers. See Academic Technology for details.
- Keep in mind that you are working with two software contexts: PowerPoint and TurningPoint. If you open or save using the TurningPoint toolbar, you are just opening/saving data, not the presentation. You have to open and save the PowerPoint presentation from it’s toolbar.
- You can get a variety of types of reports from the software.
Instructional Uses of Clickers
Most teachers start with simple attendance, and maybe some factual quizzes. But the real learning power is going to come from the items that challenge students to think and re-think. Such items can help teachers “gain insight into what and how students are learning” (Nugent & Goodell, 2005). From my review of information, I constructed the following list of instructional uses.
Learning Uses - Formative
1. Take a quick “pulse” of one’s class—do they understand? Are they keeping up.
2. Start a meaningful discussion by raising a puzzle.
3. Elicit misconceptions and have them self-correct (see Nugent & Goodell below) – makes thinking visible.
4. Survey on sensitive topics to see what students in the class do or believe (e.g., sexual behavior) on topics on which students might be reluctant to speak.
5. TurningPoint is basically digitizing Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) which have been done for a long time to improve teaching practices. For ideas on CATs see our MidCourse Adjustment booklet at http://www.wku.edu/teaching/booklets/midcrs.htm.
Auditing Uses - Summative
- Recording attendance (may also prompt students to be on time).
- Quizzes over reading material.
- Review of last session’s material.
- Pretest of material to be covered.
- Preview of next session’s material—send them away with questions to prompt curiosity about reading.
- Administer quizzes, exams.
Faculty Comments
We’ve gathered some comments from other institutions who have already been using clickers.
University of New Mexico comment:
One method of using the clickers is “…ConcepTests. In this format, clickers permit instant assessment of whether students are “getting it” and the opportunity for the instructor to adjust accordingly. Most instructors use the question responses as a way to instigate small-group discussion of the various answers, commonly followed by a second round of questions. ConcepTests are not intended to replace efforts to engage students in full-class discussion. Most of us, however, have the experience that no matter how often you ask questions, it is the same few students that always answer. These answers may indicate that a few of your students comprehend the material well, but clickers permit assessment of the whole class. If responses are recorded, then the instructor also has an attendance check, which can be used for grading (which can increase class attendance).”
–Gary Smith, Professor, Earth & Planetary Science
University of Wyoming evaluation:
The faculty warn “…it takes quite a bit of time to learn how to effectively incorporate this technology into the classroom. They also warn that to use this system means one has to be willing to deal immediately with outcomes. If students reveal, for instance, that they do not understand a concept or problem, then the teacher will need to teach it again, and probably teach it differently, and this needs to happen on the spot.”
–Jane Nelson, Director, Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning
Student Issues, from Honesty to Privacy to Disabilities
- Clickers make it more challenging to look at another student’s answer as they would have to look at the right moment and judge what key is being pressed. However, if the collective class answers are displayed, a student may delay responding to see how others are answering.
- To substitute one student for another, the false student would have to show up with the ‘real’ student’s clicker.
- If a student loses a clicker he or she would have to purchase a new one and re-register it with the teacher (unless they are encouraged to put their name on the clicker or record the registration number). A stolen clicker would show up with the original student’s identification number.
- After a time, students may come to know who #47 is, for example, or tell one another their number IDs. To sustain privacy on sensitive topics one could drag the window on the laptop lower so the lighted student numbers are hidden from students. Or there are ways in software to turn off the display (although then the teacher cannot see when the class is done.)
- Consider your students with disabilities…does the clicker help or hinder a person with a motor disability? What about the visually impaired...can they see it sufficiently or learn the position of buttons by feel?
- Consider what to do if a student arrives on test day without their clicker – does the teacher keep an extra clicker or just bring a paper/pencil version (also needed for those who miss class).
“What are your students thinking?” Using personal response systems to promote interactive teaching and engaged learning
I attended an excellent conference session (Nugent & Goodell, 2005) on use of clickers to actively engage students. I have permission to share some of their wisdom and experience with you. In their system, you never have to use the clickers for attendance or quizzes but you can get great student learning. They may work with only one clicker per group and the group has to reach consensus (discuss the material) about the answer they are choosing. They also caution teachers against over using the clickers. Nugent & Goodell (2005) suggest between one and three times per class period.
Like any other technology or new task, for success you need to explain clearly why you are using clickers and what the students need to do to use them correctly.
An expert teacher will use varied question styles over the course of a class session.
- The first question(s) are typically for comprehension of reading. [Of course the very first one is to check that the clickers are all functional. It could be a trivia question or a genuine question for no points.]
- In the middle of a class try a question that might generate discussion about course material. They are often ones in which there is a wide variety in how the class is likely to respond (either from lack of knowledge or because it is an opinion question).
- At end of class check comprehension of the day’s material. Maybe preview the next material by giving a question you do not give the answer to until next time. (See below for some examples).
**Debrief students after each activity so they know why they were answering these questions—how were they relevant or important to do?
Framing the question is critical. You need to know if the students are grasping the material but also at what level. ‘Do they understand?’ is a more complex question than ‘Do they know?’ but both have a place.
Type of Question |
Explanation |
Sample Questions |
| Knowledge Centered | What mental model do the students come with? Do they get the connection between what is taught and why it is important? |
|
| Assessment Centered | Frequent low stakes assessment supports learning as it gives students the opportunity to revise their ideas. Use both formative and summative assessment. Teachers and students benefit from seeing what and how students are thinking as they are learning |
|
| Community Centered | Can use to build connectedness within the classroom |
|
More complex levels of understanding can be encouraged by actually eliciting student misconceptions and having them self-correct:
- Ask a question that forces a decision based on limited information. (See examples below). Do give them time to think.
- Then lead them through activities to examine their assumptions more closely. These are activities or questions which add complexity and context. Usually they involve trying to convince their peers (which helps with meta-cognitive development).
- Re-ask the question.
- Discuss any changes in votes or why they didn’t change. You may or may not tell them the “answer”. Perhaps it is homework to uncover the answer.
| Example 1 | Example 2 | |
| Ask a question that forces a decision based on limited information. | What percent of college athletes are African American? | Two beakers are filled to same level with water, one has ice cubes. When they melt, which will have more water? a) one with cubes b) w/out cubes c) final level will be the same in both.Rate “How confident are you? |
| Activities to examine assumptions more closely, adding complexity & context | Have small groups list all college sports. Then ask them which are televised. | Have group discuss what might be the important features of the problem. Explore their reasons for their choice and try to convince others. |
| Re-ask the question. | What percent of college athletes are African American? | Ask both questions again. |
You never just give them the correct answer. Instead you lead them to self-correct. Students learn to ask better questions about information that is presented and reduce their jumping to conclusions.
(Students do learn the pattern and just pick the most obscure answer unless you vary choices so the “most obscure” is not always the right answer.)
What do you do with student responses?
- If most students don’t understand the material — Ask clarifying questions so you know where they are mis-understanding and/or re-teach with a different method.
- If you get a wide distribution of responses—try discussion then poll again.
- If a majority understand—ask an extension question and re-poll students.
You can structure your questions to elicit a type of student response. Use A and C questions if you want to know how much/how far they understand the material. Use B questions if you want to encourage discussion.
Further Resources- Bruff, D. (2006). Classroom Response Systems. Vanderbilt University. Available online at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/technology/crs.htm What they are, how they work, why they’re useful. Nice overview; extensive bibliography.
- Bush, P. (April 28, 2006). “Clickers” in the Classroom. The Teaching Spirit, 17(5). Available online: http://www.wku.edu/teaching/newsletters/17_5.html#1
- Greer, L., and Heaney, P.J. (2004) Real-time analysis of student comprehension: An assessment of electronic response technology in an introductory earth science course. Journal of Geoscience Education, 52, 345-351.
- Hatch, Jenson, M. and Moore, R., (2005). Manna from Heaven or Clickers from Hell?, Journal of College Science Teaching, 34(7), 36-39.
- Nugent, J & Goodell, Z. (2005). What are your students thinking? Using personal response systems to promote interactive teaching and engaged learning. Presentation at POD Network, Milwaukee, WI. Contact Sally Kuhlenschmidt for a copy of their presentation.
- Schackow, T. E., Chavez, M. Loya, L., & Friedman, M. (2004). Audience Response Systems: Effect on Learning in Family Medicine Residents, Family Medicine, 36(7), p. 496.
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas, (September 8, 2006). Personal Response Systems Resource List. Available online: http://tlc.unlv.edu/tech/clickers.htm