"Clicker" Tips from ISU Faculty
Corly Brooke (My Tips)
Director of Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
Professor of Human Development and Family Studies
"I teach a large class of 200 students in Human Development and Family Studies and used clickers daily. I found it was particularly effective to give a five question (5 point) quiz over the chapter reading for the day. The students could work from a sheet of notes they had taken on the chapter. This greatly increased the amount of reading done before class and the students responded positively. I only did it seven times during the semester and the students suggested that I do it more next semester.
I also used clickers daily for review questions from the previous class content, but didn't record points. I included some of the review questions on the exam.
I also used the clickers daily for personal responses to questions that related to the topic for the day. An example would be: "Were you spanked as a child?" and "Do you think you will spank your own children?" The immediate feedback on these type of high interest questions sparked good discussion in the large class.
My Comments:
The student response to using the clickers was more positive than I expected. I had some technical problems but the students were very patient and sympathetic. I look forward to using the clickers again now that I better understand the system and its application."
Craig Ogilvie (My Tips)
Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy
"I typically have two rounds per question: 1st round the students answer the question by themselves, during the 2nd round they can discuss the question with their neighbors. I work hard to mingle and convince the students that explaining and discussing is more impt. than just swapping answers.
- create one slide with question, correct answer etc, graph of results. Do not include a correct answer indicatior.
- create duplicate slide of this. Add in correct answer indicator, a solution and use slide animation to have these come in at the same time as this results graph.
- go back to the first slide and delete the graph.
- on tools, click comparative links. Link the 2nd slide (top row of the menu) to the first slide (bottom row of this menu). Then when the 2nd round is finished you and the students can see how much the class improved from the 2nd round to the first."
Clicker and cooperative learning
Our Recommendations
- Plan it early
Early planning will allow the bookstore to stock plenty of clickers for your students; it will allow you to experiment with the system longer, and get familiar with the software and hardware before you use it in the classroom; it will allow you time to think and design your clicker questions.
- Be patient with the technology
Allow yourself and students to spend time to experiment with the system. You may want to try some un-graded practice questions during the first a few weeks of the semester. This will allow you and your students to learn from some of the mistakes that might occur in the class.
- Spend time educating students
Teach students how to register their clickers; explain the meaning of the lights on clickers; teach them how to join the channel in the classroom. You may direct them to the student clicker web site or add this URL to your WebCT content page: http://www.celt.iastate.edu/TurningPoint/.
- Point value matters
Plan your grading philosophy carefully. Experienced instructors suggest that in addition to awarding points to correct answers, consider assigning minimal point value to incorrect answers to encourage students to participate in in-class activities; allow students to drop one or two clicker grades for human factors or technical issues.
- Spend time discussing students' responses
After showing the distribution of students' responses, consider discussing results with the class, or allow students to discuss among themselves. Sometimes you may find it useful to review some previous content.
- Use "clickers" as a learning tool
Do not simply use "clickers" as a tool for graded quizzes. Engage students with clicker questions to stimulate more thoughtful discussion and higher level thinking.
