Clickers, or audience response technologies, serve to collect and demonstrate instantaneous student responses to interactive questions.
Students use handheld devices to transmit their opinions during interactive class sessions. Collected data are displayed as graphs.
Why Use Clickers
Think pedagogy first and technology second. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish with clickers in the classroom?” Are you seeking to:
- Increase student involvement and retention?
- Understand attitudes and probe into preconceptions?
- Facilitate discussion and peer instruction?
- Introduce meaningful assessment?
In the video below, Dr. Corly Brooke discusses how to successfully implement clickers in large classrooms and shares helpful classroom management techniques.
How Clickers Work
TurningPoint audience response system (TP) is the standardized solution at Iowa State University. TP includes hardware and software elements.

Getting started
Thinking of using clickers in your large or small classroom? Follow the action list below:
- Meet with us. Call 294-5357 or email clickerhelp@iastate.edu for an individual appointment. CELT clicker support staff will help to install the software, provide necessary faculty hardware and preview the clicker basics.
- Review the First time Clicker FAQ to learn what to expect during the first meeting.
Also, check out our Clicker Step-by-Step Guides to learn on your own. - Register for clicker workshops. See the workshop calendar for dates, times, and details.