Using Clickers In The Classroom

Using Clickers in the Classroom
Dr. Russell James III
University of Georgia

Clickers are electronic student response systems usually allowing for A,B,C,D,E, or number responses

Clickers v. Other response systems
C
Everyone participates, not just the overly vocal
Harder to just vote with majority than raising hands
A pre-technology version gives students spiral flipbooks to hold up with pages for A, B, C, D, & E.

OK, so what can I do with them?

Quickly gathering information
How many semesters of calculus have you had?
How many countries outside North America have you visited?
Are undecided on your major?
Who am I?

In class choice experiments

Experiment Time!
One of you will be picked to receive one of the choices you selected.
You can receive $1.00 (cash) on the second to last day of this class.
You can receive $1.05 (cash) on the last day of this class.

Intervening slides followed by…
Pick one
You can receive $1.00 (cash) right now.
You can receive $1.05 (cash) during the next meeting of this class.

Class choices
Voted to take the $1 on the next to last day of class (instead of $1.05 on the last day)?
Fall ‘09: 32.2% (n=87)
Spring ‘10: 35.8% (n=110)
Voted to take $1 now (instead of $1.05 at the next class)?
Fall ‘09: 66.3% (n=86)
Spring ’10: 69.4% (n=111)
Why the change? Note: Next class in 2 days. 5% difference.
(365 days/2 days) X 5% ≈912%APR

Comparing class survey with survey results from published studies

Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual Asian disease which is expected to kill 600 people. Choose a program to address the problem.
A: 200 people will be saved
B: 1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved. 2/3 chance that no people will be saved.

Show Class Clicker Results

Show Published Study Results
72%
28%
Tversky, A. & Kahneman, D., 1981, The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211, 453-458.

A: 400 people will die.
B: 1/3 chance that nobody will die.2/3 chance that 600 people will die.

Show Class Clicker Results

Show Published Study Results
22%
78%

Did class results change as framing changed?

2nd Option B: 600 expected to die…
1/3 chance that nobody will die.
2/3 chance that 600 people will die.
1st Option B: 600 expected to die…
1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved.
2/3 chance that no people will be saved.
=
=
78%
28%
≠
Reframing the option as a loss changed the choices

Recall questions: Beginning of class
Who has read the assigned material?

Recall questions: Middle of class
Rewards attendance and attentiveness
Immediate instructor feedback
Good responses -> Move on
Poor responses -> Discuss more

Recall question with poor responses
“Try to convince the people sitting around you that your answer is right.
Then, answer the
question again.”

Recall questions End of class
Instructor feedback for next lecture (no need to change “on the fly”)
Multiple questions on screen possible with clickers in exam mode

Predict the outcome of an experiment

Describe an experiment
Group A, B, & C female Asian-American college students were given a questionnaire followed by a math test.
A: Gender-related questionnaire
Ex: 3 reasons why you might prefer a single-sex dorm
B: Ethnicity-related questionnaire
Ex: did grandparents speak languages other than English?
C: Neutral questionnaire

Students predict experiment outcome
Did drawing attention to issues of race or gender affect subsequent math scores?
No effect for either
Both gender focus and race focus lowered scores
Both gender focus and race focus raised scores
Gender focus raised scores; Race focus lowered scores
Gender focus lowered scores; Race focus raised scores

Show student predictions
Did drawing attention to issues of race or gender affect subsequent math scores?
No effect for either
Both gender focus and race focus lowered scores
Both gender focus and race focus raised scores
Gender focus raised scores; Race focus lowered scores
Gender focus lowered scores; Race focus raised scores

Show experiment results and discuss
M. Shih (Harvard), T. Pittinsky (Harvard), & N. Ambady (Harvard), 1999, Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance. Psychological Science, 10(1), 80-83.

Click when finished with a task
Shows when in-class writing or discussion assignments are finishing
Can display results as received to motivate completion by peer example

Vote
Before and after a debate/discussion
Vote on best student created videos

Rate the class
Instead of waiting until end of the semester evaluations, end every class with the same evaluation question
Track trends, lecture topics, methodologies

Collect student opinions to begin a discussion

Advanced applications
When you want to try more experiments in class!

Individual student Socratic questioning
“Tell me, John Smith, why was X a compelling choice for you?....... Sally Student, you answered Y. Why do you feel differently than
John?”

Clicker wars: The concept
Divide students into large groups, e.g. gender, junior/senior.
Work in teams of 2 or 3. One clicker per team.
Winning team gets large reward. Winning group gets modest reward.
Multiple choice questions. Wrong answer = turn off clicker, your team is out. But, you can STILL help others in the larger group.

Clicker wars: This really works!
Consistently the highest rated classes of the semester.
Discuss wrong answers selected (teachable moments).
End of section reviews or exam reviews.

Real time tracking
Some programs constantly track and display cumulative answer changes.
Use separate laptop so you can see, but students can’t.

Real time tracking: Confusion meter
Click A when the current topic doesn’t make sense
Click B if it becomes clear later
Tracks the number of students who are currently registering confusion

Use “rate the class” scale with instructions to click repeatedly, every slide, or every minute.
Use screen recorder software (ex: BB Flashback, Camtasia) to record presentation from your webcam while recording your response meter screen (picture in picture) for drilling down on what sections generated what responses
Real time “focus group” response meter

High stakes, low stakes, or no stakes?
Giving credit for clickers

Participation only
Relies on students' innate desire to be right
Other ways to encourage involvement
If record shows you are not making any effort, then partial or no credit
Selective Socratic questioning

Correct answers only
Potential problem with cheating
No multiple exam versions
Potential problem with students who have time and a half learning disability accommodations.

Hybrid
Full credit if a threshold percentage of correct answers are reached.
Correct answers only for pre-lecture questions. Participation only for mid-lecture questions.
Clicker questions will be placed on exam.

I forgot my clicker!
Allow no credit or
Allow X number of missed clicker days or
Allow written answers turned in at end of class

The clicker didn’t work!
If clicker not indicating responses being received allow written responses at end of class (not later), but must show your clicker

Preventing false participation “my best friend’s clicker”
Take digital photos of class
Announce and use as a deterrent
Match with quick writing assignment
Require each student to turn in only oneby handto you at end of class.
TA spies looking for multiple clickers
Counting heads
If head count doesn’t match clicker count, assign quick writing for matching

Slides by:
Russell James III, J.D., Ph.D.
University of Georgia
2009 College of Family & Consumer Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year
Feel free to use any of these slides!
Any comments or questions to rjames@uga.edu

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Using Clickers In The Classroom

by Russell James on Apr 06, 2010

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