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CU Berkeley Workshop #1: Writing Great Clicker Questions
The document provides a workshop outline by Dr. Stephanie V. Chasteen on effectively using clickers in education to enhance student engagement and understanding through questioning techniques. It discusses the benefits of clicker-based peer instruction, offers strategies for writing and implementing questions, and emphasizes the importance of fostering classroom discussions. Participants learn how to create and refine clicker questions to better align with learning goals in various subjects.
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CU Berkeley Workshop #1: Writing Great Clicker Questions
- 1. Make Clickers Workfor You WRITING GREAT CLICKER QUESTIONS Dr. Stephanie V. Chasteen Physics Department & Science Education Initiative Univ. of Colorado at Boulder http://colorado.edu/sei Web and blog: http://sciencegeekgirl.com Email: stephanie.chasteen@colorado.edu
- 2. What do youteach? Show of hands A. Science B. Engineering or Math C. Social sciences D. Humanities E. Administration / faculty support F. Other
- 3. Have you usedresponse systems (clickers) in your teaching? Take a clicker & turn it on If the green light flashes, your vote has been counted A. Not at all, and I haven’t seen them used B. Not at all, but I’ve observed their use somewhat C. I’ve used them a little D. I’ve used them a lot E. I could be (should be?) giving this workshop
- 4. How familiar areyou with Mazur’s “Peer Instruction” Colored cards A. Fairly familiar, and I like it B. Fairly familiar, but I’m not sure that I like it C. I’ve heard of it but only have a vague idea what it is D. Not familiar at all E. Not sure
- 5. Introducing Me 5 Science Education Initiative http://colorado.edu/SEI Applying scientific principles to improve science education – What are students learning, and which instructional approaches improve learning? Physics Education Research Group http://PER.colorado.edu One of largest PER groups in nation, studying technology, attitudes, classroom practice, & institutional change. Blogger http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com
- 7. Why question? 8 How many times have you given a lecture and found that students hadn’t followed you? Can you rely on students to ask questions if they don’t understand something? Can you rely on students to know if they don’t understand something? What are the benefits of questioning? Credit: Rosie Piller whiteboard
- 9. Agenda 10 1. When and how we can ask questions 2. About clickers as a way to ask questions, including some common challenges 3. Writing good questions. Example questions, writing our own. 4. Action plan Learning goals: Participants will be able to…. A. Explain several benefits of questioning and of using clickers to question B. Defend the use of best practices in questioning to overcome common challenges C. Formulate and revise clicker questions to target student learning goals
- 10. Exercise #1: Questionbrainstorm 11 What questions could you ask to help students achieve your assigned learning goal -- to test mastery and stimulate learning? Brainstorm as a group 5 minutes whiteboard
- 11. When can weask questions? 12 BEFORE Setting up instruction DURING Motivate Developing knowledge Discover Predict outcome Check knowledge Provoke thinking Application Assess prior knowledge Analysis Evaluation Synthesis AFTER Relate to big picture Exercise skill Assessing Demonstrate success Elicit misconception learning Review or recap Exit poll Credit: Rosie Piller and Ian Beatty.
- 12. Some methods ofasking questions 13 Ask rhetorically Target the class (how?) Target someone in particular (in what order?) Wait and then… (call on whom?) Answer your own question Leave the question unanswered Or ask out of class Blogs Discussion boards Homework… Credit: Rosie Piller
- 13. Why use clickersto target the class? An outline of Peer Instruction. 14
- 14. Anatomy of PeerInstruction 15 Ask Question …Lecture… (Maybe vote) Class Discussion Peer Discussion Vote * See also: Peer Instruction, A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.
- 15. Note: Grading forFormative Assessment Motivate students to participate, without stressing over the right answer We recommend extra credit for: •Mostly participation (eg., 2 points) •Some for correctness (eg., 1 point) A new research study (James & Willoughby, 2011) shows: Giving points for correctness creates less productive classroom conversations! See http://theactiveclass.com 16
- 16. Note: Timing /Groups 17 ◦ 2-5 questions spaced through an hour ◦ Discussion with peers (usually nearest neighbors)
- 17. Questions about thisprocess? 18 Ask Question …Lecture… (Maybe vote) Class Discussion Peer Discussion Vote * See also: Peer Instruction, A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.
- 18. Clickers are atool for questioning 19 But not a magic bullet!
- 20. Peer instruction helpsstudents learn 21 Research shows that: Students can better answer a similar question after talking to their peers Peer discussion + instructor explanation works better than either one alone Do you want to see the Students like peer instruction, from intro to the details of some of this junior level research? A. Yes, cut back on other stuff Students in courses using peer instruction to the B. No, let’s just get outperform those in traditional lecturewriting the Q&A a question courses on C. I’d like to see it in common test portion afterwards See http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu for various references
- 21. How is aclicker question the same or different?* 26 * From other types of in-class questions Similar in terms of goals Multiple choice Anonymous (to peers) Every student has a voice – the loud ones and the shy ones Forced wait time You can withhold the answer until everyone has had time to think (choose when to show the histogram) What does this tool help us to do?
- 22. U. Colorado clickerresources… 27 Videos of effective use of clickers 2-5 mins long http://STEMvideos.colorado.edu Clicker resource page http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu • Instructor’s Guide • Question banks • Workshops • Literature / Articles
- 23. Which of thesecould be clicker questions? 28 BEFORE Setting up instruction DURING Motivate Developing knowledge Discover Predict outcome Check knowledge Provoke thinking Application Assess prior knowledge Analysis Evaluation Synthesis AFTER Relate to big picture Exercise skill Assessing Demonstrate success Elicit misconception learning Review or recap Exit poll Credit: Rosie Piller and Ian Beatty.
- 24. Let’s try it. Ithink that the toughest thing about using clickers and peer instruction must be: A. Writing good questions B. Getting students to engage with the questions C. Getting students to share their answers with the whole class / the same students always share D. It takes too long for me to learn to do this E. I have a lot of content to cover, it takes too much class time
- 25. A science-related example… 30 Which superpower would you rather have? The ability to… A. Change the mass of things B. Change the charge of things C. Change the magnetization of things D. Change the boiling point of things 30 Question: Ian Beatty, UNC Greensboro Image: Thibaultfr on Wikimedia
- 26. Example question: Math Yoursister in law calls to say that she’s having twins. Which of the following is the most likely? (Assume she’s having fraternal, not identical, twins) A. Twin boys B. Twin girls C. One girl and one boy D. All are equally likely 31 Derek Bruff, Vanderbilt
- 27. Example Question: Survey 32 Which of the following are you least comfortable using to solve problems? A. Kinematics B. Newton’s Laws C. Work-Energy Theorem D. Momentum-Impulse Theorem E. Angular Momentum-Angular Impulse Theorem Ian Beatty, UMass Amherst
- 28. Two things topay attention to in your questions What is the goal of my question? What am I trying to accomplish? Is my question at the right level / variety of depth?
- 29. Question goals 34 BEFORE Setting up instruction DURING Motivate Developing knowledge Discover Predict outcome Check knowledge Provoke thinking Application Assess prior knowledge Analysis Evaluation Synthesis AFTER Relate to big picture Exercise skill Assessing Demonstrate success Elicit misconception learning Review or recap Exit poll Credit: Rosie Piller and Ian Beatty.
- 30. Question Writing Depth Very useful 91% N=4 courses, 35% 66 Useful 36% students 18% Somewhat useful Types of clicker questions: Mostly Challenging conceptual useless Recalling a previous fact Completely useless Recalling a recent fact Plugging numbers into equation % of students 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% COLTT CU 2009
- 31. But how dowe increase the depth of questioning? 36
- 32. Question Writing Depth:Bloom’s Taxonomy 37 Handout: Handout with handy verbs and Bloom’s Taxonomy question stems for different levels, e.g.: UNDERSTAND: match, paraphrase, restate APPLY: choose, explain, show ANALYZE: compare, classify, categorize EVALUATE: judge, criticize, defend SYNTHESIS: combine, develop, design
- 33. Preparing to WriteQuestions Read briefly over the “tips for writing clicker questions” handout. Which is going to be most challenging for you? Which would you tell a colleague about? 3 minutes
- 34. Preparing to WriteQuestions In groups of 2-3, choose one of the questions that you brainstormed at the beginning of the workshop. You will write a multiple choice version of this question. 3 minutes
- 35. Gallery Walk Asa table, look at the “example questions” trio that I have given you. What’s a common theme(s)? Write the themes you find down on the sheet so that other groups will be able to read it. After 5 minutes, circulate to see the themes of questions on other tables. Shop for ideas for your own questions! See handouts for a place to jot your notes. 10 minutes
- 36. Gallery Walk: ReportOut What was the theme of your question trio? When would you use such a type of question?
- 37. Exercise #3: WritingQuestions 42 Using ideas you’ve learned, write a multiple choice version of your question in groups of 2-3. Show your question to another group (and to me) for suggestions on revising it. If you have time, write another question from another part of the questioning cycle. 10 minutes
- 38. Share-Out about QuestionWriting What was challenging? What worked well for you? What questions or concerns do you have about writing questions? How might you write questions that integrate with your lectures?
- 39. This workshop can’tdo it all 44 There are great books to read Pair up with other instructors I give free webinars (see iclicker.com) Next workshop, 4:30-6:00, Weds Feb 1st. (4:00-4:30 refresher course for new folks) Making Clickers Work for You: Facilitation I.e., taking off the rose-colored glasses. What goes wrong? How can this technique work best? BRING YOUR HANDOUTS!
- 40. Action Plan 45 Take a few minutes to write down your action plan to implement ideas you heard about in the workshop
- 41. Thanks! Resource Page: http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu Web and blog: http://sciencegeekgirl.com Email: stephanie@sciencegeekgirl.com Many materials in this workshop (particularly the questioning cycle and the participant exercises) were adapted fromRosie Piller, Making Students Think: The Art of Questioning. Short papers published in: Computer Training & Support Conference, 1995; ISPI International Conferences, 1991 and 1996; ASTD National Conference on Technical & Skills Training, 1990. Related workshop description at http://www.educationexperts.net/nstworkshop.html. Other materials (particularly sample clicker questions and goals of clicker questions) adapted from Ian Beatty’s Technology Enhanced Formative Assessment (TEFA) program. http://ianbeatty.com/crs NOW: Q&A, continued work on questions and revision, individual consultations. NEXT WEEK, 4:30-6pm – Facilitation Tips & Techniques
- 42. Learning Goals Biology:Recognize the components of a cell and describe why each is necessary for the function of a cell Physics: Identify the different ways that light can interact with an object (i.e., transmitted, absorbed, reflected). Chemistry: Explain trends in boiling points in terms of intermolecular interactions Earth science: Understand the formation of the three major types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic) and the processes by which they form, relating them by the rock cycle. Math: Solve a system of linear equations in two variables using algebra or graphing.
- 43. What Do Ido if…? 48 What can you do if you ask questions and.. There is no response The same people keep raising their hands The answers are called out before everyone has a chance to think We’ll discuss in The answers take too long Workshop #2. For now: Many of Someone gives a wrong answer these challenges are Only some students are prepared addressed by clickers ?
Editor's Notes
- #2 HAVE PEOPLE SIT BY DISCIPLINE
- #7 Who was at the previouis workshop?What is a learning goal?How would a clicker fit in with the learning goal?
- #9 How do you feel about asking students questions in class?How many times have you given a lecture and found that students hadn’t followed you?Can you rely on students to ask questions if they don’t understand something?Can you rely on students to know if they don’t understand something?So, what are the benefits of questioning?Why do you think people don’t question more?
- #13 During each section, ask people for examples of questions that they wrote that fall into this category. Give clicker booklet for responding.Point out the handout where each one is detailed more.
- #14 Model each one of these. What are some ways to ask questions? One is to ask rhetorically.Class, what’s another way to ask a question? Target the whole class.John, what’s another way? Target someone else.Are there other ways to ask a question? Let’s think about it. Target class: verbally, clickers, other waysTarget someone in particular: randomly, in seating order, call on particular personWait and then…. Call on volunteers, call on someone who hasn’t volunteered, answer own question
- #21 But we want to KNOW MORE about what is effective and how faculty are using it. After all (NEXT SLIDE), without data on effectiveness, we can’t make informed decisions about instructioal change.NSF has funded a lot of studies to develop methodologies and we know that they’re effective. But then we focus on dissemination, rather than secondary implementation and use in context. We do not well understand how to support materials and practices traveling between classroom settings.I am interested in how faculty try new things, like clickers, and make them work, and what I should be telling them are the essential features of peer instruction, or how to make it work for them.
- #24 Undergraduate biology majors Intro genetics.16 times. Isomorphic question, different “cover story” but same idea or topic. Q1 and Q2 randomly assigned. Reviewed by two independent reviewers.
- #29 During each section, ask people for examples of questions that they wrote that fall into this category. Give clicker booklet for responding.Point out the handout where each one is detailed more.
- #35 During each section, ask people for examples of questions that they wrote that fall into this category. Give clicker booklet for responding.Point out the handout where each one is detailed more.
- #39 Shop for ideas
- #40 Shop for ideas
- #49 Weigh advantages of covering more material against checking comprehension and actively involving students. It’s challenging. How a teacher does this determines how well it works. NO RESPONSE: Wait longer. Rephrase the question. Give a hint. Have students discuss. Call on someone. Leave unanswered. SAME PEOPLE: Someone other than X. Ask an easier question and call on new volunteer. Be alert to non-verbal cues. Make it clear that participation required. IF ANSWERS CALLED OUT: Ask it others agree. Ask for other answers. Ask students to think for a minute. Turn away to signal time for thought. Ask to write answers down. IF TAKE TOO LONG: Interrupt and summarize. Set boundaries and expectations. WRONG ANSWER: Break down question so others can see error. Ask for comments. Ask for other answers. Find merit in answer and explain why common mistake.