The document summarizes Lloyd Leach's use of clickers to assess student learning in his Sport Science module where students had traditionally performed poorly. He used clickers during a revision lecture to gauge students' understanding of key concepts through multiple choice questions. Analysis of the clicker responses helped identify problem areas and learning difficulties. Students found the clickers engaging and it improved their focus. Leach concluded that while clickers are not a "cure all", they have potential to challenge students in a more technological way and should be one of several options used to address different learning needs.

1. Exploring the Use of Clickers for the
Assessment of Class-Based Learning
Lloyd Leach

2. Background
The undergraduate students in Sport Science
have traditionally not performed well
academically in one of my modules, and I was
hoping to address this matter by way of
utilizing one of the formats we’ve learnt in the
Emerging Technologies course.

3. Intended Outcomes
• To assess the use and/or understanding of key
concepts in the module.
• To identify problem areas in the module
content and to respond appropriately.
• To identify students with learning difficulties
and to implement appropriate remedial action
timeously.

4. The Challenge
• To assess students’ understanding during
lectures in order to optimise contact time and
student learning.
• Historically, the traditional question-and-
answer method was not successful in
uncovering students with learning
difficulties, and was not conducive to
facilitating active student participation in
lectures.

5. Established Teaching Practice
• Essentially, a didactical learning paradigm was
used in which the lecturer would present the
content and students would participate
intermittently by answering or asking questions
and taking notes.
• Because students did not perform well
academically in one of my modules, the module
was under departmental review in an attempt to
identify and address the problems around
student throughput.

6. Affordances of the Technology
• Clickers affords the students the opportunity
of participating more actively in lectures.
• It provides the lecturer with a means of
assessing areas of the module content that
may be particularly problematic.
• It affords the lecturer the opportunity of
addressing students’ learning difficulties
appropriately and timeously.

7. Literature Review
Caldwell (2007) comprehensively elaborates on
the common uses of clickers as being:
• To increase and manage student interaction
• To assess student preparation
• For formative and summative assessment
• To improve awareness of student problems and
performance
• To track student understanding and progress
• To make lectures fun

8. The Intervention
• I used the clickers in a module entitled, Sport
Safety, offered to the third year Sport Science
students.
• Unfortunately, this was not the lecture
intended for using the clickers but, because
classes had ended for the semester and this
session was the only one available. Also, the
lecture was intended to be a revision session
for students.

9. Lecture Outcomes
• Revision of key concepts:
– Classification of sport injuries
– Immediate management of sport injuries
– Long-term rehabilitation of sport injuries
• Assess the impact of using clickers
– Impact on the lecture
– Future implications

10. Lecture Format
• Introduction on the use of clickers
• Briefing on the intended learning outcomes
• Focus on revision and identification of
problem areas
• Students encouraged to indicate areas of
learning difficulty

11. Sample Question
CASE STUDY: UNFIT SPORT SCIENCE STUDENT
A poorly trained third year sports science student is
concerned about not being as fit as her peers and decides
to start training after a long absence. She chooses to go
for a 10km road run in an “old”, worn-out pair of running
shoes on a particularly hot, humid day that eventually
causes her to develop debilitating lower leg pain the next
day. While running, she also became faint, tripped and
fell to the floor, while bumping her head in the process
that caused her a mild concussion.

12. The causes or aetiology of sport
injuries can be classified as:
A. Primary
B. Intrinsic
C. Secondary
D. Extrinsic
E. All of the above
F. None of the above
G. Don’t know

13. The causes or aetiology of sport
injuries can be classified as:
A. Primary 6 (32%)
B. Intrinsic 1 (5%)
C. Secondary 1 (5%)
D. Extrinsic 0
E. All of the above 11 (58%)
F. None of the above 0
G. Don’t know 0______
19 (100%)

14. The type(s) of injury(ies) sustained by
the 3rd year SS student was/were the
following:
A. Debilitating lower leg pain
B. Fainting
C. Bump to the head
D. a, b, and c
E. a and c only
F. a and b only
G. b and c only

15. The type(s) of injury(ies) sustained by
the 3rd year SS student was/were the
following:
A. Debilitating lower leg pain 0
B. Fainting 0
C. Bump to the head 0
D. a, b, and c 12 (64%)
E. a and c only 5 (26%)
F. a and b only 1 (5%)
G. b and c only 1 (5%)
19 (100%)

16. The primary, intrinsic cause(s) of
the leg pain was/were:
A. Poorly trained/unfit and running too long (10 km run)
B. Old, worn-out running shoes
C. Wrong mindset and long absence from training
D. Running on the road
E. Became faint
F. Tripped, fell and bumped her head
G. Possible dehydration
H. Hot, humid day

17. The primary, intrinsic cause(s) of
the leg pain was/were:
A. Poorly trained/unfit and running too long (10 km run) 16 (85%)
B. Old, worn-out running shoes 1 (5%)
C. Wrong mindset and long absence from training 0
D. Running on the road 1 (5%)
E. Became faint 0
F. Tripped, fell and bumped her head 1 (5%)
G. Possible dehydration 0
H. Hot, humid day 0_____
19 (100%)

18. The primary, extrinsic cause(s) of the
leg pain was/were:
A. Poorly trained/unfit and running too long (10 km run)
B. Old, worn-out running shoes
C. Wrong mindset and long absence from training
D. Running on the road for 10 km
E. Became faint
F. Tripped, fell and bumped her head
G. Possible dehydration
H. Hot, humid day

19. The primary, extrinsic cause(s) of the
leg pain was/were:
A. Poorly trained/unfit and running too long (10 km run) 0
B. Old, worn-out running shoes 7 (36%)
C. Wrong mindset and long absence from training 0
D. Running on the road for 10 km 4 (21%)
E. Became faint 0
F. Tripped, fell and bumped her head 6 (32%)
G. Possible dehydration 0
H. Hot, humid day 2 (11%)
19 (100%)

20. AETIOLOGY MATRIX
INJURY DEBILITATING LOWER LEG PAIN
CAUSES PRIMARY SECONDARY
INTRINSIC
EXTRINSIC
INJURY MILD CONCUSSION
CAUSES PRIMARY SECONDARY
INTRINSIC
EXTRINSIC

21. AETIOLOGY MATRIX
INJURY DEBILITATING LOWER LEG PAIN
CAUSES PRIMARY SECONDARY
INTRINSIC Poorly trained/unfit and overtrained (10 km
run)
Wrong mindset and long absence from
training
EXTRINSIC Running on the road for 10 km Old, worn-out running shoes
INJURY MILD CONCUSSION
CAUSES PRIMARY SECONDARY
INTRINSIC Became faint Possible dehydration
EXTRINSIC Tripped, fell and bumped her head Hot, humid day

22. Do you think using clickers:
A. Keeps you focused for the whole lecture
B. Promotes learning
C. Promotes constructive student interaction
D. Makes the lecture fun
E. Improves your understanding of the problem
F. Other

23. Do you think using clickers:
A. Keeps you focused for the whole lecture 1 (5%)
B. Promotes learning 2 (11%)
C. Promotes constructive student interaction 1 (5%)
D. Makes the lecture fun 1 (5%)
E. Improves your understanding of the problem 0
F. Other 14 (74%)
19 (100%)

24. Would you like clickers used for
lectures in future?
A. Yes
B. No
C. Not sure

25. Would you like clickers used for
lectures in future?
A. Yes 18 (95%)
B. No 0
C. Not sure 1 (5%)

26. Impact of Using Clickers
• Got the students attention immediately
• Students became focused immediately on the
problem/case
• Students became more critical of the content
and selective with their answers
• Students were more likely to enter into
discussion before answering questions
• It was absolutely great seeing the smiles on
students faces after the lecture

27. Conclusion
Because students are a lot more technological
savvy, clickers has the potential to challenge
them differently, but is not a “cure for all”.

28. Recommendations
Admittedly, students should be offered a variety
of technological options to address the spread
of learning needs.

29. References
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questions for classroom response system teaching. American Journal of
Physics, 74(1), 31-39.
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systems for formative assessments in the classroom. Presented at the Annual ELI
meeting, January, 20, 2010, Austin, Texas, USA. www.educause.edu/ero/article/clickers-
and-cats-using-learner-response-systems-formative-assessments-classroom (accessed
22 April 2013).
• Caldwell, J.E. (2007). Clickers in the large classroom: current research and best-practice
tips. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 6, 9–20.
• Cutts, Q., Kennedy, G., Mitchell, C. and Draper, S. (2004). Maximizing dialogue in
lectures using group response systems. Presented at the 7th IASTED International
Conference on Computer and Advanced Technology in Education, August 16 –
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• Draper, S.W. (1998). Niche-based Success in CAL. Computer Education, 30, 5-8.
• Elliot, C. (2003) Using a personal response system in economics teaching. International
Review of Economics Education, 1(1), 80-86.
• Simpson, V. and Oliver, M. (2006). Using electronic voting systems in lectures.
www.ucl.ac.uk/learningtechnology/examples/ElectronicVotingSystems.pdf (accessed 22
April 2013).
• Wood, W.B. (2004). Clickers: a teaching gimmick that works. Developmental
Cell, 7(6), 796-798.