This document summarizes research on the use of clickers or electronic voting systems in higher education. It discusses how clickers can provide instant feedback, different question types, and record data to engage students actively. The main areas of research are the benefits of clickers for content transmission, feedback, and student engagement. Clickers are seen as useful for gathering information quickly, recall questions, predicting outcomes, starting discussions, and formative assessment. However, students can experience clicker fatigue and staff have mixed perceptions. Overall, clickers show potential to change teaching practices to be more discussion-based.

1. Clickers in HE – research and practice Daniela Gachago, Educational Technology Unit Fundani Centre for Higher Education Development, CPUT Source: http://image.absoluteastronomy.com/images/encyclopediaimages/c/cp/cput_cape_town_campus.jpg

2. University of Edinburgh Simpson V. & Oliver M. (2007).Electronic voting systems for lectures then and now: A comparison of research and practice.Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2007, 23(2), 187-208. Caldwell J. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE—Life Sciences Education. Vol. 6, Spring 2007.

3. Interactive, instructing questioning as teaching method is nothing new…

4. New technology…CLICKERS! Anonymous Instant feedback Variety of question types Record of data

5. Assumptions* Content transmission is not the most effective way of learning Students active engagement with ideas and applications support learning Quality feedback should be provided to students * Simpson V. & Oliver M. (2007). Electronic voting systems for lectures then and now: A comparison of research and practice. Australasion Journal of Educational Technology 2007, 23(2), 187-208.

6. Main research areas* * Caldwell J. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE Life Sciences Education, Vol. 6, Spring 2007.

7. Channel Setting Instructions for ResponseCard RF1. Press and release the "GO" button.2. While the light is flashing red and green, enter the 2 digit channel code (i.e. channel 1 = 01, channel 21 = 21). Channel is 413. After the second digit is entered, Press and release the "GO" button.4. Press and release the "1/A" button. The light should flash yellow to confirm.

8. A boat carrying a large boulder is floating on a lake. The boulder is thrown overboard and sinks. The water in the lake (with respect to the shore) Rises Drops Remains the same 0 of 30

9. Quickly gathering information How many semesters of calculus have you had? How many countries outside South Africa have you visited? Icebreaking questions: how are you feeling today? Who am I? Source: Dr R James, UGA, http://www.slideshare.net/rnja8c/using-clickers-in-the-classroom-posted

10. Recall questions: Beginning of class Who has read the assigned material? Source: Dr R James, UGA, http://www.slideshare.net/rnja8c/using-clickers-in-the-classroom-posted

11. Comparing class survey with survey results from published studies Source: Dr R James, UGA, http://www.slideshare.net/rnja8c/using-clickers-in-the-classroom-posted

12. How many Grade 11 students in Cape Town’s most deprived areas regularly access the Internet through their mobile phones* Less than 20% 20-40% 40-60% 60-80% Nearly everyone 0 of 30 Kreutzer T. (2009). Generation Mobile: Online and Digital Media Usage on Mobile Phones among Low-Income Urban Youth in South Africa

13. Predict the outcome of an experiment Source: Dr R James, UGA, http://www.slideshare.net/rnja8c/using-clickers-in-the-classroom-posted

14. Steve Draper, University of Glasgow “Possibly the most productive application, however, and the one with the largest body of existing research, is in using the equipment to initiate a discussion.* ” * Draper S. (n.d.) Electronically enhanced classroom interaction.

15. Collect student opinions to start a discussion The practice of getting the blessings of the ancestors is: A norm in many African countries A description of a role among rural communities A sign that the nuclear family is considered most important An example of acculturation amongst the Lembani people Source: http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0eMe6da2x14Lu/610x.jpg

16. Mazur Sequence “You can forget facts but you cannot forget understanding” Prof. Eric Mazur, Harvard

17. Enter question text... Answer1 Answer2 answer3 0 of 30 Source: Bates S., Howie K. & Murphy A. (2006).

19. Why bother*?

20. Ranked by importance, clickers seem to be most useful to…

21. Staff perception

22. Students perception* Overall trend in literature: most students like using clickers More consistent when asked about enjoyments than helpfulness Main benefit: instructor has improved awareness of students’ needs and teaching style is viewed as more “immediate” Features liked best: anonymity, potential to reinforce learning and possibility to compare your answer with rest of the class However: students are also critical “stop messing around with technology and get back to good basic teaching” (d’inverno, 2003) * Caldwell J. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE Life Sciences Education, Vol. 6, Spring 2007.

23. Clicker fatigue?

24. Potential: extensive change of teaching practice Towards a more discursive, segmented, tutorial style approach (Nicol & Boyle, 2003) Contingent teaching (Draper & Brown, 2004) Re-design of physical teaching spaces which allow collaboration / debate between students

26. References Simpson V. & Oliver M. (2007).Electronic voting systems for lectures then and now: A comparison of research and practice. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 2007, 23(2), 187-208. Caldwell J. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE—Life Sciences Education. Vol. 6, Spring 2007. Nicol, D. & Boyle, J. T. (2003). Peer instruction versus class-wide discussion in large classes: A comparison of two interaction methods in the wired classroom. Studies in Higher Education 28(4), 457-473. Draper, S. W. & Brown, M. I. (2004). Increasing interactivity in lectures using an electronic voting system. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 20, 81-94. Bates S., Howie K. & Murphy A. (2006), Electronic voting systems; from one way transmission to two-way conversation, the Journal of the Higher Education Academy Physical Sciences Centre (ISSN 1740-9888) - Issue 2 Dec 2006.

27. Thank you! Daniela Gachago gachagod@cput.ac.za www.edutechcput.wordpress.com/clickers