How Clickers Transform
the Classroom
David Vakil
Innovations 2011 Conference; Tuesday, March 1, 2011
I taught astronomy & physics at El Camino College for 10 years, using
TurningPoint equipment since January 2006.
Contact info:
dvakil@elcamino.edu – (310) 900-1600 x2130
For more clicker information or a copy of this presentation, please visit:
http://www.elcamino.edu/faculty/dvakil/clickers.htm
(there’s also a link to the clicker page on my home page)
Presentation outline
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How can clickers be used?
Discuss your concerns and questions about clicker
usage
Types of clicker questions
Write your own questions
Working together to improve your questions
Big Picture: Clickers enable you to do student-centered
learning. Let’s start with a “student”-centered activity,
rather than with me lecturing. This is what clickers are
about.
Respond as though you are students in
YOUR class.
By show of hands…
Who believes:
“Not enough students answer questions
that I ask during class.”
Blank Slide
Not enough students answer
questions that I ask during class.
0
1.
0
2.
True
False
See how much the vote participation increases with clickers?
What are your concerns,
questions
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Work in a group
Write 3-5 questions you have about clickers
Biggest concerns
 Unanswered questions
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We will discuss your questions and concerns.
Other uses for clickers
Taking attendance (automatic if any question is asked)
 Classroom demographics
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 Who
are your students?
 How does performance relate to various
characteristics?
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Assessing student work during class
 See
Chronicle article
Ice-breakers
 Discussion starters
 Tests
 Ranking Choices (i.e. students put a list in order)
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Cheating
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How might students cheat?
What should we do about it?
These ideas are discussed in Doug Duncan’s book:
Clickers in the Classroom
 Treat clicker usage like any other assignment
 Specifically mention code of conduct, expectations,
penalties
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Grading, Quizzes, and Tests
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Grading
Do NOT use clickers only as a means to “grade” students.
They dislike that and strongly prefer formative
assessment.
 Research by Wiloughby and Gustafson (Mont. State U)
shows if grading responses, low-stakes (i.e. points for
voting) produces more learning and richer discussion than
high-stakes (i.e. points/extra points for correct answer)
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Quizzes and Tests
NXT clickers can handle tests & quizzes
 Requires some student training of the clickers, so I won’t
demonstrate that now.
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Qualitative reasons to use clickers
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Interactive
Student-centered, minds-on
Just-in-time teaching
Immediate feedback – to you AND your students
Research (John Barnett): what students value most.
 Create responsible & informed learners!
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FUN (competitive?)
Gets everyone actively (not passively) involved
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(Semi?) anonymous, which helps shy students!
Early and frequent assessment. Diagnose and fix bad
lectures/activities
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Catch poor students quickly, start troubleshooting early
Some examples of how
clickers can be used to
immediately assess
learning
PRE-TEST: A light year is a measure of
0
1.
0
2.
Time
Distance
Timed question!
15
Checking current understanding
during class
A miniature astronomy lecture
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The universe is 13.7 billion years old.
A light year is ____________________________,
approximately 6 trillion ______________.
POST-TEST: A light year is a
measure of
0
1.
0
2.
Time
Distance
POST-TEST: A light year is a measure of
50
Time
50
50
Distance
50
First Slide
Second Slide
Think-Pair-Share
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Ask the question
If results are between 50-75% correct,
consult with your neighbor and vote again.
If 40% correct, coach them a little first.
 If less than 40% correct, they need more help first.
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Usually results improve noticeably, often 80+%.
Students understand and remember concept better
Takes only 3 minutes or less
Here’s an example…
It is possible for astronomers to detect an object 15 billion
light years away from Earth.
0
ls
e
0
Fa
2.
True
False
Tr
ue
1.
Other question types
 Question
types:
 One
right answer (like mine, so far)
 Questions with no correct answer (anonymous?)
Have you ever used illegal drugs?
 Which political party do you identify with most?
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 Questions
with more than one right answer.
 Putting a list in order (rank, prioritize)
 From Chronicle article: Evaluate your classmate’s
work using these criteria …
 Demonstration/video: Predict what happens next
Write your own clicker questions
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Work in a small group, write 3-5 questions.
Suggested question style:
Write an important question about a lesson you are
teaching or taught very recently.
 Write a SHORT one or two line correct answer
 Write 3-4 common INCORRECT answers, approximately
the same length as the correct answer.
 Bring your question and answers to me. Don’t tell me
which is correct.
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We will insert new slides into this PowerPoint…
CONCLUSION
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There are a LOT of things you can do with
clickers in your class
Method of student-centered metacognitive
learning (students love immediate feedback!)
They dramatically increase learning with good
questions.
Particularly well-suited for lecture classes
STRONGLY RECOMMEND READING:
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Derek Bruff’s book Teaching with Classroom Response
Systems, Creating Active Learning Environments.