Clickers  different educational uses: a professional development activity (PDA)
INTRODUCTION:
This activity is developed for teacher trainers who support faculties with the use of ICT in
education. With this PDA they help teachers in higher education prepare themselves for the
use of clickers in an educational setting (with students).
The description of this ‘clicker-activity’ focuses on the elements that are necessary for
preparing two sessions with teachers. This means the teacher trainer is approached in the
role of teacher. Only at the end of session 2, the teacher trainer is approached as teacher
trainer (TT: notice the cursive text parts)
The teacher trainers involved are advised (as is the teacher) to prepare themselves by way
of reading the references, becoming familiarised with clickers, design an educational setting
in which clickers can be used, (if possible) do a pilot with some students or colleagues and
evaluate the pilot.
In short: ‘teach as you preach’.
Preparation time: 8 hours
Aim (s)
- Getting to know the different uses of clickers: technical and pedagogical.
- Identifying the different educational settings in which clickers can be used.
- Develop a specific use (educational setting) with students and make an evaluation plan.
- For TT: Plan a PDA with teachers based on the experience with this PDA
- For TT: Determine what kind of support you might / can give to teachers.
Competences
- Create activities related to specific aims. These activities have a close relationship with the
knowledge to be acquired.
- Make decisions about how students are to interact and which tools are appropriate for a
given type of interaction.
- Be able to manage the ICT Teaching and learning process in a coordinated way (with
others).
Required Prior Knowledge
No prior knowledge on clickers is required. However, we do not advise this activity with
inexperienced teachers.
Motivation for participation: why focus on clickers?
 Students opinions matter and give direction to what is happening in the teachinglearning process
 Students play a more active role in their own learning process
Clickers are mostly used in lectures to improve interaction with students:
 Get the attention of the students (by posing a question)
 The lecturer / peer asks for an opinion on a specific issue
 The lecturer / peer checks the understanding of students: should he/she elaborate more
on…
 The lecturer uses the clickers to assess the students (formative assessment)
 To make a debate or role play
 The lecturer asks the student what he/she should assess at the end of the course
 The lecturer asks the students feedback on the course and can immediately suggest
improvements on which the students give their opinion
Summary of content
See appendix 1
Learning activities and methodological details
- The teacher/trainers in the workshop intent to use the clickers in a workshop with
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teachers (faculties ask for this workshop). The principle in the workshop is learning by
doing.
- In between the two sessions teachertrainers can ask questions to the trainers and to one
another, this is facilitated in an online environment.
References:
Clickers:
http://www.turningtechnologies.com/
http://www.interwritelearning.com/
http://www.powervote.com/en/index.html
http://www.h-itt.com/index.html
Articles on clickers:
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0729.pdf
Clickers in the classroom : an active learning approach
Margie Martyn, number 2, 2007, Educause quarterly.
http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf
7 things you should know about clickers
www.educause.edu/eli/ May 2005
Simpson, V. & Oliver, M (2002). Using electronic voting systems in lectures. UCL Internal
report. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/learningtechnology/assessment/ElectronicVotingSystems.pdf
Cutts & Kennedy, (2005) Connecting Learning Environments Using Electronic Voting
Systems,
http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/~quintin/papers/CRPITV42Cutts.pdf
Simpson, V. & Oliver, M. (2007) Electronic voting systems for lectures then and now: A
comparison of research and practice. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 23(2),
187-208. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet23/simpson.html
Some advice:
Write a short manual on the use of clickers: not only for yourself and your colleague teacher trainers, but also for the teachers you are preparing this PDA for.
Always check the clickers and system (on laptop) way before the meetings starts: be
prepared for causalities, be sure someone can help you in case something fails.
Platform
eLene TT (http://www.elene-tt.net/tt-centre.htm) for discussion, questions, additional
suggestions regarding the use of clickers.
Developers:
Magda Ritzen is an learning psychologist and works as educational advisor for Utrecht
University, IVLOS - Centre for ICT in Education.
Ineke Lam is a consultant ICT in higher education and works at the Centre for ICT in
education- IVLOS-Utrecht University.
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Appendix 1: Program workshop Clickers
Date : 2 sessions, 2 hours each. The sessions are +/- 1 month apart.
Additional: individual assignment +/- 3 hours
Location: ………..
Trainer: ……….
Program session 1:
Session
Time
20
min
20
30
30
15
5
1 “Clickers: different educational uses”
Part
Explanation
Opening, getting to know
Explanation of aims, intro of trainer and
one another
‘teacher trainers’, inventarisation of
entree level and expectations with
regards to clickers
Introduction Clickers
What are clickers, how can they be used
and for what purpose (pedagogical)
Getting top know the voting- Demo of (two types of) clicker(s) that are
system (clickers)
used in University
Exploration of possibilities of Discussion
clickers for specific teaching
situation
Decision on what educational Summary of results of discussion:
use is to be elaborated
intentions and plans
Closing remarks
Assignment (individual) + preview on
second workshop
Assignment:
 Design and develop the educational setting in which the clickers are to be used (aims,
competences, content, learning activities, resources).
 Design and develop the evaluation of the use of clickers.
 Discussion and questions online.
Program session 2:
Session
Time
5 min
70
30
15
45
2 “Clickers: different educational uses”
Part
Explanation
Opening
Explanation of aims of session 2.
Review of assignment
Presentation of choice, educational setting
and use of clickers, as well as evaluation
plan.
After each presentation: discussion.
Planning the use of
Adjusting the plans, determining what
clickers?
support is needed and possible.
Closing down of training
Agreement on future training actions,
action
evaluation and back up of the teacher
trainer.
For TT: the final 45 min.
Evaluation of workshop setup, formulating
will be used for:
adjustments. Discussion on the kind of /
Conclusion with regards to
amount of support that can be given to
workshop and support
teachers (rol of teacher trainer)
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