TEACHING and CLICKERS
Dr. Michael O’Donoghue
Learning, Teaching and Assessment Group
School of Education
University of Manchester
March 2010
Contact: Michael.O’Donoghue@Manchester.ac.uk
Previous research into practice
Clicker use as car analogies
In order to identify ‘good practice’ when
using clickers with students we interviewed a
number of staff members from across the
University. Their experiences and uses of
clickers varied considerably
In order to communicate some of the ideas
we came across a number of car and driving
analogies will be used.
Initial use and technical problems
Almost all of the staff we spoke to about their
use of clickers had experiences some form
of technical problem. A number of colleagues
asked for help when this occurred and have
persevered with them in order to develop
their own teaching style with them.
#1 – Speed Bump analogy
The clickers are used in the session to
change the pace of delivery. The use of
questions slows the pace of content
transmission offering the possibility for
students to think about what is being said
and to respond to questions during the
session.
#2 – On ramp analogy
Some topics, sessions or teaching styles
may need a little something to allow the
students to engage. This approach makes
use of the clickers to add a little zest or
interest to sessions – not necessarily to
speed up the content transmission factor.
#3 – Thelma & Louise analogy
This is an all or nothing approach to clicker
use in the classroom. Sessions planned this
way rely on the clickers working to add a
degree of interaction or assessment
throughout sessions. This approach requires
the design of specific material and may not
be adaptable to other formats.
#4 – Car park analogy
This approach makes use of clickers in a range of
ways and deviates from the standard question and
answer format and goes where-ever the tutor decides.
Probably requires a high degree of pedagogic
knowledge, teaching experience, and knowledge of
the students’ strengths and weaknesses.
#5 – Long distance trucker
Use of clickers over a longer term, perhaps
throughout a semester. Use and questions
are carefully planned by staff with experience
in their use or who have read educational
materials on their use and make use of the
ideas and outcomes from this.
#6 – Destination unknown
This analogy is based on an inherent belief
that the ‘clickers’ (technology) is taking the
session somewhere and that learning is
somehow taking place, but there’s a degree
of uncertainty as to where that somewhere is
and how learning is improved.
#7 – Convoy analogy
This involves a group of staff within the same
department who come together to share
practice and ideas in order to develop their
use of clickers together, often with a range of
inputs from their students.
How do we
come to
know
things?
People tell us things
We discuss things
We think about things
People tell us things
“But then, if I am right, certain professors of
education must be wrong when they say that
they can put a knowledge into the soul which
was not here before, like sight into blind
eyes…Whereas, our argument shows that the
power and capacity of learning exists in the
soul already.”
(Plato, The Republic, c.360 BC)
“Plato argued for dialogue rather
than instruction”
(Bates, 1985: 17).
Dialogue
Through discussion we
construct meaning
“Plato argued for dialogue rather
than instruction”
(Bates, 1985: 17).
Dialogue
Through discussion we
construct meaning
Tutor
Dialogue
Few students
Reflection
Cognitive
constructivism
Help!
Tutor
Dialogue
Large groups
Clickers
Eric Mazur
Harvard
Peer instruction:
a User’s Guide
1997
Clicker
- User polling device
Clickers -1
Feedback
Tutor
Questions
Processed
and
displayed
Individual
responses
Clickers -2
Feedback
Tutor
Questions
Processed
and
displayed
Small group
responses
Clickers -3
Feedback
Tutor
Questions
Processed
and
displayed
Individual responses
Individual feedback | asynchronous use
In Summary
Using the driver analogy,
what kind of driver are you?
Think about how you teach.
Think about how clickers (or other technologies)
might best meet your own teaching style
There is no right or wrong way to use them, but
there are different ways of using them.
More than one way of introducing
dialogue and activities to large
groups using clickers
Review your use – are the clickers enhancing
your sessions or not?