Clickers for the library instruction
Proposal: To express my thoughts on using Clicker technologies in the library instruction classes both the instructors and students.
Rational: The Clickers help instructors to assess students and students have great participation using this tool. With today's technology environment, the clickers will have better understanding instructors and enhances for library teaching and learning to whether they need to repeat the current exercise or move forward to next topic during the session
History:
Clickers, or personal/audience response systems (PSR) were originally created by the
Hollywood in 1960s to test movies, commercials, and TV shows (Bugeia, 2008). With today’s technology, many universities, K-12, and business institutes are using the clickers in their classroom to assess students learning status instantly, which lead to more technology environment than ever before.
Advantages:
The Clickers are the response system that students anonymously response to the questions and voice opinions using wireless technology.
It requires software installation with remote control (Clickers) to see instant responses for the assessment results instantly.
Disadvantages:
The article from the Chronicle of the Higher Education, Bugeia (2008) argues that students had to pay the remote to register in certain classes such as math, biology, and physics on top of their tuition. Basically, the publishers and the clicker companies trying to get more profit instead of educational purpose. If the institute pays for the clicker technology, it may not be too much burden on the students, but if all students have to pay it is too much burden on them especially with today's financial crisis.
Who is using it?
Currently, in SSU, the Biology and Mathematic departments are using the iClicker, which they received the receivers for the professors. The Businss and Economic
Department will using Turning Technology starting on next spring semester in their classroom. They already purchased the Turning Technology receiver and the software. The professor, Clark who is in sabbatical leave now made a decision to purchase Turning Technology over the iClicker and still waiting for his thoughts. Option
Finder is used by Office of Science and Technology which is outdated compare to other clickers. They had for two years and used only twice a semester.
Observation

I interviewed, Dr. Ben Ford in the Mathematic department, who is currently using the iClicker in his classroom. He said the iClicker is the most easiest to use for both teacher and the students in the classroom, especially, class of 100 students that he cannot assess all in once without a clicker. Dr. Ford said that easy to assess his students with simple practice questions, any topics, and homework questions. When students buy the textbook, it almost required to buy the iClicker with the coupon that the professor gets from the publisher. The professor received a free book, receiver, and remote from the publisher so that students had to buy the clickers. Once, the students purchase their remotes (iClicker), they need to go online to register their student ID, Name, and the iClicker Serial number so that the professor know who are in the classroom with their unique identification number.
I also had a quick interview with Dr. Karina Nielsen, who is also using iClicker in her biology class. She also is very happy about using this iClicker to assess 120 students in her classroom that she can easily assess her students. She said that there are no IT interfering using iClickers.
Then, I observed a class for 30 minutes to see how iClickers are worked. As soon as the students came into the classroom, they were all turn on their remote. This way, the professor did not have to roster for students' attendance everyday. The professor came in and plugs his iClicker receiver unit (apprx. 6x7 inch) into his laptop and power outline. Instantly, he put his PowerPoint Presentation with the sample of finding interest on the mortgage questions, and he timed 10 second to solve the problem. All students who knew the answers voted using the iClickers. Then, he showed the result of how class did, 95% had a right answer, and few of them had other answers. Then, he wrote actual steps of how to solving the problems on overhead project. After that, he went on to next questions and so on. All students loved using the iClicker and the class seemed pretty active interaction.
I selected three vendors which are the most popular clickers used in an education environment, they are: iClicker, H-ITT, and Turning Technology. iClicker: is very reliable and easy to use for all students, using 3 AAA batteries last 200 hours. The teacher's remote button is usually blue, and students' iClickers are all white. iClicker has 6 buttons - A,B,C,D,E,ON, also power, low battery, and vote status lights are indicating the status. It is very simple and easy to use no trainings are required. The product also has for accessible feature for those who are with disable students. The brail iClicker made for accessible and also the software that they can use as vibration to vote on.
H-ITT: is still premature in the market, means that the company is very small and the clicker has too many options with each key pad has the number with 3 letters. This make students confuse using the product. Training requires and complicated to use this product.
Turning Point Technology: Also has many buttons however, it has capable to type a simple word to the poll. When installing the software, the space filling with the product, and may slows down the activities. I can see why Business and Economic selected this

product due to the nature of that may requires some typing to response the poll.
The book called, Clickers In The Classroom by Douglas Duncan explains how the clickers work, troubleshooting, cooperative/peer learning instruction and demonstration, achieve goals, increasing attendance, and less cheating rate using the clickers. This book basically talks about positives of using the clickers in the classroom. Where the article recently published on Chronicles of Higher Education mentions that clicker may slows down the instruction, inaccuracy polling, and some students might bring their friends clickers to pretend that they are here.
The clickers started $40 per unite, now it is between $25-$30 if we purchase 75 units or more.
Also there are 7 things you should know about clickers:
What makes it unique? - easy to use, cost less, no training require
Why do we think it's significant? - RF, accessibility, and instant result
What are the downsizes of the clickers? - iClicker may not but H-ITT & Turning
Technology have complicated product, software space, slowing down, and remotes have too many option
Where it is going? - Today's technology education environment
Implications for teaching and learning - assessing, active, and fun learning environment
Jim and co-authors article on Educaus how clickers attribute
Common Clicker Attributes
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Radio frequency (RF) versus infrared (IR) based systems: While IR hardware costs less, many schools select RF systems due to significantly higher capacity and auditorium coverage, increased portability, ease of installation, confirming signals for students, and the ability to take attendance or administer tests.
Integration with the campus LMS: Several clicker systems claim compatibility with commercial LMSs. Integration may require minor customization, however, along with local support.
Cross-platform compatibility: Some clicker systems work equally well on Mac and Windows. Others may provide fewer features on the Mac platform, or may not work on a Mac at all.
PowerPoint integration: Running clicker software within PowerPoint is considered an advantage by some and a detriment by others. Several clicker software packages work only within Microsoft Office's PowerPoint application.
Other clicker systems work completely outside of PowerPoint. A few can run either inside or outside of PowerPoint.
Support of question types beyond multiple choice: Some products offer numerical or even limited text response.
Migration path beyond hardware clickers: Several manufacturers have hybrid products that work on laptops or PDAs. In some cases, they work alongside clickers in the same classroom. They also bring clicker accessibility to some disabled students.

 Conditional branching: The system software has the capability of jumping to different presentation slides based on the students' collective answers.
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Cost to the student.
 Cost to the institution (both hardware and support costs).
Ease of use of the software and class roster maintenance for faculty.
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Ease of use of the hardware for students.
 Quality and availability of tech support from the manufacturer.
Battery life and ease of battery maintenance.
 Clicker durability.
Conclusion:
For the library use, I think iClicker is the most effective product that is very simple, light, quick, and easy to use. Both instructors and students will save a lot of time to set up not like other products. This product will also help instructors to assess fast and quickly see students' results. Brigham Young University using a personal response system to captured student attention during library session. The results were very positive that student participate more actively and the instructors can show the results of the poll to assess whether they can move forward to next topic to research. Students' comprehension is better and therefore, they can assess themselves and enjoy the classroom.
Reference:
Bugeja, Michael. "Classroom Clickers and the Cost of Technology." The Chronicle of
Higher Education, Dec.5 2008, v.55 i.15:A31.
Duncan, Douglas. Clickers In The Classroom. San Francisco: Pearson/Addison Westley,
Pearson/Benjamin Cummings, 2005.
Julian, Suzanne., and Benson, Kimball. "Clicking You Way To Library Instruction
Assessment." C&R News May 2008: 258-259.
"Seven things you should know about." May 2005. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative .
<http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf>
Twetten, Jim., Smith, M. K.. Julius, Jim., and Murphy-Boyer, Linda. Successful Clicker
Standardization:Standardizing on a single clicker system enhances pedagogical support while reducing logistical support issues and student costs., EDUCAUSE Quarterly Magazine, Volume 30, Number 4, 2007,
<http://www.educause.edu/Community/MemDir/Profiles/JimJulius/54574>