Clickers 101: A Primer for College Faculty
An introduction to the what, why, and how of clickers
Dr. Stephanie V. Chasteen
Science Education Initiative, CU-Boulder
http://sciencegeekgirl.com
Introduce yourself in the chat
window as you come in:
Where and what you teach,
and why you are here.
THERE IS A POLL
OPEN. Do you see it? If not,
select “polling” from the dropdown
menu on your toolbar.
This presentation is copyrighted under the Creative Commons License
Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike
That means: Please watch it, share it, and use it in your presentations. Just give us
credit, don’t make money from it, and use the same kind of license on the works that
you create from it.
More information about Creative Commons licenses here:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Credit should be given to: Stephanie Chasteen and the Science Education Initiative at the
University of Colorado, http://colorado.edu/sei
About Me
Science Education Initiative:
Improving science education through research on learning
http://colorado.edu/SEI
Physics Education Research Group:
Studying student learning in physics
http://PER.colorado.edu
I’m also a blogger & consultant
http://sciencegeekgirl.com
3
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
Agenda
• Why question?
• About clickers and Peer
Instruction
• Facilitation tips
• Common challenges
Handouts
at
U. Colorado clicker resources…
http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
Clicker resource page
• Instructor’s Guide
• Question banks
• Workshops
• Literature / Articles
Videos of effective use of clickers
5
2-5 mins long
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
Introduction:
Questioning
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/ CU-Boulder
Why question?
• Why and when do we use questions (any questions!)
in class?
Chat discussion
Share your ideas in the
chat window.
7
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
Clickers help students learn...
the
learning
cycle
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
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Clickers help students learn...
the
learning
cycle
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
10
Clickers help students learn...
the
learning
cycle
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
11
Clickers help students learn...
the
learning
cycle
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
12
Clickers help teachers teach…
Are they ready for the next topic?
What do they already know?
Do they care about this?
What DO they care about, anyway?
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
13
Clickers help teachers teach…
Where are they in the activity?
Are they getting it?
Do I need to intervene?
Did they notice key idea X?
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
14
Clickers help teachers teach…
Did they get it?
Can I move to the next topic?
Did that activity work?
How did I do?
BEFORE
DURING
AFTER
setting up
instruction
developing
knowledge
assessing
learning
Adapted from Rosie Piller, Ian Beatty, Stephanie Chasteen
15
About clickers and
peer instruction
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/ CU-Boulder
Two way conversations with students are vital...
...because students can misunderstand what we say
“Pearls Before Swine” by Stephan Pastis, 2002.
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What does the “clicker” do for
us?
Chat discussion
Why use clickers to ask
questions?
Share your ideas in the
chat window.
What does this tool help
us to do?
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What does the “clicker” do for
us?
Clicker questions have similar goals to nonclicker questions but…
• They are anonymous (to peers)
• Every student has a voice – the loud
ones and the shy ones
What does this tool help
us to do?
• There is forced wait time
• You can withhold the answer until
everyone has had time to think
(choose when to show the histogram)
• They are multiple choice
19
Clickers are a tool for
questioning
But not a magic bullet!
Don’t equate the pedagogy with the technology.
So what IS the pedagogy? Peer Instruction
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Anatomy of Peer Instruction
Ask Question
…Lecture…
(May vote
individually)
Peer Discussion
Debrief
Vote
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* See also: Peer Instruction,
A User’s Manual. E. Mazur.
Let’s try an example:
Which superpower would you
rather have? The ability to…
A. Change the mass of things
Poll
question
B. Change the charge of things
Respond to
C. Change the magnetization of things the poll, not
in the chat.
D. Change the boiling point
of
things
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Question: Ian Beatty, UNC Greensboro
Image: Thibault fr on Wikimedia
Facilitation Tips
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/ CU-Boulder
1. Ask a Question
Learning is in the application of knowledge. Students can
learn from a question, and reduces pace of lecture.
• Ask several questions per
lecture
• Ask challenging, meaningful,
interesting questions
• Make your questions part of
the lecture (not a quiz at the
end)
• Use 2-5 questions per 50minute lecture
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Conceptual question: Biology
25
A small acorn over time can grow into a huge oak tree.
The tree can weigh many tons. Where does most of the
mass come from as the tree grows?
A)Minerals in the soil
Common misconception
leads to answers (A) and (B).
Correct answer: C
B)Organic matter in the soil
C)Gases in the air
D)Sunlight
25
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
Survey/discussion: Sociology
When you were growing up, which of your
parents earned the most money?
A. Don’t have two opposite-sex parents / one or both didn’t
work / varied year to year
B. Dad usually earned a lot more
C. Dad usually earned a little more
D. Mom usually earned a lot more
E. Mom usually earned a little more
Stefanie Mollborn
http://www.colorado.edu/ibs/HB/mollborn/papers/Mollborn%20Hoekstra%20Teaching%
20Soc%20forthcoming.pdf
Discussion question: History
In your opinion, which had the most positive impact on the
modern world?
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
coffee
tea
chocolate
spice
sugar
Good discussion/debate
question, before or after
instruction
Not necessarily a right answer.
27
Peter Newbury, UCSD
Graphical question: Physics
John is walking to school. This graph shows his position as a
function of time. When is John moving with the greatest velocity?
position
time
A
B
C28
D
E
(UBC CWSEI)
Question with images: Geology
What texture does this rock display?
A. Phaneritic
B. Aphanitic
C. Porphyritic
D. Glassy
CU SEI
Example of a less effective
question
“Apprized” means
A)
B)
C)
D)
No need to talk to
your neighbor; you
know it or you don’t!
Does not encourage
reasoning.
Appreciated
Compromised
Defied
Noted
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Peter Newbury, UCSD
Another example of a less
effective question
What causes the seasons?
A) The change in the earth’s distance from the sun during the
year
B) The tilt of the earth’s axis
C) Changes in the sun’s brightness
D) Changes in clouds
E) None of the above
Can pattern-match to find
the answer because “tilt”
would have been mentioned
during lecture
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Peter Newbury, UCSD
Better seasons example
What would happen to the seasons if the earth’s
orbit around the sun was made a perfect circle (but
nothing else changed) ?
A. There would be no seasons
B.
The seasons would remain pretty much as they are today
C.
Winter to spring would differ much less than now
D. Winter to spring would differ much more than now
Much better question. Requires reasoning!
2. Peer Discussion & Vote
Students learn more deeply by articulating their thinking
and teaching each other
•
•
•
•
•
Get students on-board
Circulate & listen
Model good discussion
Give about 2-5 minutes
Show students you value
their reasoning
33
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
How to get students to buy-in?
• See our “framing the active engagement classroom”
activities and slides at
http://www.colorado.edu/sei/facresources/framing.html
• Encourage engagement early and often!
Three schools of thought
about points
Not recommended. Shuts down
conversation, and does not support
atmosphere of learning and
respect.
Most often used. May only count
as extra credit. E.g., 3 points
participation, 1 point correctness.
Best-case scenario, if you can pull
it off.
Reacting to their votes
Carefully choose when to show the histogram.
Use your sneak preview to guide your instruction.
What do you do
when it’s
- 90% correct?
- 70% correct?
- 50% correct?
- 20% correct?
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This is where you
show your “agility.”
First vote
What do you think you should do
with this first-vote distribution?
A) “Turn to your neighbours and convince them
you’re right”
B) confirm correct answer and move on
C) “Can someone who answered B tell us why they
made that choice?”
D) “Would someone like to explain why they picked
the answer they did?”
E) other
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3. Wrap-Up Discussion.
It is important to hear student ideas, and for students to get
feedback on their thinking.
• Be careful about when to show
histogram
• Ask multiple students to defend
their answers
• Emphasize reasoning for right &
wrong answers
• Treat student answers respectfully
• Make sure students know answer
(and reason) by the end.
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Giving the answer stops student thinking!
39
Peer Instruction helps students
learn
Research shows that:
• Students can better answer a similar question after talking to
their peers
• Students like peer instruction
• Peer instruction classes outperform traditional lectures on a
common test
• Peer discussion + instructor explanation of question works
better than either one alone
See http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu for various references
Question break
Ask Question
…Lecture…
(May vote
individually
Peer Discussion
Debrief
Vote
41
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute
Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/
CU-Boulder
Common challenges
Creative Commons – Attribution. Please attribute Stephanie Chasteen / Science Education Initiative/ CU-Boulder
Challenges in the Classroom
• You ask students a question, and ask them to
discuss.
• You then ask them to share their answers and
reasoning in a whole-class discussion
• What could possibly go wrong? 
43
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Content coverage?
Students reluctant to discuss?
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Possible solution
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
Students reluctant to discuss?
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1. Make it clear why you’re doing this
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1. Make it clear why you’re doing this
2. Use interesting questions
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1. Make it clear why you’re doing this
2. Use interesting questions
3. Circulate during question
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Ask for student reasoning in wrap-up
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Ask for student reasoning in wrap-up
Careful about motivating with points
(can backfire)
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
1. Circulate and eavesdrop
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Ask for student reasoning in wrap-up
Careful about motivating w/ points (can
backfire)
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
1. Circulate and eavesdrop
2. Give incentives (candy?)
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Ask for student reasoning in wrap-up
Careful about motivating w/ points (can
backfire)
Practices to avoid common
challenges:
Challenge
Possible solution
Content coverage?
1. Focus questions on key concepts.
2. Reduce content in class or course.
Students reluctant to discuss?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Students reluctant to share with
class?
1. Circulate and eavesdrop
2. Give incentives (candy?)
3. Create a safe environment
Make it clear why you’re doing this
Use interesting questions
Circulate during question
Focus on reasoning in wrap-up
Ask for student reasoning in wrap-up
Careful about motivating w/ points (can
backfire)
Clickers can change your classroom!
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Action Plan
• Take a few minutes to write down your action plan
to implement ideas you heard about in the webinar,
and email it to yourself!
Thank you!
Handouts
at
Feel free to contact me at stephanie@sciencegeekgirl.com, and
visit my blog at http://blog.sciencegeekgirl.com
More resources at http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu
More webinars from i>clicker at http://bit.ly/19n2oEX
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