Effective Implementation of
Classroom Response Systems
Dr. Jeff Stowell
Department of Psychology
Eastern Illinois University
Session 1 Overview
Basic uses
 Implementation issues
 Writing effective questions
 Using clickers with peer instruction

What is your primary program
affiliation?
24%
1.
20%
2.
24%
3.
8%
4.
24%
5.
0%
6.
Clinical Psychology
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Biomedical Sciences
Physician Assistant
Other
What level of experience do you
have using clickers?
1.
2.
3.
4.
None
Beginner
Intermediate
Expert
Resistance to Technology?

“Students today can’t
prepare bark to calculate
their problems. They
depend on their slates
which are more
expensive. What will they
do when the slate is
dropped and it breaks?
They will be unable to
write!” (Teacher’s
Conference, 1703).
Resistance to Technology?

“Students today depend
upon paper too much.
They don’t know how to
write on slate without
chalk dust all over
themselves. They can’t
clean a slate properly.
What will they do when
they run out of paper?”
(Principal’s Association,
1815)
Resistance to Technology?

“Students today depend
too much upon ink. They
don’t know how to use a
pen knife to sharpen a
pencil. Pen and ink will
never replace the pencil.”
(National Association of
Teachers, 1907)
Resistance to Technology?


"What matters is that
students learn--and a
skilled teacher with a
blackboard is still going to
do a far better job than a
bozo with some clickers
and PowerPoint slides.“
(tee_bee, comment on
Chronicle Blog)
Why use Classroom Response
Systems?
Which of the following are challenges of
teaching today’s students? (vote for up to 5)
50%
1.
67%
2.
21%
3.
17%
4.
88%
5.
46%
6.
Easily distracted
Not engaged in class
Lack of respect
Low attendance
Don’t read textbook
Texting in class
How often can you tell if your students
are “getting it”?
8%
Ne
v
ly
na
l
as
io
Oc
c
So
m
et
im
..
ti.
he
of
t
er
0%
es
0%
s
5.
os
t
4.
36%
ay
3.
56%
M
2.
Always
Most of the time
Sometimes
Occasionally
Never
Al
w
1.
Why Clickers? Stowell & Nelson (2007)
100
95
90
Percent
85
80
Hands
75
Paper
70
Keypads
65
60
55
50
% Participation
% Correct
Why Clickers? Stowell & Nelson (2007)
Noticeable Benefits of CRS
Immediate
Feedback
Engages
Students
Benefits
of CRS
Easy to
implement
Accurate
Feedback
Concept Check
Which of the following manipulations would
increase feeding behavior?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Increase ghrelin
Decrease leptin
Stimulate LH
Damage VMH
High insulin
Inhibit PVN
Decrease CCK
Opinion Polls
Would you pull the switch?
56%
1.
44%
2.
Yes
No
Proper oral hygiene is important to
prevent disease.
92%
1.
8%
2.
0%
3.
0%
4.
Strongly Agree
Agree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
Did you floss yesterday?
68%
N
o
32%
s
2.
Yes
No
Ye
1.
Implementation Issues
Teaching Choices
Use of class time
• How many questions per day?
• How much time per question?
• When to reveal correct answer?
Student reactions to clickers
• Who will purchase clickers?
• Technical problems?
Grading
• Include clickers in course grades?
• Effective grading schemes?
Writing Effective
Questions
Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy
Conceptual Questions

1.
2.
3.

Imagine holding two
identical bricks under
water. Brick A is just
beneath the surface of
the water, while Brick B
is at a greater depth.
The force needed to hold
Brick B in place is…
Larger than
The same as
Smaller than
the force required to
hold Brick A in place.
Eric Mazur,
Physics,
Harvard
University
Conceptual Questions
Which solution best represents HF
disassociation in solution? (What does the
equilibrium picture look like?)
HF(aq)
H+(aq) + F-(aq)
K = 6.8  10-4
A
B
Barbara Reisner, Chemistry, James Madison
University
C
Application Questions
Consider the view of the
northeastern horizon shown
at a certain date and time.
Which of the following best
describes the positions of
these constellations 24 hours
later?
1. Slightly lower in the sky,
closer to the NE horizon.
2. Exactly the same place
3. Slightly higher in the sky,
farther up from the NE
horizon
4. Somewhere just above the
SW horizon
5. Not visible at all above the
horizon

Patrick Len,
Astronomy,
Cuesta
College
Application Questions
Adam Lucas, Mathematics,
St. Mary’s College of California
Critical Thinking Questions
RR, a patient diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes,
comes in for follow-up. He brings his SMBG log
book and you see that most of his pre-breakfast
numbers have been high, around 200. After
questioning RR, he says he has been waking in the
middle of the night with a lot of sweating. The
most likely reason for his high AM sugars is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Dawn phenomenon
Poor dinner choices
Not enough insulin in the evening
Somogyi effect
Incorrect use of BG meter
Stuart Beatty, Pharmacology,
Ohio State University
Nurse anesthetists have a higher
median salary than OB/GYNs
15%
1.
25%
2.
35%
3.
25%
4.
True, for sure
True, maybe
False, maybe
False, for sure
Peer Instruction
Smith et al., 2009
Which of the following contributes
the most to the mass of a tree?
0%
1.
84%
2.
16%
3.
Air
Water
Soil
Your sister-in-law calls to say that she's having twins.
Which of the following is more likely?
(Assume that she’s not having identical twins.)
25%
1.
25%
2.
25%
3.
25%
4.
Twin boys
Twin girls
One boy and one girl
All are equally likely
Instructor Poses
Question (<1 Min)
Students Answer
Independently
(1-3 Min)
Peer
Instruction
Instructor Views
Results (<1 Min)
If Most Answer
Correctly,
Briefly Discuss
Question (1-3 Min)
If Most Answer
Incorrectly,
Backtrack (5+ Min)
If Students Are Split,
Have Students
Discuss in Pairs and
Revote
(1-5 Min)
Instructor Leads
Classwide Discussion
(2-15 Min)
Session 1 Overview
Basic uses
 Implementation issues
 Writing effective questions
 Using clickers with peer instruction
