i>clicker Information Session

1. i>clicker Information Session Dave Laurie Dave Sun Dr. Norma Nocente

2. Outline • Overview: What is an SRS? i>clicker system basics. • Simple Functions: How to use i>clicker. • Effective Teaching Strategies and question design • Reporting: How to access i>clicker results? How to register i>clickers. • Implementing: How to bring i>clicker into your course? • Hands-on experimentation

3. An instructor might use an SRS to… • Stimulate interaction – especially in large classes • Understand & share student perspectives • Catalyze debate & discussion about controversial topics • Evaluate student learning • Demonstrate common errors in student reasoning • Inform subsequent teaching

4. What is i>clicker? • Software ‘floats’ above any application • Results previewed on the receiver and on-screen graphs • Receiver powered via USB • Frequency 915 MHZ so no interference • Fast, robust, durable • Very simple remote design (inexpensive) • 3 AAA batteries • 200 hours of use • Low battery indicator

5. Plug and play • Use with anycomputer • Easy learning curve • Download software folder from website http://www.iclicker.com/dnn/Downloads/Instructor/tabid/176/Default.aspx • Unzip and copy software to USB • Plug receiver/base into USB port • Plug flash drive into base • In SMART classrooms, plug flash drive into classroom computer • Remotes are simple to use with limited buttons (On/Off and Multiple choices)

6. Demo Question • 1897 • 1902 • 1905 • 1908 • 1911 What year was the U of A founded?

7. Managing i>clicker Software Folders • Keep a clean copy as it is a template for new terms • Rename each new folder with name of the term • Keep your lecture slides in the correct course folder within ‘Classes’

8. Launching the Software Click on ICLICKER icon • Open “MyCourse” from flash drive • Click on “iclicker.exe”

9. Course Management • Add Course • Edit Course Information • Delete course • Highlight course to open a clicker session for that course

10. Software Interface

11. General Settings & Preferences

12. A = Start/Stop Polling B = Show/Hide Graph Using the Instructor Remote C = Advance PPT Slides D = Back-up PPT Slides E = Select correct answer on graph

13. Toolbar • Move toolbar; re-size; make transparent; increase/decrease time • Roll Call (registration) • Questions on the fly • Settings and preferences

14. Roll Call

15. Types of Questions • Convergent • There is a correct answer. • Used to quiz content knowledge (primarily recall and application questions) • Helps instructor make instructional decisions • Divergent • There isn’t a “right” answer • Usually stimulate more student engagement (require higher level cognitive skills)

16. Convergent Question • Plants gain most of their mass from: • Water • Minerals found in the soil • Carbon dioxide • Nitrogen

17. Divergent Question • The Earth is 4 billion years old. • Absolutely true • Probably true • Not sure • Probably false • Absolutely false

18. Effective Teaching Practice (Bruff 2009) • Generating Class Wide Discussion • Typically divergent questions generate more discussion but convergent questions also have potential for increasing student engagement. • Have students share their reasons for a response • If no volunteers, instructor might offer a reason • Encourage student-to student dialog • After sufficient discussion, show class results.

19. Effective Teaching Practice (Bruff 2009) • Blue –eyed parents can have a brown eyed baby. • Absolutely true • Probably true • Not sure • Probably false • Absolutely false

20. Effective Teaching Practice (Bruff 2009) • Generating Small Group Discussions (Peer Instruction) • Instructor poses question and gives students time to think about an answer before inputting their response. • Instructor displays class results and asks students to pair up (or in small groups). Students help each other. • Instructor ask students to resubmit a response.

21. Effective Teaching Practice (Bruff 2009) • Your sister-in-law calls to say that she’s having twins. Which of the following is more likely assuming she is not having identical twins? • Twin boys • Twin girls • One boy and one girl • All are equally likely

22. Teaching Choices (Bruff, 2009) • Class time • Developing understanding vs covering content • The more time you ask questions the less time there is to “cover” content • Assign out of class readings and post your own PowerPoint slides to E-class. Use online quizzes to ensure material is being attended to and spend more of your class time to go over application and conceptual questions.

23. Teaching Choices (Bruff, 2009) • Linking clickers to student ID • Clicker use should benefit student learning. • Strongly discourage punitive approach • Students resent buying clicker for what they see only as a means of making assessment easier for the instructor. • Students resent being tracked or monitored (e.g. attendance). • Non punitive approach • E.g. Students who get 90% on clicker questions receives 3 bonus marks on the final exam; 75% earns 2 bonus marks; and 50% earns 1 bonus mark.

24. Advanced Settings & Preferences

25. i>grader Before opening i>grader, exit i>clicker application. Click on igrader.exe

26. i>grader interface Set correct responses • Select course & Open • Use i>grader to: • Set correct answers • Get web registrations • Export to eClass • Create reports for analysis Get web registrations Export to eClass Create reports

27. Setting Correct Responses • Can title the specific session if desired • Can title specific questions if desired • View question screenshots • Enter correct answers • Click ‘Next’ to cycle through questions

28. Registering Student Remotes Multiple Methods possible • Roll call • Web registrations – recommend not using the company website due to privacy concerns • Local server: https://iclick.ctl.ualberta.ca/ • Code: sqlhttps://iclick.ctl.ualberta.ca/students/show/ • Manual entry for individual students’ clickers • All require entering student names and CCIDs in a roster file: • This can be exported from eClass

29. I>grader Reporting • Run/update html reports • Term Session Summary and Review html • Breakdown of polling data. Ideal as a post-lecture guide • Linked summary review reports contain statistics, screenshots and graphs. • Student Voting data html • Contains data for individual students, by session and by question. • Access from here cumulative student scores. • Cumulative Student Scores • Provides review of each student performance.

30. i>clicker at UofA • To arrange for i>clickers for your students, contact the bookstore giving your class code and enrollment. The cost to the student is $35 - $45, and there is a 50% buy-back program. Many publishers are now offering discounted units with textbook purchase. • AICT Classroom Technologies provide the hardware support for SMART rooms. • Centre for teaching and Learning Tech team provides software technical support and training. • All SMART classrooms have a receiver installed within the computer case. Using a laptop is possible as AICT has a limited number of base stations to sign-out from the Classroom Technology depots around campus. • Collect instructor blue remote from the Bookstore. • Super keeners can buy instructor kits (receiver, 2 blue remotes) from the Bookstore for ~$200.

31. Further Information • Email: elearning@ualberta.ca • Website: http://www.elearning.ualberta.ca/click/click_over.php • i>clicker site: http://www.iclicker.com