Using clickers in statistics teaching

1. Using clickers in statistics teaching Liz Andrew Faculty of Life Sciences University of Manchester

2. Using clickers in statistics teaching What are clickers? What are clickers? How can they be used? What are the benefits and drawbacks? How can they be used effectively?

3. Using clickers in statistics classes • Yes I have used clickers • I have not used clickers but I would like to use them • I have not used clickers and I don’t intend to use them

4. How can clickers be used? How can clickers be used? • Show understanding of a topic • Before the class • During or after the class • Have a poll on a topic • Generate discussion • Consolidate understanding through practice • Formative and summative testing

5. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using clickers in the class? Benefits? Benefits Engages the students, fun, easy to use Encourages deeper learning Helps tutors identify misunderstandings and lack of knowledge

6. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using clickers in the class? Drawbacks? Benefits • Engages the students, fun, easy to use • Encourages deeper learning • Helps tutors identify misunderstandings and lack of knowledge Disadvantages • Organisation and set-up during teaching time • Student engagement depends on effective use of clickers

7. How can clickers be used? How can clickers be used? • Show understanding of a topic • Before the class • During or after the class Have a poll on a topic Generate discussion Consolidate understanding through practice Formative and summative testing

8. Using clickers to test knowledge Coat colour in cats:- genes?- environment?- genes + environment?

9. Coat colour in cats • Genes • Environment • Genes + Environment

10. Coat colour in cats - genes or environment or both? The Siamese coat pattern is a heat-map of the animal’s body A mutated gene for an enzyme that controls dark coat colour works most effectively at low body temperatures The enzyme, a tyrosinase, is responsible for producing the dark pigment, melanin

11. Coat colour in cats • Genes • Environment • Genes + Environment

12. How can clickers be used? How can clickers be used? • Show understanding of a topic • Before the class • During or after the class • Have a poll on a topic • Generate discussion Consolidate understanding through practice Formative and summative testing

13. Generating discussion • In the USA: • 444 000 people die each year due to smoking related illnesses. • Smoking causes 1 in 5 deaths in America annually. • Smokers in the USA: • 26.2 million men (21.5% of adult males) • 20.9 million women (17.3% of adult females) Generating a discussion - Smoking and health3

14. Smoking and health 3 A life-long cigarette smoker increases his/her risk of dying at age 55 by 2.5 times compared with a non-smoker and is twice as likely as a non-smoker to die at age 75. Possible explanations: Compared with smokers dying aged 55, the smokers who die at age 75 are: Less susceptible to smoking-related diseases More likely to die of something else Both of the above

15. Smoking and health The smokers at age 75 are:4 • Less susceptible to smoking related disease • More likely to die of something else • Both of the above

16. Smoking and health 3 A life-long cigarette smoker increases his/her risk of dying at age 55 by 2.5 times compared with a non-smoker and is twice as likely as a non-smoker to die at age 75. Possible explanations: Compared with smokers dying aged 55, the smokers who die at age 75 are: Less susceptible to smoking-related diseases More likely to die of something else Both of the above

17. How can clickers be used? How can clickers be used? • Show understanding of a topic • Before the class • During or after the class • Have a poll on a topic • Generate discussion • Consolidate understanding through practice • Formative and summative testing

18. Evidence-based practice for optometrists Consolidate understanding through practice • Subject: • Types of clinical study • Consolidating understanding: • Identify types of study from papers published in clinical journals • Example: • A study to to examine the evidence as to whether or not taking vitamin or mineral supplements prevents the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

19. A study to to examine the evidence as to whether or not taking vitamin or mineral supplements prevents the development of AMD. • Case study • Cross-sectional survey • Case-control study • Cohort study • Randomised controlled trial • Systematic review

20. How can clickers be used effectively to promote deep learning? Get students on your side and put them in charge of their learning Design questions that reinforce and progress the understanding Allow students time to discuss with each other Don’t just give the correct answer!!

21. Apps - the new way forward? Eclickers and Nearpod: iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch • Questions get delivered directly to the audiences' devices • Create quizzes that deliver questions one-at-a-time • Share question playlists with other eClicker Presenter users via email • Get instant reports on each session, and export the results for tracking over time • iCloud syncs data across multiple devices

22. Clickers in the Science Classroom Youtube how to use clickers effectively http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0q5gQfQmng