Clickers…

1. Clickers… Kimberly Davis Gregory Domson Carrie Lewis Christina Lichvar Laura Morgan Charlette Ridout

2. Let’s Get Connected!

3. Objectives • Demonstrate familiarity with the use of audience response systems (ARS) both as an instructor and a student • Describe advantages of the use of ARS in the classroom • List challenges of using ARS in the classroom • Describe effective ways of implementing ARS in the classroom and avoid pitfalls

4. Have you ever used clickers in the classroom? • No, I have never used clickers. • Yes, I have used clickers as an instructor. • Yes, I have used clickers as a student. • Yes, I have used clickers as a student and instructor.

5. History

6. Which of the following do you expect to be true about ARS? • Improves attendance • Allows for contingent teaching • Improves learning performance • Increases student participation • Promotes class discussion

7. Advantages

8. General Strategies

9. Motivational Strategies

10. Assessment Strategies

11. Learning Strategies

12. What is needed prior to implementing clickers into the classroom? • Instructor and student education • Financial investment by the institution and students • Instructor back up plan • All of the above

13. Challenges • Time to educate instructors about clicker technology • Faculty discomfort to employ the use of technical equipment • Financial implications • Decreased content coverage • Not as well liked for summative assessment • Time to analyze responses

14. Conflicting information • Belief that technology in classrooms increases passivity and interferes with active learning • Does not improve test score

15. Technology Difficulties • Difficulty registering clickers • Dead batteries • Unregistered responses • Failure to bring clickers to class

16. Alternatives • Cell phones/Laptops/Table PCs • Text messaging or photo messaging answers to instructor via email • + most already have equipment, small size, increased student motivation, appreciation of anonymity • - cost per message, slow entry for key pad, problem finding symbols

17. Tips for Use

18. More than just questions • CPS 6.0 Training Videos • CPS Experience

19. Which of the following best describes your experience with the clickers tonight? • I enjoyed using the clickers and would like to learn more. • I can see the value in using clickers and would like to learn more. • I do not see the value and will not explore further. • I did not enjoy using the clickers but am willing to learn more and try again.

20. POST QUIZ

21. 1. Which of the following are possible disadvantages of using an audience response system? a. Technical difficulties b. Time to analyze response c. Financial implications d. Faculty training e. All of the above

22. 2. The literature has shown that audience response systems are effective in all of the following modalities EXCEPT: a. formative assessment b. summative assessment c. increase in attendance d. improved class participation e. creates contingent teaching

23. 3. Audience response systems have shown conflicting data related to improved learning outcomes. a. True b. False

24. 4. What is/are examples of technical difficulties? a. Computer malfunction b. Failure to bring clicker to class c. Difficulty registering clickers d. Dead batteries e. All of the above

25. 5. Which is an effective way to utilize audience response systems? a. Frequently use multiple questions at one time b. Allow adequate time for answers c. Elaborate questions d. Short preparation is required

26. Quality of Instruction

27. 1. How effective do you think the clicker presentation was? a. Not effective b. Somewhat effective c. Very effective

28. 2. How likely would you be to implement the use of clickers while you are teaching? a. Not likely b. Probably c. Very likely

29. 3. Was this clicker presentation well organized? a. Not organized b. Somewhat organized c. Very organized

30. 4. How well were you able to understand the clicker presentation? a. Couldn’t understand b. Mostly understood c. Very understandable

31. 5. Do you think clickers are a useful instructional strategy? a. No b. Maybe c. Yes

32. 6. Please use the cards provided for any additional comments you have.

33. References DeBourgh, G. (2008). Use of classroom "clickers" to promote acquisition of advanced reasoning skills. Nurse Education in Practice, 8(2), 76-87. This article describes the use of clicker technology in a baccalaureate nursing program for the application and acquisition of advanced reasoning skills.  Operation of clicker technology, elements of design for engaging learning events, students’ perceptions of clicker use, and costs and challenges of using clicker technology are summarized.  The article suggests the use of clickers in the classroom engage students in active learning. 

34. Kay, R. H., & Lesage, A. (2009).  A strategic assessment of audience response systems used in higher education.  Australasian Journal of Education Technology, 25(2), 235-249.  This article starts with a review of the literature concerning audience response systems (ARS) in higher education and then transitions into strategies, techniques, and tips that can utilized with this technology.  Strategies include motivational strategies (increased attendance and participation), assessment strategies (formative, summative, and contingent teaching), and learning based strategies (improved attention, interaction, peer-based instruction, and pre-class reading along with effective class-based discussions, case studies, and experiments).  Several suggestions include beginning with practice questions; questions should be thought out, original, and have an explicit purpose; there should be two to five questions per fifty minute lecture; and there should be no more than four or five possible answers per question.  The authors finish with future directions for research.

35. Lindquist, D., Denning, T., Kelly, M., Malani, R., Griswold, W.G., & Simon, B. (2007). Exploring the potential of mobile phones for active learning in the classroom. SIGCSE, 384-388. Using the Ubiquitous Presenter, which is part of University of Washington’s Classroom Presenter, the authors enable students to send text or photo messages (using Short Messaging Service or Multimedia Message System) to answer instructor’s questions during class. The messages were sent to the instructor’s personal email. This study was an effort by the authors to show alternative classroom interactive technology to clickers. Benefits of using cell phones, laptops, or Tablet PCs in the class included the fact that most students already have cell phones, increased capabilities of the technology than clickers, small size (cell phones don't take up much desk space), increased student motivation, and "appreciation of anonymity." Negatives included concern about per message cost, slow entry if typing on a phone keypad, and problem finding symbols if needed for the answer.

36. Martyn,M. (2007). Clickers in the classroom: An active learning approach. Educause Quarterly, 2, 71-74. The benefits of active learning through the use of clickers in the class are explored. Clickers give students the benefit of anonymity when answering in a crowd. Clickers also provide prompt feedback. Today’s students also liked the “game like” feel when using clickers in the classroom. Research conducted in a community college is highlighted. Suggestions for instructors, student satisfaction, and best practices for usage of clickers are discussed. Although research data does not show improvement in test scores and further research is suggested, this article does demonstrates the need for active participation and offers clickers as an option.

37. Meedzan, N., & Fisher, K. (2009). Clickers in nursing education: an active learning tool in the classroom. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 13(2). The authors believe that clickers promote classroom interaction to enhance students’ ability to retain knowledge, motivate students to learn, and to develop their critical thinking skills.  The authors implemented a study amongst baccalaureate nursing students’ to determine their satisfaction with the use of clickers as a means of promoting active learning.  The findings demonstrated that students were satisfied, thus the instructor was encouraged to continue to use the clicker technology in the classroom.  The authors encourage educators to adopt nontraditional methods of instruction—such as clickers.   

38. Smith, D., & Rosenkoetter, M. (2009). Effectiveness, challenges, and perceptions of classroom participation systems. Nurse Educator, 34(4), 156-161. In a technology-driven world, the authors discuss implementing the use of clicker technology in the classroom as an innovative approach to teaching. The authors describe and summarize the use of one clicker technology system and student outcomes.  Pros and cons are also discussed.  Overall, students had a positive perception of clickers and the authors support the use of clickers for interactive teaching and testing. 

39. Watkins, E.P. & Sabella, M.S. (2008). Examining the effectiveness of clickers on promoting of learning by tracking the evolution of student responses. Physics Education Research Conference, 223-226. The authors, faculty of Chicago State University’s physics program, implemented the use of clickers during class to engage the students in question and answer sessions, then retested students with the same or similar questions on an exam. In general, clickers seemed to improve class performance, particularly when asking questions with increasing difficulty (because it boosted user confidence). However, clicker use did not improve test scores when similar questions were asked later on a test -most of the students would get the answer wrong. The authors pointed out this shows that measuring or assessment of learning is a complex multi-faceted process, not just a retrieval of learned material within class.

40. Kay, R.H., & LeSage, A. (2009). Examining the benefits and challenges of using audience response systems: a review of the literature. Computers & Education, 53, 819-827 The authors, faculty at the University of Ontario Institute of technology, present a brief history and detailed review of the use of audience response systems in the classroom. Benefits and challenges for both students and teachers are discussed. The authors’ overall conclusion is that use of ARS is generally positive but more detailed research is needed in broader contexts. This review includes a larger number of articles than previous reviews. It presents a concise summary which includes data primarily from large undergraduate classrooms in the areas of math and science. The research explains benefits in the classroom environment, learning, and assessment. Challenges include technology-based, teacher-based, and student-based. The paper is a good resource for an overall summary of the use of audience response systems. However, it does not provide a significant amount of detail in applying ARS in the classroom.