Engaging Students: Piloting “Clickers” in AUC Classrooms

1. Engaging Students: Piloting “Clickers” in AUC Classrooms Azza Awwad, Maha Bali, Riham Moawad Center for Learning and Teaching

2. Objectives To discuss the advantages of the technology To explore the potential of “clickers” in the context of active learning in the classroom To explore various pedagogical applications of “clickers” at AUC

3. ACTIVITY #1 You will need to use your “clickers” Tell us more about yourself…

4. My School is… • BEC (Business, Economics and Communication) • HUSS (Humanities and Social Sciences) • SSE (Sciences and Engineering)

5. How often do you do debates/competitions in class? • Often • Sometimes • Rarely • Never

7. How often do you do peer review/evaluation in class? • Often • Sometimes • Rarely • Never

9. Agenda • Activity 1: Demographic Polling • Active vs. Passive Learning • Why Use “Clickers”? • Pedagogical Applications • Activity 2: Think-Pair-Share • Best Practices • Activity 3: Do-it-yourself! • Activity 4: Workshop Evaluation

10. The Case for Active Learning • Limitations of the traditional lecture: • most students cannot listen for a sustained period of time • reinforces passive learning • Examples of active learning strategies include: in-class case studies, peer review, debates, competitions, etc…

11. Passive Learning Occurs when teaching emphasizes knowledge transfer

12. Active Learning Active Learning occurs when teaching provides students with opportunities to learn independently and from one another

13. Active Learning General Characteristics* • Less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and more on developing students' higher order thinking skills • Greater emphasis is placed on students' exploration of attitudes and values *E.C. Bonwell and J. A. Eison • Students are involved in more than just listening and taking notes • Students are engaged in activities -often with one another. *E.C. Bonwell and J. A. Eison

14. Why Use “Clickers”? e.g. Looking at a particular student’s responses over time; e.g. Comparing responses by student background Analysis of Responses Using a Variety of Reporting Options Increasing Student Engagement, Motivation and Participation Immediate Feedback

15. Students’ Quotes University of Missouri – Rolla You can see the areas you need to go back and look at when you get questions wrong They helped you pay attention in class because you knew you had a question coming. Our row found the clickers helpful to learn what the professor wanted us to get out of the reading. Through the use of the clickers you interact more

16. Different Applications for Clickers • Formative Assessment of Teaching and Learning • Stimulating Group Discussions/Peer Instruction • Competitions and Debates

17. Example at AUC: Formative Assessment of Teaching Approach Instructor tried a “simulation game” and wanted to assess its impact on student learning

18. Post Pre Pre Post Pre-test/Activity/Post-test • Introductory course – different background knowledge • Introducing a new activity • Judge value of activity in improving student understanding  

19. Activity 2: think-pair-share Formative Assessment of Student Understanding Competition Two instructors in History

20. Please select a Team (table number) • Team 1 • Team 2 • Team 3 • Team 4 • Team 5

21. 15 Which of the following acronyms, if painted vertically from top to bottom on a glass door, would read the same from either side of the door • TIME • NONA • DOOD • MITA • WEEM

22. Which of the following acronyms, if painted vertically from top to bottom on a glass door, would read the same from either side of the door • TIME • NONA • DOOD • MITA • WEEM

23. Team Scores

24. In which subject is the balance of male/female students closest to that for music? • Biology • Geography • German • Math • Sociology

25. In which subject is the balance of male/female students closest to that for music? • Biology • Geography • German • Math • Sociology

26. Team Scores

27. Examples at AUC: Formative Assessment Of Student Understanding And Stimulating Discussions ConcepTests – Construction Engineering, Mechanical Engineering; Review – Economics, Scientific Thinking

28. Peer Instruction/Think-Pair-Share • Key is in designing good questions

29. Best Practices Refer to Handout

30. Do-it-yourself!

31. Quick Evaluation of this Workshop

32. AUC Student Quote A student for the Dept. of Construction Engineering “It feels like you’re in an American University!!!”

33. I can see how clickers could make my students more engaged • Strongly Agree • Agree • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

34. I am most interested in using clickers in my classes for… • Assessment of student understanding • Assessment of my teaching approach • In-class games • Stimulating discussion • None of the above

35. I would not use clickers mainly because… • I fear the technology might be complex • I don’t know how this could work in my classes • I need to think more about it • Actually, I would like to use clickers right away

36. Contact Us The Center for Learning and Teaching Tel: (202) 797-6658/9 Email:clt@aucgypt.edu Website:www.aucegypt.edu/academic/clt Thank You!