Have you ever asked a question in class to only to receive no response but blank stares? Or very similarly, have you ever tried to read students’ minds? If you want to understand a little more what your students are thinking, you might find the classroom clicker of interest. Clickers are small hand-held devices that send a signal to a receiver plugged into the instructor’s computer. Each clicker has a keypad, much like a cell phone, that students use to select their answer to a question asked in class. Different to the more traditional means of attaining feedback from students, such as raising hands or cue cards, with clickers students’ responses are anonymous. Once students have answered the question, the software on the instructor’s computer displays the results as a graph for the students to see, whether or not you share the correct answer with them.
Some practical uses of clickers are engaging students in peer learning, critical evaluation on conceptual understanding, and becoming active learners during class. The level of question difficulty can vary depending on level of comprehension from students. Here are 4 levels of questions with examples to help model questions:
- Level 1: Facts and basic information. What is the definition of Active Learning?
- Level 2: Analysis and interpretation. What is the relationship between Active Learning and student retention?
- Level 3: Hypothesis and prediction. In a class of 100 students, what would happen if students were to answer a question individually, then put into small groups to discuss the given problem, then re-answered the question individually?
- Level 4: Critical analysis and evaluation. Can classroom clickers be used in large classrooms to promote active learning? Why?
Fore more information about using clickers see:
- http://tlc.ucalgary.ca/resources/library/itbl/using-clickers/using-clickers.pdf
- http://tlc.ucalgary.ca/science100
- Salustri, F. A. (2009). Four levels of questions. Xikiwiki. Retrieved August 14, 2009 from http://deseng.ryerson.ca/xiki/Learning/Main:Four_levels_of_questions .
- Bruff, D. (2009). Teaching with Classroom Response Systems. Creating Active Learning Environments. San Franisco, CA: Jossey-Boss.
- 7 Things You Should Know About Clickers (EDUCAUSE): http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf
- Clickers in the Classroom: An Active Learning Approach: http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/ClickersintheClassroomAnActive/157458
