Teaching with iClicker

Teaching with iClicker and Message Grid
Faculty Directions, Spring 2006

by Melanie Cooper and Barbara Weaver
Department of Chemistry and Educational Technology Services

Why Teach With Clickers:

There are a number of requirements for an effective teaching and learning environment, but unfortunately many of these requirements are not present in a traditional large enrollment lecture class (or in many small lecture classes for that matter). For example:

Engaged students:

Unfortunately a traditional college lecture provides little in the way of support for learning. Students are typically placed in a passive role as recipients of knowledge, rather than actively engaging with new concepts and problems. Watching someone else work problems does not give students a realistic experience for how problem solving is actually done.

Rapid feedback:

Even when students are engaged in learning, it is difficult to give students feedback in a timely way. Research has shown that feedback is most effective when given immediately after a student has answered a question or worked a problem, but in large classes this is difficult to do.

Two way communication:

Traditionally communication has flowed one way; that is from instructor to student during lecture, often resulting in an unhappy instructor when exam time comes around and the results of that one-way communication are seen. As we learn more about how people learn, we are beginning to see that effective communication is required in both directions, and in multiple situations. In small classes it has always been much easier to ask questions in both directions, but as class sizes get larger students are often more reticent about speaking in class, and even if the instructor asks questions, typically it is a small sub set of the class who answers. This lack of communication can be misleading, making the teacher think the class understands, and making the students think that everyone but them is with the program.

Opportunities for metacognition:

That is "thinking about one's thinking" or processing one's own understanding of material. Many students come to classes with prior misconceptions about the subject, for example in the famous film "A Private Universe" Harvard graduates (many of whom have taken several physics courses) are unable to give a reasonable explanation for why it is colder in winter and warmer in summer. Research has shown that the misconceptions that students bring to class with them are very difficult to dislodge. Explicit instruction will generally result in students being able to answer test questions on the concept, but afterwards the students will return to their misconceptions. Most disciplines have extensive information about misconceptions that students have about the specific concepts. One way to help students overcome these kinds of problems is to confront the student with their own misconception so that they must reconstruct that concept in their own understanding. However, it is again quite difficult to implement this kind of intervention in a traditional setting.

So while the formal lecture class is unlikely to go away anytime in the near future, (since it is an efficient if not effective method of instruction), there are definite problems with using the lecture method as the sole method of instruction. The use of a classroom response system such as iClicker can go a long way to alleviate many of the problems.

How to Teach with Clickers:

The good news is that iClicker system is probably the most flexible classroom response system on the market, which means that it can be adapted and used by a wide variety of teaching styles and for a wide variety of purposes. Typically students will have their own clicker which will be registered under their name, so that any response from that clicker will be associated with the student. Many instructors will use the system to take attendance by posing a short question at the beginning of class. While it is possible to grade the questions and even use the system to give tests and quizzes, most instructors use them for formative assessments -- that is to give both the student and the instructor feedback on whether the material has been understood. One way of using the clickers is to assign a class participation grade, rather than using them to grade on a percent correct basis. A mixture of graded and participatory questions can also be used. This system can be incorporated smoothly and seamlessly. It is a teaching method whose time has come.

The iClicker system can be used to:

Assess prior knowledge:

Students can be asked fairly simple questions about vocabulary or knowledge that they should have before entering the class -- or as a result of the prior night's homework.

Engage students:

The very act of responding to the clicker based questions means that the student has to become more engaged in the process. While many of us ask questions and expect responses from our students, we typically do not get responses from all of them. It is not surprising that the students who do respond are those who are more likely to get the question correct, giving the instructor the false impression that the whole class understands. One of the most consistent findings with clicker systems is that there is always a substantial portion of the class who is not engaged, not following along, and therefore not getting anything out of the lecture.

Provide feedback:

The use of such a system allows the instructor to see where students are not understanding or having trouble. It also allows the student to see that they in fact do not understand. One of the first requirements of learning is that the student must know what they don't understand. Once this is defined the student can move on, but if they don't know what they don't know - there is nowhere to start.

Promote metacognition:

A common way to use clickers is the use of ConcepTests. That is a question is posed to the students, they answer individually, and as a class review the results. If there is no agreement on the answer (as is normally the case) the students must turn to a neighbor and convince them that their answer is correct. This discussion forces students to defend their ideas and evaluate them critically. This type of discussion promotes metacognition, and reflection on the part of the student. They must confront their misunderstandings and misconceptions, in order to move on.

Clicker System Task Force Members

Questions or comments may be directed to any task force member:

• Barbara Weaver, chair (Educational Technology Services)
• Melanie Cooper (College of Engineering and Science)
• Dan Warner (College of Engineering and Science)
• Jon Hoskin (College of Business and Behavioral Sciences)
• Lee Gugerty (College of Business and Behavioral Sciences)
• Teddi Fishman (College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities)
• Jeff Adelberg (College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences)
• Ryan Visser (College of Health, Education and Human Development)
• Chuck Heck (Classroom Technologies)
• Chandler Robinson (Network Services)
• Linda Nilson (OTEI)