Using Clickers

in the Classroom

Dr. Russell James IIITexas Tech University

Clickers are electronic student response systems usually allowing for A,B,C,D,E, or number responses

Clickers v. Other response systems

• Everyone participates, not just the overly vocal

• Harder to just vote with majority than raising hands

• A pre-technology version gives students spiral flipbooks to hold up with pages for A, B, C, D, & E.

C

OK, so what can I do with

them?

• How many semesters of calculus have you had?

• How many countries outside North America have you visited?

• Are undecided on your major?

Quickly gathering information

In class choice experiments

Experiment Time!One of you will be picked to receive one of the choices you selected.

A) You can receive $1.00 (cash) on the second to last day of this class.

B) You can receive $1.05 (cash) on the last day of this class.

Intervening slides followed by…

Pick oneA)You can receive $1.00

(cash) right now.B)You can receive $1.05

(cash) during the next meeting of this class.

Class choicesVoted to take the $1 on the next to last day of class (instead of $1.05 on the last day)?

Fall ‘09: 32.2% (n=87)Spring ‘10: 35.8% (n=110)

Voted to take $1 now (instead of $1.05 at the next class)?

Fall ‘09: 66.3% (n=86)Spring ’10: 69.4% (n=111)

Why the change? Note: Next class in 2 days. 5% difference. (365 days/2 days) X 5% ≈ 912% APR

Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual Asian disease which is expected to kill 600 people. Choose a program to address the problem.

A: 200 people will be saved

B: 1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved. 2/3 chance that no people will be saved.

Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual Asian disease which is expected to kill 600 people. Choose a program to address the problem.

A: 200 people will be saved

B: 1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved. 2/3 chance that no people will be saved.

Show Class Clicker Results

Imagine that the US is preparing for the outbreak of an unusual Asian disease which is expected to kill 600 people. Choose a program to address the problem.

Tversky, A. & Kahneman, D., 1981, The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211, 453-458.

72% A: 200 people will be saved

B: 1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved. 2/3 chance that no people will be saved.

28%

Show Published Study Results

Show Class Clicker Results

22%

78%

Tversky, A. & Kahneman, D., 1981, The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211, 453-458.

Show Published Study Results

2nd Option B: 600 expected to die…

1/3 chance that nobody will die.

2/3 chance that 600 people will die.

1st Option B: 600 expected to die…

1/3 chance that 600 people will be saved.

2/3 chance that no people will be saved.

78% 28%Reframing the option as a loss

changed the choices

=

Tversky, A. & Kahneman, D., 1981, The framing of decisions and the psychology of choice. Science, 211, 453-458.

≠

=

Recall questions: Beginning of class

Who has read the assigned material?

Recall questions: Middle of class

• Rewards attendance and attentiveness

• Immediate instructor feedback Good responses →

Move on Poor responses →

Discuss more

Recall question with poor responses

“Try to convince the people sitting around you that your answer is right. Then, answer the question again.”

Recall questions

End of class• Instructor feedback

for next lecture (no need to change “on the fly”)• Multiple questions

on screen possible with clickers in exam mode

Predict the outcome of an

experiment

Describe an experiment

Group A, B, & C female Asian-American college students were given a questionnaire followed by a math test.

A: Gender-related questionnaire• Ex: 3 reasons why you might

prefer a single-sex dormB: Ethnicity-related questionnaire • Ex: did grandparents speak

languages other than English?C: Neutral questionnaire

Students predict experiment outcome

Did drawing attention to issues of race or gender affect subsequent math scores?a)No effect for eitherb)Both gender focus and race focus lowered scoresc)Both gender focus and race focus raised scoresd)Gender focus raised scores; Race focus lowered scorese)Gender focus lowered scores; Race focus raised scores

Show student predictions

Did drawing attention to issues of race or gender affect subsequent math scores?a)No effect for eitherb)Both gender focus and race focus lowered scoresc)Both gender focus and race focus raised scoresd)Gender focus raised scores; Race focus lowered scorese)Gender focus lowered scores; Race focus raised scores

Show experiment results and discuss

M. Shih (Harvard), T. Pittinsky (Harvard), & N. Ambady (Harvard), 1999, Stereotype susceptibility: Identity salience and shifts in quantitative performance. Psychological Science, 10(1), 80-83.

Click when finished with a task

Vote• Before and after a debate/discussion• Vote on best student created videos

Rate the class• Instead of waiting until end of the semester

evaluations, end every class with the same evaluation question

• Track trends, lecture topics, methodologies

Collect student opinions to begin a discussion

Advanced applications

When you want to try more experiments in class!

Individual student Socratic questioning“Tell me, John Smith, why was X a compelling choice for you?....... Sally Student, you answered Y. Why do you feel differently than John?”

Clicker wars: The concept• Divide students into large groups, e.g. gender,

junior/senior.• Work in teams of 2 or 3. One clicker per team.

• Winning team gets large reward. Winning group gets modest reward.

• Multiple choice questions. Wrong answer = turn off clicker, your team is out. But, you can STILL help others in the larger group.

Clicker wars: This really works!

• Consistently the highest rated classes of the semester.

• Discuss wrong answers selected (teachable moments).

• End of section reviews or exam reviews.

Real time tracking

Some programs constantly track and display cumulative answer changes.

Use separate laptop so you can see, but students can’t.

Real time tracking:

Confusion meter• Click A when the

current topic doesn’t make sense

• Click B if it becomes clear later

• Tracks the number of students who are currently registering confusion

Real time “focus group”

response meter

• Use “rate the class” scale with instructions to click repeatedly, every slide, or every minute.

• Use screen recorder software (ex: BB

Flashback, Camtasia) to record presentation from your webcam while recording your response meter screen (picture in picture) for drilling down on what sections generated what responses

High stakes, low stakes, or

no stakes?

Giving credit for clickers

Correct answers only

• Potential problem with cheating – No multiple exam versions

• Potential problem with students who have time and a half learning disability accommodations.

Hybrid• Full credit if a threshold percentage of correct

answers are reached.• Correct answers only for pre-lecture questions.

Participation only for mid-lecture questions.• Clicker questions will be placed on exam.

I forgot my clicker!

• Allow no credit or• Allow X number of

missed clicker days or• Allow written answers

turned in at end of class

The clicker didn’t work!

If clicker not indicating responses being received allow written responses at end of class (not later), but must show your clicker

Preventing false participation “my best friend’s clicker” • Take digital photos of class– Announce and use as a deterrent

• Match with quick writing assignment– Require each student to turn in only

one by hand to you at end of class.• TA spies looking for multiple

clickers• Counting heads– If head count doesn’t match clicker

count, assign quick writing for matching

Slides by: Russell James III, J.D., Ph.D., CFP®•Associate Professor – Texas Tech University,

College of Human Sciences, Div. of Personal Financial Planning

•University of Georgia – College of Family & Consumer Sciences 2009 Outstanding Teacher of the Year

Feel free to use any of these slides!

Any comments or questions to russell.james@ttu.edu