Clickers for Student Engagement and Learning

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Clickers for Student Engagement and Learning

• 04-May-2006
• Spencer Benson, Director
• Center for Teaching Excellence

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Tentative Map

• Background
• Nuts and Bolts
• Discussion
• Wrap-up

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Active-Learning Components Used with Lectures

• Daily News
• Encourage Student Questions
• Peer Interaction (Think-Pair-Share)
• Quizzes
• 1-minute paper
• CD Animations (with pause)
• Student Role-Play activities
• Clickers (Student response systems)

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Uses of Clickers

• Assessments
• Class demographic
• Factual knowledge understanding
• Conceptual knowledge understanding
• Class stance on sensitive issues
• Transference of knowledge
• Increases class participation
• Facilitate student-student engagement
• Increase class enthusiasm
• Increase class playfulness

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CPS Question (10/04/04, Phil Sokolove)

• What happens to the rate of ATP synthesis if the
  pH of the thylakoid compartment decreases?
• The rate of ATP synthesis will not change.
• The rate of ATP synthesis will decrease.
• The rate of ATP synthesis will increase.

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Before Discussion
After Discussion
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Background

• Clicker are just a tool
• Clickers wont make bad teaching better
• Clickers run counter to student expectations
• Using clickers requires practice
• Practice improves the outcome

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Sources of information

• Clickers in the Classroom Pearson Adison Wesley
• Douglas Duncan
• ISBN 0-803-8728-5
• Audience Response Systems in Higher Education
• David A. Banks
• ISBN 1591409489
• Website
• clickers.umd.edu
• Listserv
• clicker-users_at_umd.edu
• Classrooms
• http//www.oit.umd.edu/tc/

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Where have they been used ?

• GVPT (L. Vietri)
• WRLD235 (S. Benson)
• PHYS (several faculty)
• BSCI223 (A. Smith)
• HHP (several faculty)
• BUIS (G. Schueli)
• AGNR (R. Stricklin)
• ARCH (D. Oakley)
• CHEM (D. Boehmler)

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Costs

• Faculty Costs
• Time and dedication
• Benefits
• Feedback
• Increased student engagement
• Student Costs
• Clicker purchase 48.00 from bookstore
• Can be sold back 22.00 to bookstore
• Lower if packaged with book (Thompson Publishing)

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Nuts and Bolts

• Getting started
• www.clickers.umd.edu
• Download and install software
• Adds a utility to PowerPoint
• Building slides
• Pre-formatted slides
• Existing slides
• Adding timer and counters
• Correct answers

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Building Question Slides

• Format
• Question in header box
• Answers in body box
• Dont animate with Ppt.
• Converting an existing Ppt. slide
• Select Ppt. body box
• Insert chart from insert object
• Add count down timer from insert object
• Add response counter from insert object

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Building Question Slides

• Use Turning Technology insert slide
• A menu of slides is available
• T/F
• Opinion
• Select an answer

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Setting up the System

• Response Device Wizard
• System settings
• Devices
• Participants
• Reset the session

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Setting the Channel

• Each room assigned a channel
• Posted
• Available in wizard
• Major issue
• Two clicker versions
• Are programmed slightly differently
• Good news does not have to be set each time

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Set the correct channel on the clicker to _______
Works for version 1 but not 2.
Remember to remove the plastic tab in the back to
activate the batteries
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Set the correct channel on the clicker to _______
Works for version 2, not one
4. Press GO again, light will change to solid
green
Remember to remove the plastic tab in the back to
activate the batteries
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Ending the Session

• Saving the data
• Save to your local drive (in session folder)
• Data reports

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Is MY Clicker Working??

• Anonymous polling
• F7 or F8 Key
• Using class lists
• In tools use WebCT Wizard
• Download and save
• Import the list
• Participants list
• Generate Report
• Tools Turning Reports
• Select generate report
• Select session
• Select participant results

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Getting Started

• Start slow and with low risk
• Anonymous
• Extra credit
• Student self check
• Use different types of questions
• Determine what works for you
• Use them to break up the lecture

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My Gender is.
Demographics Question

• Male
• Female

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I am a _____________
Demographics Question

• Tenured professor
• Tenure track professor
• Lecture/Instructor
• Graduate teaching assistant
• Other

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Use of clicker should be part of the class grade
Opinion Question, Likert Scale

• Strongly agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

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Homosexuality is a disease
Discussion Question, Likert Scale

• Strongly Agree
• Agree
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

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Intelligent design should be given equal teaching
time as Darwinian evolution
Discussion Question, Likert Scale

• Strongly Agree
• Agree
• Neutral
• Disagree
• Strongly Disagree

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Which of the following U.S. presidentsdid not
pursue devolution of federalism

• Lyndon Baines Johnson
• Ronald Reagan
• George H.W.Bush
• William J. Clinton
• George W. Bush

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The President is

• Choice One
• Choice Two
• Choice Three
• Choice Four

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Sexual Orientation is primarily determined by.
Opinion Question

• Genetic components
• Cultural components
• Family structure
• None of the above

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I did the assigned reading for todays class
Feedback Question

• Yes
• Only some
• None
• Prefer not to say

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Which of the following is NOT a Mekong River
Basin Country?
Recall/Fact Question

• China
• Vietnam
• Laos PDR
• Cambodia
• Korea

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Was there every a time in your life when your
numerical weight in pounds equaled your numerical
height in inches?
Concept Question

• Yes
• No
• I dont know
• It depends ___

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This Session Was
Feedback Question

• Useful
• Somewhat useful
• Not useful
• No opinion

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Whats Next

• Try clickers for a day
• CTE has two set of clickers, 20 and 50 clickers
  with a laptop that is set up
• Contact Cynthia Shaw 3-9356 to reserve a set.
• What will you need
• A Turning Point/PowerPoint presentation
• Visit clickers.umd.edu to get the software
• A room with an LCD or one set up with the Turning
  Point software.

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Thank You

• QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?

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Thank You

• Spencer Benson, Ph.D.
• Center for Teaching Excellence
• University of Maryland College Park
• sbenson_at_umd.edu
• phone [phone]
• http//www.cte.umd.edu
• "Teaching is leading students into a situation in
  which they can only escape by thinking"