Guideline Handout to Clickers

http://www.unf.edu/dept/cirt/images/clickers.jpg

References: Caldwell, J. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9-20. Classroom response system - Clicker free| poll everywhere. (n.d.). Text Message (SMS) Polls and Voting, Audience Response System| Poll Everywhere. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.polleverywhere.com/sms-classroom-response-system Dunnett, J., & Trenholm, B. (2006). When it all "clicks" - The effectiveness of using game show technology in the classroom. The Journal of the Academy of Business Education. Retrieved March 21, 2010, from www.abe.sju.edu/proc2007/Bdunnett.pdf Keypoint interactive - Audience response system special offers. (n.d.). Keypoint Interactive - By Innovision Incorporated. Retrieved April 4, 2010, from http://www.keypointinteractive.com/bundles.php?gclid=CM_Iy_W966ACFRBM5Qodc W3gHg Graham, C. R., Tripp, T. R., Seawright, L., & Joeckel, G. L. (2007). Empowering or compelling reluctant participators using audience response systems. Active Learning in Higher Education, 8(3), 233-258. **The following information will be covered in more depth in the PowerPoint, but this will serve as a handout to follow along with or take notes on. Engaged Students are Students Who are Learning Most educators worldwide would agree that for true learning to take place: Students must be kept motivated. Students must be given opportunities for active learning. Students must be kept engaged.

Clickers or audience response systems (ARS) are sweeping classrooms and helping teachers with new pedagogical methods to teach students. What are Clickers or ARS exactly? Modern clicker units are two-way, meaning that the clicker not only sends a signal but also indicated whether it was received. Although early clickers were often connected to the rest of the system by wiring, modern systems are wireless and use wither infrared (IR) or, more recently, radiofrequency (RF) signalsthe feature of an ARS that allows this incoming mass of student answers to be rapidly collected, tabulated, and displayed is the coupling of a proprietary receiver unit with an ordinary classroom computer and projection system (Caldwell, 2007 p. 9). In Layman Terms: Clickers are hand held remote controls that allow students to answer teacher created questions in real time. The answers are then projected in graph form at the front of the room for all students to see. Benefits of ARS to students:

Increase classroom participation and attentiveness Encourage risk-taking with anonymous student responses Elicit diverse opinions when there isn't a correct answer Expose social misconceptions Gauge student comprehension of material immediately Grab students with thought-provoking opening questions Allow students to provide instructor feedback Automate taking attendance Assess last night's reading with a quick quiz Strengthen retention

Utilize its capabilities outside the classroom for professional development, student-run presentations, talent shows, battle of the bands, company presentations, student government, or community forums (Classroom Response Systems, 2010)

Data and Research Supports Use of Clickers: The data shows that all students benefit from using ARS in the classroom, but the statistics shows that reluctant or hesitant learners are perhaps impacted the most. All teachers can instantly names students in their class that are: Too shy to participate in class Lack the self-confidence to risk answering wrong in class Fear looking face if they answer wrong, so they dont answer at all Think they are dumb , so they has just stopped trying to answer

Benefits to Teachers: Teacher gets immediate feedback of students comprehension. This allows for timely reteaching while the information is still fresh and relevant in students minds.

 Quizzes, test, worksheets, participation questions are all graded instantly which allows teachers to use time more efficiently. Teachers can review individual students strengths and weaknesses from responses and then diversify teaching to help each student. On the fly questions can be added when a new idea pops up or the teacher senses a class struggling. This helps make the utilization of class time much more effective. Costs of Clicker: Most systems run between $1,000-$2,500 for 30 individual keypads, the transreceiver, and the necessary software to run it. (http://www.keypointinteractive.com/bundles.php?gclid=CM_Iy_W966ACFRBM5QodcW3gHg) Teachers would then share the units, or if you wanted teachers to be able to use them daily, you would need a set in each teachers classroom. Other more cost effective options: Option One Some schools are having students purchase their own individual keypads. They can be used by that student for many years as long as the district stays with the same company. The school district still has to purchase the transreceiver and the software.

The cost to the student for the keypad is $30-50. Option Two Another option is to use a web tool which uses web technology to gather and organize the information for the teacher. A great example of this is Poll Everywhere. The service can be used (with some limitation) for free by teachers with classes up to 32 students. Upgrades can be added on to customize the program to fit the teachers needs. Cost for one teacher to use it with her class for the entire year is XXXXX. An entire school or district can purchase the entire menu of their offerings for only $2.50 a student per year (See chart below).

Perhaps students can say it better themselves: I think the use of clickers greatly affected student learning in this course because it gave us, the students, an initial test to gauge our own understanding and what we needed more work on. It was also beneficial to our instructor in showing [her] where the class was struggling as a whole and the things they should go over (Dunnett & Trenholm, 2006 p. 12). I think the use of clickers had a positive effect on student learning in this course. Students in my class seemed nervous to speak out because they feared they would be wrong and look stupid. Clickers gave them a chance to try questions without the rest of the class knowing if they were right or wrong (Dunnett & Trenholm, 2006 p. 12).

Clickers changing the way educators teach and changing how students learn!