I think this is one of the great advantages of them anonymity for sensitive questions. It can help to create openness in discussion without putting anyone on the spot.
The disadvantages are there, also. That is, they tend to suck a lot of time away compared to what you feel you deliver to the class. But, we (maybe it is just me) are so accustomed to 6 pages of notes per hour of lecture, that if we sink¹ a bunch of time into just one concept on a clicker slide it feels like a bit of a waste, a bad trade-off. However, one way to use them is to make sure the distracter answers are common student errors so that you can discuss why they are incorrect approaches. Many students reported to me in my trial uses of clickers that was very helpful for them to see those answers selected and why they were wrong. We are so accustomed, I think, to presenting all the elements of why something is the way it is that we don¹t often think that we can clarify a topic by presenting the common errors in thinking. Clickers helps get those aspects of a topic clearly on the table for discussion. Of course, everything said above about clickers could be said about index cards, except anonymity. The clicker technologies do accumulate data instantly and can even be used for end of day quizzing or even a full exam if you were so inclined. The technology not working is terribly frustrating an none of the manufacturers take care of Macs well. The reasons are due to Microsoft failing to include active X in their update of Office for the Mac. All of them use active X controls to leverage Powerpoint for clickers. Office 2004 for the Mac was compatible, but when Office 2007 came out for Windows, then 2008 for Mac the split came. Windows kept Active X, Microsoft removed Active X from Office for Mac. Lots of add-ons for Office broke (the famous Stats suite addon for Excel was another victim). Because of the problems with Mac and the time investment, I¹ve only used clickers infrequently. We use Turning Technologies Turning Point here. I believe Bill Southerly is using clickers more than I am and can comment even more, especially in using them in a large classes. -- Paul Bernhardt Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD, USA On 10/5/09 11:22 PM, "Julie Osland" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > My colleague, who is not on TIPS, uses clickers in her Human Sexuality class > to poll on sensitive topics and then use the data as a springboard for class > discussion. She really enjoys using them for that purpose--it preserves > anonymity..something not possible with a show of hands in our small classes. > She uses her own questions or questions based on material in the Ins. Manual. > If my memory serves me right, she collected data on use/non use of clickers > and student learning in her course, and didn't find any learning benefit. > > Julie Osland > > -----Original Message----- > From: "Claudia Stanny" <[email protected]> > Sent 10/5/2009 10:53:51 PM > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> > Subject: [tips] using clickers in class > > > > > > > > > Does anyone on the list use personal response devices (AKA ³clickers²) in > their classes? > > If you use these, what types of clicker questions or clicker activities do you > use? > > My campus adopted a standard clicker and is encouraging use of these to > increase student engagement in classes. > I¹m interested in compiling examples of interesting ways to use this > technology to improve student learning. > > For those who have done similar activities using a show of hands instead of > clickers, what are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?(outside > the obvious advantage of cheap and low-tech for the show of hands technique) > > Claudia J. Stanny, Ph.D. > Director, Center for University Teaching, Learning, and Assessment > Associate Professor, Psychology > University of West Florida > Pensacola, FL 32514 5751 > > Phone: (850) 857-6355 or 473-7435 > e-mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([email protected]) > --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([email protected])
