How Clickers Transform the Classroom

1. How Clickers Transform the Classroom David Vakil Innovations 2011 Conference; Tuesday, March 1, 2011 I taught astronomy & physics at El Camino College for 10 years, using TurningPoint equipment since January 2006. Contact info: dvakil@elcamino.edu – (310) 900-1600 x2130 For more clicker information or a copy of this presentation, please visit: http://www.elcamino.edu/faculty/dvakil/clickers.htm (there’s also a link to the clicker page on my home page)

2. Presentation outline • How can clickers be used? • Discuss your concerns and questions about clicker usage • Types of clicker questions • Write your own questions • Working together to improve your questions Big Picture: Clickers enable you to do student-centered learning. Let’s start with a “student”-centered activity, rather than with me lecturing. This is what clickers are about.

3. Respond as though you are students in YOUR class.By show of hands…Who believes:“Not enough students answer questions that I ask during class.”

4. Blank Slide

5. Not enough students answer questions that I ask during class. • True • False See how much the vote participation increases with clickers?

6. What are your concerns, questions • Work in a group • Write 3-5 questions you have about clickers • Biggest concerns • Unanswered questions • We will discuss your questions and concerns.

7. Other uses for clickers • Taking attendance (automatic if any question is asked) • Classroom demographics • Who are your students? • How does performance relate to various characteristics? • Assessing student work during class • See Chronicle article • Ice-breakers • Discussion starters • Tests • Ranking Choices (i.e. students put a list in order)

8. Cheating • How might students cheat? • What should we do about it? • These ideas are discussed in Doug Duncan’s book: Clickers in the Classroom • Treat clicker usage like any other assignment • Specifically mention code of conduct, expectations, penalties

9. Grading, Quizzes, and Tests • Grading • Do NOT use clickers only as a means to “grade” students. They dislike that and strongly prefer formative assessment. • Research by Wiloughby and Gustafson (Mont. State U) shows if grading responses, low-stakes (i.e. points for voting) produces more learning and richer discussion than high-stakes (i.e. points/extra points for correct answer) • Quizzes and Tests • NXT clickers can handle tests & quizzes • Requires some student training of the clickers, so I won’t demonstrate that now.

10. Qualitative reasons to use clickers • Interactive • Student-centered, minds-on • Just-in-time teaching • Immediate feedback – to you AND your students • Research (John Barnett): what students value most. • Create responsible & informed learners! • FUN (competitive?) • Gets everyone actively (not passively) involved • (Semi?) anonymous, which helps shy students! • Early and frequent assessment. Diagnose and fix bad lectures/activities • Catch poor students quickly, start troubleshooting early

11. Some examples of how clickers can be used to immediately assess learning

12. PRE-TEST: A light year is a measure of • Time • Distance Timed question! 15

13. Checking current understanding during class A miniature astronomy lecture • The universe is 13.7 billion years old. • A light year is ____________________________, approximately 6 trillion ______________.

14. POST-TEST: A light year is a measure of • Time • Distance

16. Think-Pair-Share • Ask the question • If results are between 50-75% correct, consult with your neighbor and vote again. • If 40% correct, coach them a little first. • If less than 40% correct, they need more help first. • Usually results improve noticeably, often 80+%. • Students understand and remember concept better • Takes only 3 minutes or less • Here’s an example…

17. It is possible for astronomers to detect an object 15 billion light years away from Earth. • True • False

18. Other question types • Question types: • One right answer (like mine, so far) • Questions with no correct answer (anonymous?) • Have you ever used illegal drugs? • Which political party do you identify with most? • Questions with more than one right answer. • Putting a list in order (rank, prioritize) • From Chronicle article: Evaluate your classmate’s work using these criteria … • Demonstration/video: Predict what happens next

19. Write your own clicker questions • Work in a small group, write 3-5 questions. • Suggested question style: • Write an important question about a lesson you are teaching or taught very recently. • Write a SHORT one or two line correct answer • Write 3-4 common INCORRECT answers, approximately the same length as the correct answer. • Bring your question and answers to me. Don’t tell me which is correct. • We will insert new slides into this PowerPoint…

20. CONCLUSION • There are a LOT of things you can do with clickers in your class • Method of student-centered metacognitive learning (students love immediate feedback!) • They dramatically increase learning with good questions. • Particularly well-suited for lecture classes • STRONGLY RECOMMEND READING: • Derek Bruff’s book Teaching with Classroom Response Systems, Creating Active Learning Environments.