0.2 Frequently asked questions about the use of clickers and clicker  (Page 4/5)

7. how much do clickers cost?

Clickers usually cost students $25-65 to purchase new. Often, they can be resold at the end of the term. Many publishers have clickers bundled with a textbook - in those cases the student does not see a separate fee for the clicker, but there is an additional fee ($10-20) to register for a specific course. Be sure to ask your publisher about clicker rebates, this can often be included for very little additional cost. Most institutions have a set brand of clicker so students may use them in several courses.

8. are clickers any better than simpler technologies such as students raising hands or coloured cards to answer question?

Andrea Bair and colleagues of the CU-SEI conducted a study comparing use of identical questions in two sections of the same course, but using clickers in one and raising hands in the other. She found substantial differences, all favouring use of clickers. Poster available at: (External Link) We have also observed a number of courses where coloured cards were used and then the same instructor switched to using clickers. Although there were very clear benefits to using questions posed to the class and requiring students to respond using their coloured cards, attendance and student engagement was significantly higher when clickers were used. Research has also shown that when points (marks) were attached to active learning practices, student learning improved. In interviews and surveys, students make it very clear that they see clickers as providing a more useful and legitimate way of determining student understanding, and hence more valuable than using cards. The combination of anonymity and accountability is a major virtue of clickers. In the words of one student,

I thought that clickers were helpful. It made it easier for the teacher to see how many people actually understood what we were talking about without embarrassing anyone and picking on them.

9. will there be student resistance and if so, how do i deal with it?

Some students will probably resist the change in classroom climate from a passive to a more active environment, particularly as it penalizes absences and requires more effort. Most respond well if the instructor explicitly (and repeatedly!) talks with the class about the purpose of using clickers interactively, and emphasizes the positive results seen in other classes and education research. The implicit signals are also very important. When the clicker responses show students do not understand something, revising the lecture plan to examine their difficulties and address them, rather than ignoring this sends a very positive signal. Requiring students to spend money on clickers and then using them only once or twice per class to answer very simple questions sends a very different signal and can generate considerable student unhappiness.

We have done extensive surveys of students in classes that use clickers. In those classes where the clickers are used in a manner at all close to what we recommend, the students overwhelmingly say they contribute to their learning and recommend they be used. It helps both learning and attitudes if you ensure that the clicker questions, homework, and exam questions indicate in a consistent manner what is important and what the expectations and standards are for the course.