Active Learning

1. Active Learning with Clickers Shiao-Chuan Kung, Ed.D. Educational Technologist, ICIT (212)772-4531 skung@hunter.cuny.edu

2. Clickers are…

3. Clickers are AKA… • audience response systems • wireless keypad response systems • classroom communication systems • electronic response systems • classroom response systems

4. What topic do you know the LEAST about? Pedagogical problems that clickers can address. What research says about clickers as educational tools. Effective strategies/activities using clickers. Challenges of using clickers.

5. Pedagogical problems clickers can address… • inability to assess prior knowledge before class • inability to assess comprehension during class • inability to get responses to sensitive questions • lack of active participation in large classes • poor attendance

6. Clickers can be used for… • Pre-Assessments: At the beginning of a semester or before a new topic • What do students already know? • What are students' misconceptions? • Mid-Topic Assessments: In the middle of lectures or before another concept • Do they understand this principle? • Can they connect this principle/idea to the previous one? • Can they apply this concept? • How is their thinking changing? • Post-Assessments: At the end of a semester, topic, or class session • What is their overall conceptual framework? • Can they synthesize the concepts to solve problems? • How has their understanding changed? http://telr.osu.edu/clickers/teaching/guidelines.htm

7. Research suggests… • greater engagement • increased understanding of complex subject matter • increased interest and enjoyment • heightened discussion & interactivity • increased awareness of own understanding • increased teacher insight into student difficulties Fies & Marshall, 2006

8. Student achievement is due to… Active learning techniques

9. Effective questions… • Knowledge - Remembering facts, terms, concepts, definitions, principles • Comprehension - Explaining/interpreting the meaning of material • Application - Using a concept or principle to solve a problem • Analysis - Breaking material down into its component parts to see interrelationships/hierarchy of ideas • Synthesis - Producing something new or original from component parts • Evaluation - Making a judgment based on a pre-established set of criteria http://telr.osu.edu/clickers/teaching/guidelines.htm

10. Challenges using clickers… • creating good questions • more time-consuming—less content can be covered • good timing and pacing of class • classroom management—distribution & return of clickers, elevated noise level • give credit for participation? • clickers for taking attendance? • clickers for quizzes or exams?

11. To find out more… • 7 Things You Should Know About Clickershttp://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/7ThingsYouShouldKnow/39379 • Clickers in the Classroom: An Active Learning Approachhttp://www.educause.edu/apps/eq/eqm07/eqm0729.asp • Designing Questions for Clickershttp://telr.osu.edu/clickers/teaching/guidelines.htm • Classroom response systems bibliography http://www.vanderbilt.edu/cft/resources/teaching_resources/technology/crs_biblio.htm • Student Response Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukeehttp://www4.uwm.edu/ltc/srs/faculty/index.cfm • EDUCAUSE Pocket Edition #4: Clickers(14:44 audio)http://connect.educause.edu/blog/dianao/educausepocketeditio/1836