Pedagogy of Effective Clicker Use and Constructing Good Clicker Questions

1. Pedagogy of Effective Clicker Use and Constructing Good Clicker Questions Colleen Holcomb The Teaching and Learning Center 212 Capen Hall 645.7700 ubclicks@buffalo.edu

2. Workshop Overview • What are clickers • Traditional vs. clicker course • Benefits of clickers • Levels of a question • Sample questions

3. An interactive technology • Clickers are small handheld devices resembling a remote control. • ResponseWare allows students to answer clicker questions using any Smart device or laptop with internet access. What are clickers and ResponseWare? And how do they work? • Clickers communicate with a receiver set to a specific channel • An instructor asks a question and the students respond Channel 42

4. More Information about clickers • Names for Clickers • Classroom Response System (CRS) • Throughout this presentation “classroom response system” and “clickers” will be used interchangeably • Proper clicker use • Do more than just reiterate rote learning • With effort, clickers can be used to engage students and target higher levels of learning

5. What is the average attention span of today’s students? • They have none! • 7 minutes • 12 minutes • 33 minutes • 75 minutes • Unlimited?

6. Classroom Transformation • Passive into active learning • Students become attentive when they are required to respond • Current research about Clickers shows that students often become engaged in course content, and enjoy using clicker technology (Martyn, 2007)

7. Traditional responses (i.e. raising hands) vs. Clickers • Clickers allow anonymous responses alleviating the fear of peer embarrassment • The display of response results shows students that sometimes they’re not the only one that has misunderstandings • Immediate display of correct answers reinforces learning and gives students confidence regarding their understanding

8. Clicker Pedagogy • Pre and Post Assessment • Mid-Topic • Student Participation • Attendance • Review • Promote student discussion

9. (Duncan, 2006)

10. Levels of Questioning (Bloom, 1956)

11. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: knowledgeWho is the sixteenth president of the United States? • James Madison • Woodrow Wilson • Abraham Lincoln • John Hancock

12. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: comprehensionWhat is the main idea of this workshop? • Using an iPhone • Test question development • Clicker pedagogy • How to plan a vacation

13. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: applicationHow would you promote classroom discussion by using clickers? • Ask an open-ended question and allow students to defend responses • Ask, but don’t review clicker questions • Only ask right/wrong answer questions Designing Questions for Clickers, Ohio State University

14. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: analysisThe following statement is written from which of the following perspectives? • pro-environment • pro-development • pro-consumer The Appalachian Development Highway Program (ADHP) is a road building program that is intended to break Appalachia's regional isolation and encourage Appalachian economic development.

15. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: synthesis Synthesis (the ability to put parts together to form a new whole) is difficult to test using multiple-choice questions due to the nature of the task. • Some examples of synthesis questions include: • How would you assemble these items to create a windmill? • How would your life be different if you could breathe under water? • Construct a tower one foot tall using only four blocks.

16. Example question for Bloom’s cognitive level: evaluation Why do you think Benjamin Franklin was so famous? • He’s on a $100 dollar bill • He was bald with glasses • He was a founding father • His research with electricity

17. UBclicks website • Google – buffalo.edu: UBclicks faculty/student • UBclicks Support Team • Colleen Holcomb • ubclicks@buffalo.edu • Teaching & Learning Center • 716-645-7700 • Network and Classroom Services • UB Bookstore Support Resources

18. Questions or Comments?Please take a moment to fill out an evaluation. Thank you!

19. TurningPoint • Introduction to the software, hardware, and basic functions • TurningPoint Advanced • Further explanation of additional topics within TurningPoint • TurningPoint Anywhere • How to use classroom response system without slides What to expect in other workshops

20. Bibliography Beatty, I., Gerace, W., Leonard, W., & Dufresne, R., (2006). Designing effective questions for classroom response system teaching. Scientific Reasoning Research Institute and Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts. Amherst: Massachusetts.http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0508114 Beatty, I. (2004). Transforming Student Learning with Classroom Communication Systems. Boulder, Colo.: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied Research, 3(5).http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERB0403.pdf Bligh, D. (1998). What's the use of lectures? Exeter: Intellect. Bloom, B.S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Vol 1: Cognitive Domain. New York: McKay. Duncan, D. (2005). Clickers in the Classroom: How to Enhance Science Teaching Using Classroom Response Systems. Upper Saddle, N.J.: Addison-Wesley. Duncan, D. (2006). Clickers: A New Teaching Aid with Exceptional Promise. University of Colorado, The Astronomy Education Review, 1-5(70-88). Gardiner, L. F. (1994). Redesigning higher education: Producing dramatic gains in student learning. Ashe-eric higher education report no. 7. Access eric: U.S.; District of Columbia. Haladyna, T., & Downing, S. (1989). A Taxonomy of Multiple-Choice Item-Writing Rules. Applied Measurement in Education, 2(1), 37.

21. Bibliography (cont.) Haladyna, T., Downing, S., & Rodriguez, M. (2002). A Review of Multiple-Choice Item-Writing Guidelines for Classroom Assessment. Applied Measurement in Education, 15(3), 309-333. Littauer, R. (1972). Instructional implications of a low-cost electronic student response system. Educational Technology: Teacher and Technology Supplement, 12(10), 69-71. Martyn, M. (2007). Clickers in the classroom: An active learning approach. Educause Quarterly, 30(2), 71-74.http://connect.educause.edu/library/abstract/ClickersintheClassro/40032 Mazur, E. (2007). Mazur Group website. http://mazur-www.harvard.edu/research/detailspage.php?rowid=8 Robertson, L. J. (2000). Twelve Tips for Using a Computerized Interactive Audience Response System. Medical Teacher, (22)3, pp. 237–239.http://cidd.mansfield.ohio-state.edu/workshops/documentation/twelvetips.pdf Sawada, D. (2002). Learning from past and present: electronic response systems in college lecture halls. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching.http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Learning+from+past+and+present%3a+electronic+response+systems+in...-a091487242 Turning Technologies Audience Response Systems. (2007). Higher Education Best Practices.http://www.turningtechnologies.com/highereducationinteractivelearning/bestpractices.cfm Wood, K., Linsky, A., & Straus, M. (1974), Class Size and Student Evaluations of Faculty, The Journal of Higher Education, (45)7. pp. 524-534.