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By Tara Sharpe
iClicker. Photo: UVic Photo Services
Laptop keys are not the only buttons that University of Victoria students are pressing in class. Increasingly, instructors are using clicker technology in their courses.
Clickers are handheld devices that allow students to respond anonymously to multiple-choice quizzes or other questions posed by instructors during lectures. The technology is similar to the keypad system used for “audience lifeline votes” in TV game shows like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, but with clickers, students are drawn deeper into course material.
The remote-control device is especially helpful in larger lecture rooms to keep students intrigued about the material and connected to the discussion even if they are a dozen rows away from the lecturer. UVic psychology professor Dr. Martin Smith, who uses clicker technology in classes of more than 300 students, usually finds a way to fit three to six clicker questions into a standard 50-minute session.
“The human mind is not meant to passively soak up concepts for an hour without a break,” says Smith. “The clicker technology doesn’t replace skilful teaching techniques, but it definitely augments them.”
Students can choose buttons A through E and the clicker results are displayed on an overhead screen, usually in a bar graph displaying the spectrum of answers. With built-in anonymity, clicker technology offers shy students a more comfortable means of participating. In addition, instructors can keep track of overall responses and gauge the level of student understanding as coursework progresses, rather than waiting for the next written test. The technology is being used in universities and colleges across the country.
Designing lectures to engage students is not a new approach, but the ancient Socratic method of inquiry and debate has found a particularly unique expression in the electronic age.
“In an academic setting, we spend a lot of time promoting individual learning,” says Dr. Ed Ishiguro, UVic professor emeritus (biochemistry) and a scholar with UVic’s Learning and Teaching Centre, who also uses clickers in his lectures. “I design concept questions that promote or, even better, provoke discussion not just in class but also out of class. With this more collaborative style of group learning, we encourage engagement on many levels.”
Smith points out that clicker technology doesn’t only engage students; they are also learning as they proceed from question to answer on the screen. He prefers to wait for the answers rather than “barging into those awkward pauses. This helps socialize students toward knowing they can come up with the answers, and it inspires confidence.”
UVic has identified one standard device—the iClicker—for campus use. The Learning and Teaching Centre, with assistance from academic planning as well as systems staff, has been involved in creating centralized access and support for UVic clicker users.
UVic faculty and staff have also been clicking away at their keyboards in support: Kathreen Riel of UVic Learning Systems created a UVic clickers website with guidelines and service support including video footage of faculty and students using and talking about the technology (see link below). Dr. Mary Sanseverino (computer science) and Drs. Leslee Francis Pelton and Tim Pelton (curriculum and instruction) were assisted by numerous co-investigators across campus in a research study on the use of clicker technology.
Practice sets of iClickers are available for UVic faculty who wish to pilot the technology. Students can purchase their own iClicker from the UVic Bookstore. More information.
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