The
iClicker system is a tool that allows for active classroom participation
providing immediate feedback resulting in less confusion or misunderstandings
about content. What follows provides a
look at how clickers are used in psychology courses by Dr. Bianca Basten and
Dr. Ryan McKelley.
Bianca
Basten: I use iClickers in two ways; graded in-class quizzes and to check
in with students and receive/provide feedback about their understanding of
concepts, their opinions/attitudes about ideas, or their responses to in-class
demonstrations.
iClickers are used frequently in my classes to assess students’ understanding of concepts we just covered and address which aspects of the material they found
particularly unclear. Immediate responses allow me to see what students know and what their misconceptions are so we can address those immediately.
iClickers
are a great way to conduct in-class demonstrations (in my cognitive psych
class) in which students are participants. When asking for responses to
in-class demonstrations, I’m able to show students a graph of their responses.
A discussion usually follows connecting how their data support a particular
cognitive theory or align with data from the research study they just read
about. Engaging in an activity and then seeing a visual representation of their
own data aids their understanding of the concept much more than simply hearing
about it in theory.
The whole
system is easy to use and grading and importing quiz scores to D2L is
incredibly efficient. When assessing students’ understanding of the
material, feedback is immediate and incorrect responses can be used to generate
further discussion about course concepts. Even students seem to like the ease of use, the immediate feedback and the natural breaking point in the lecture often jumpstarting conversations, particularly for those students who are usually too shy/quiet to chime in and provide feedback that they would otherwise keep to themselves.
As a
cognitive psychologist, I love the amount of data about cognitive processes
that the iClickers are able to provide. I can look at the raw data to figure
out if response times are predictive of accuracy (e.g., are those who select an
answer the quickest also those the ones who get it right?). I can look at response strategies (e.g., do
students pick an answer and stick with it or do they switch their response? If
they switch, does that increase or decrease their likelihood of being
accurate).
Ryan
McKelley: I use
iClickers in PSY 100: General Psychology, which often has 400-600 students in
any given semester. I commonly use the iClicker to assess understanding of a
concept. I show the distribution of
answers and then walk through the correct and incorrect responses to highlight
where students get stuck in their understanding. I sometimes include questions
that I know will have an even distribution of answers to also teach test-taking
strategies when you have trouble recalling content from studying, or had a gap
in studying. In addition to sample questions, I use them to get opinions on
topics that would be too sensitive for public disclosure (e.g., substance use)
and then compare the results to published data on similar populations.
Comments
on student evaluations suggest that students find that the most
useful part is when I take the time to explain and discuss the correct and
incorrect answers. I find those teachable moments
helpful because they can expose gaps in my instruction if I failed to fully
explain a concept because I assumed the class had prior knowledge or were
reading the assigned text before class.
I have found that many of my students enjoy
the extra instruction that comes from using the iClickers. I never just
display the answer and move on without discussion, therefore turning an
assessment opportunity into an active learning opportunity. Lastly, some say it
helps build in interaction or the ability to participate in a large lecture
where it they are at risk for tuning out or feeling like a number. Clicker questions are a great way to encourage discussion in
the classroom, giving students a chance to learn from their peers. It
also gives them an opportunity to share their ideas with the instructor,
promoting a classroom culture that is more inclusive.
iClickers
allow me to interact with everyone on at least a minimal level. The major benefit is real-time
assessment of learning so I can make shifts in my instruction.
For more about iClickers, visit https://www1.iclicker.com/products/iclicker-2/.
Submitted by Dr. Bianca Basten and Dr. Ryan McKelley, Psychology Department
