Transcript Clickers - 武汉大学图书馆

Classroom Response Systems
“Clickers”
or
“Voting Machines”
an exciting
innovation!
Nancy O’Hanlon and Fred Roecker
The Ohio State University Libraries
Wuhan, China - March 2007
Goals
• Describe implications of classroom “clickers” for
improving teaching.
• Discuss available technology.
• Present examples of questions.
Before today, have you heard about
“Clickers”
1. Yes
2. No
Would you use clickers
in your classroom?
1. Yes.
2. No
3. Not sure
0 of 5
Definitions
• Clicker: A ‘‘voting machine’’ or in-class polling
system used by students to answer multiplechoice questions during lectures.
• Can be purchased by university or by students.
• Some are offered by publishing companies as a
teaching aid in support of their textbooks.
Rationale
• Traditional form of lecture instruction is passive,
not effective for all learners.
• Students who are not engaged with the content
will not learn.
• Large classes make interaction difficult.
• Clickers offer students opportunity to interact
with content, instructor, and each other.
Uses
• Take Attendance
• Facilitate Class Discussion
• Guide Lectures
• Formative Assessment
• Quizzes and Exams
Asking Good Questions
• Keep questions and answer options short and
simple.
• Avoid confusing questions with multiple correct
answers.
• Have no more than five answer options.
• Number all answer options to match the keypad
system (i.e. do not use letters).
• Prepare the audience with a warm up question.
• Don’t ask too many in one session.
Methodology
• Researchers recommend use of a threequestion sequence in which all three questions
focus on the same concept, but have different
features.
• Voting summaries are shown to the class after
each question, followed by a discussion with
students.
(Reay, et al, 2006. http://www.votingmachine.net)
To learn, students must see concepts in
several contexts
STUDENT: 3 unrelated problems (initially)
EXPERT:
Conservation of energy
Question Design
• Question 1: easy warm-up; builds confidence.
• Question 2: more difficult; creates impasse.
• Question 3: also difficult, with surface features
different from others; checks whether students
have assimilated the concept.
Effectiveness
• OSU study: Students using voting machines
and three question sets tend to perform better
on a concept-oriented question than lecture
sections not using the devices.
(Reay, Bao & Li, http://www.votingmachine.net)
• U. Wisconsin study: Comparison of course
sections shows a statistically significant impact
of clicker use on student performance (final
grade).
(Kaleta & Joosten, http://clickers.uwm.edu)
Student Attitudes
• OSU: Mean for ‘‘I like using the voting machine’’
was 1.30 out of 2.
• Wisconsin: Majority of students reported that
they were happy with clickers.
• Students like the response graphs, even when
their answers are wrong.
Are Clickers New?
• First used about 15 years ago in higher
education
• First used at Ohio State about 10 years
ago
• 2 years ago publishers began marketing
clickers with textbooks
• Price of devices dropped with marketing
and technology advances
Technology choices
• Infrared (IR)
• Radio frequency (RF)
• “Virtual” clicker
(software on WiFi laptop/PDA)
IR:
RF:
Virtual
Infrared (IR) =
beam of light; must aim!
Radio Frequency (RF) =
radio signal; no need to aim.
• 2-way communication
• Use “polling” or other
methods to handle
traffic and avoid
“collisions”
Virtual Clicker
• Software is installed
on students’ wireless
laptops or PDAs
InfraRed
(IR)
vs.
Radio Frequency
(RF)
Cheaper than RF (per
clicker)
Costs more than IR
(per clicker)
Large Room Hardware requires
dozens of receivers,
mounts, connected
to WiFi relay that
send to server/hub
Large Room Hardware is one
antenna connected to
lectern computer (up
to 1,000 clickers 300foot away)
Clicker Proliferation Issues
• Many different brands, not compatible
• Each one uses different software
• Different types of clicker technology
Problems?
• Different textbooks
need different clickers
• New activation code
needed each quarter
• Infrared clickers cannot
be used in large
classrooms
• Different software
installed in classrooms
Questions for campuses
• Should campus support audience
response systems?
• How many different ones?
• Should campus standardize on one
brand/software – for sake of classroom
support and that of students, professors?
• To what extent should they be supported?
(Classroom services/design, help desk,
training, professional development)
More Questions
• Which type (IR, RF, virtual, combination?)
• Which brand? (receiving hardware,
software, clickers)
• Implementation: How widespread should
they be installed? (Every classroom in
every building?)
• Should some be available for check out at
equipment loan for occasional use?
InfraRed vs. Radio Frequency
(IR)
(RF)
 Clickers cheaper
Hardware expensive
(requires dozens of receivers, mounts,
connected to WiFi relay that send to
server/hub)
Must point at receiver
Requires multiple
clicks (collisions)
Was response
received? (view pad # on
screen)
Clickers cost more
Hardware cheaper
(1 antenna only)
No pointing
One click success;
system gathers
responses
Keypad indicates with
light if answer received
InfraRed vs. Radio Frequency
(IR)
(RF)
Receives and records Receives and records
responses from 700
responses from 700
students in 30-60
students in 5 seconds
seconds
Requires many
Requires only one
people many days to
person several
install in large rooms
minutes to install
(500 and 720 students).
software and antenna
Best Clicker for Ohio State ...
Infra Red clicker
Radio Frequency clicker
OSU clicker chosen
• Selection (Autumn ‘05):
TurningPoint 2006 software
and ResponseCard RF
keypads
[www.turningtechnologies.com/]
• Winter 2006: Loaner kits
available (six with 60
each); software will be in all
classrooms
• Spring 2006: Full support
(training, help desk)
Students love clickers if:
• They are reliable and easy to use
• Votes register in seconds
• They see that their vote is recorded
(Turning Point does the above)
Also
• Clickers are entertaining.
• Students feel that clickers help them learn.
One-time costs to students
Students pay for clickers (campus pays for rest):
$4 to $20 – one time for clicker (IR – RF)
Campus costs:
$90 to $250 – 1 antenna per room RF;
$8 to $30 – per student per year for “site license”
(covers software, activation, registration site, upgrades, support)
Clickers in the classroom
• Cost-efficient lectures
• Students become active and
involved!
Let’s Build a Question
Compare:
Would you use clickers in your classroom?
1. Yes.
2. No
3. Not sure
0
of
5
Contacts and additional details
• Nancy O’Hanlon ([email protected])
• Fred Roecker ([email protected])
___________________________________
Final OSU report on Clickers
www.telr.osu.edu/clickers
TurningPoint Technologies (clickers)
www.turningtechnologies.com/