This is an interesting post on clickers and one that should be read. The first time I saw clickers used, I was evaluating a junior faculty member and she had many many questions. And I was unsure of the connection of the question with objectives. This article recommends:
many things but I will focus on 2:
1. Limit the number of clicker questions to five per class
2.Reserve questions for specific learning outcomes and goals (What do you want to stress? What cognitive skills do you want to develop? What do you want to reinforce?)
I think if you get these two right the clickers will be a useful tool.
OK, this has my attention ---get ride of the handheld device of the clicker------
For $129 US dollars you can have a campus license and use virtual clickers....no more loosing a device the size of a small calculator--sent this one to my IT folks, you should too.
OK having just USED the clicker today (the kind that get lost or broken), this one is of great interest! Can we find anybody who has actually used this irtual clicker? I'm not in a hurry but am definitely interested. Anyway it would work for online teaching?
"I start with a brief explanation of the next concept or topic. I then present the students with a short puzzle or problem incorporating this concept. The students discuss the problem in small groups of 2-4, and then vote using polling hardware or "clickers" similar to TV remotes. After everyone has voted, the results appear on the screen at the front of the class. A well-chosen problem is one for which about 70% of the students get the right answer"
Faculty explains using the 'Peer Instruction' technique promoted by Eric Mazur of Harvard. The technique uses clickers to facilitate active learning in large classes.
What are you all doing with clickers/educational response systems?
Are they worth the financial investment?
What do you do with the data after you've collected it from students?
Toys for Tools discuses how to enhance learning by using the powerful technology of cell phones both inside and outside the classroom.
Many, if not most, educators view cell phones as the enemy. Author Liz Kolb sees them as powerful technology in the hands of students. Acknowledging the current reality-at many schools ban student cell phone use in the classroom-Kolb discusses a host of innovative and highly interesting uses for the technology that do not require using the phones in the classroom. She also addresses the issues that have caused the bans and provides guidelines for overcoming the problems.