Hand-Held Technology
‘Clicks’ With Students

To avoid calling on the same hand-waving students every day, some teachers are using clickers -- handheld electronic devices that allow each student to submit a response, expanding class participation and giving teachers instant feedback. Included: A description of how clickers work

Using an electronic “clicker” to answer questions may sound like an episode of Jeopardy, but it’s not an uncommon sight in many classrooms.

Some teachers have turned to student response systems, or clickers, over a show of hands to encourage participation in class discussions or to give quizzes. The hand-held devices register students’ answers in the teacher’s computer, allowing instructors to quickly determine who understands the lesson.

“I think clickers encourage students who are shy or passive to participate in [classroom discussions] in a more relaxed, non-threatening way,” said Great Neck South (New York) High School Spanish teacher Paula Sanchez-Kucukozer, who has been using clickers for about three years. “I believe clickers sort of level the playing field for all students.”

READY, SET…CLICK

Other educators who use or endorse clickers agree that seeing more and different students drawn into class discussions and getting almost instant feedback on students’ comprehension of a lesson are the primary benefits of using the devices in classrooms.

Clickers often resemble a cell phone. When students input their answers, the data is stored in a computer so teachers can see it right away and then review all the responses later to look for patterns.

“As an education professional, I think it’s important to look at all things that can get you information in a timely manner, as well as provide individual responses,” said Jason Jacobson, principal of Lehi Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona. Teachers at Lehi have used clickers for three years, and now second-through- sixth grade teachers are using them for class “discussions” as well as quizzes, Jacobson told Education World.

Often clickers make participants out of students who had been quiet observers. “I found out that many of my students wouldn’t raise their hands or go to the board with answers because they didn’t want to seem stupid,” said Thomas W. Reed-Swale, a fifth grade teacher at Henry A. Wolcott Elementary School in West Hartford, Connecticut. “There are students who want to be involved, and now they can be because it [clicking in answers] is anonymous. I get a lot more honest answers and that lets them take more risks.”

Some clickers also are connected to electronic white boards so students can see the responses. Teachers can choose to have the information posted anonymously or with students’ names.

Sanchez-Kucukozer agreed that she’s seen broader class participation since introducing the clickers. “Because the teacher can set the clickers to an anonymous format so no one but the teacher knows who has which clicker, students are willing to take more risks and are less afraid of making mistakes,” she said.

Teachers learn quickly which part of the lesson fell short. “I can tell in a moment which assignment I might have to redo,” Reed-Swale said. “I don’t have a four-hour delay, or a day delay; I can teach in that moment. I don’t have to wait until I correct papers to find out [what was unclear.]”

NO MORE WALLFLOWERS

Clickers also prevent quiet students from simply hiding behind a sea of raised hands. The computer program can randomly “call” on students, so the whole class needs to stay alert, said Heather Mars, a fourth grade social studies and language arts teacher at the Watson Technology Center for Math & Science in Garland, Texas. “All students have to be engaged and participating because I will know who hasn't responded,” Mars told Education World. “All students get the chance to answer each question rather than just one. Also, I can see who responded correctly or not and ask them to explain why they made that choice. Students love the competition of the game mode.” Mars uses the clickers to reinforce material she already has taught, for class discussions, and quizzes.

Reed-Swale’s students already have been introduced to a lesson before any clickers come into play. “Everything they click in they have had in front of them,” he explained.

Teachers also benefit from the clickers rapid-response time; collecting data through the clickers substantially reduces the time needed to prepare report cards, according to Reed-Swale. “They make my life exponentially easier,” he explained. “Instead of grading 23 math quizzes, I immediately have the answers. Now I can transfer those marks to Excel and I developed an electronic grade book so I can see all the grades immediately.”

NOT FOR EVERYONE

Still, not every lesson or subject is appropriate for clickers. Some critics have said that using clickers forces teachers to arrange their lessons or content to accommodate the clickers, and the technology takes center stage rather than the material.

“Sometimes you can be sucked into the ‘cool’ factor, even with clickers,” Reed-Swale agreed. “I tried a spelling test that turned into a colossal failure -- you can find yourself spending more time crafting lessons to fit in with clickers.”

“They didn't work out for my specific classes primarily because of the packed curriculum I teach,” Sckalor told Education World. “Time is always an issue when it comes to finishing the material in AP physics, and I just found I didn't have the time to implement their use in any significant way.” The time needed to distribute the remotes and collect them at the end of the period while another class was entering the room also became a problem, he said. “Some schools give each student a remote for the day so this doesn't have to be an issue everywhere,” Sckalor continued.

Using clickers does require a lot of advance preparation and the initial software at his school was limited and not very user-friendly, he added.

Other critics have said that they create a competitive environment, according to Sanchez-Kucukozer, but she thinks the opposite is true. “I think they actually reduce the [competition] because you can reduce pressure by using the clickers in an anonymous-user setting.”

Those who view clickers as gimmicky probably are not familiar with the theory of different intelligences and different learning styles, she added. “Some students perform better when they are holding something in their hands because they're very tactile, and others enjoy clickers because of their visual component.”

BENEFITS OF CLICKING TOGETHER

Even though the clickers were not a good fit for his classes, Sckalor did experience many of the same benefits of clickers that other educators have noted, even in the short time he used them. “The best feature of the clickers, to me, was not only instant feedback as a lesson progresses, but you also get feedback from every student,” he said. “Most of the time you see the same hands and hear from the same students, day in and day out, but with the clickers, everyone has a chance to respond and you can immediately assess the effectiveness of your lesson and provide immediate remediation or clarification.”

For teachers who want to introduce clickers, Sckalor suggested they put in as much preparation time as they can and use them as often as possible in the classroom so students get accustomed to them.

Implementing clickers by team or grade level also can be more effective than doing it on an individual basis, said Jacobson. At his school, whole grade levels started using clickers at once so teachers could help one another. “It’s easier to share the creation of lessons,” Jacobson said. Initially some teachers went off site for training, but now follow-up training is done at the school, he said. “We have found that about an hour of training is enough to get everyone started.”

And for those who might view clickers negatively, Mars said she could not turn her back on success. “The students have changed, and teachers need to change to meet the needs of their classes,” she said. “Handheld instant response items such as clickers are one way to have students actively involved in, and excited about, what we are trying to teach.”

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Technology Integration

Article by Ellen R. Delisio
Education World®
Copyright © 2011 Education World

Originally published 02/04/2011