Clickers Facilitate Interaction between Teachers and Students

Student Response Systems (SRS), or "Clickers" as they are more commonly called, are becoming a new trend in hundreds of university and high school classrooms all over the nation.  Many BYU-Idaho professors have taken advantage of this technology and been very pleased with the results.  Brother Hunt of the Biology Department states, "There is something to be said about the importance of chalk and an eraser, but if used appropriately, technology can enhance the learning environment." 

Clickers are remote-like devices that students use to take quizzes and respond to questions posed by the teacher.  These responses are immediately processed, graded, and projected onto the screen in the form of a graph where it can be analyzed.  Deborah Brown, a recent graduate of BYU-Idaho said that her teacher "...used the clickers as a way to gauge class understanding and as a quick way to take roll."  Brown is now a teacher herself and says that if available, she will definitely take advantage of this technology in her future classrooms.     

There are additional advantages to this technology.  The use of clickers actively engages students and immediately assesses their understanding, gives prompt feedback, eliminates the hassle of manual grading, and overall saves time and energy.  Brother Jason Hunt has been using clickers in his biology classes for nearly three semesters.  He comments, "Time is my worst enemy in the classroom... The clickers allow me to ask multiple questions in a short amount of time and give immediate feedback."  Brother Hunt also feels that daily quizzes at the beginning of class encourage students to come prepared.  Assessing the results of these quizzes, Brother Hunt can then direct his lecture and class discussion in such a way that will target material students may be struggling to comprehend.  Says BYU-I student Jenna Wilcock, "There have been times when I thought I knew something, but really didn't, and was glad to be corrected on it before the test."     

In addition to administering quizzes, teachers use clickers for gathering opinions and initiating class discussion.  Even the students that are less talkative in class have the opportunity to contribute.  For example, a teacher may ask, "How many of you believe that capris should be allowed on campus?"  With such a controversial question as this, students may feel pressure to answer one way or another based on the views of the majority of the class.  Clicking in their answer is a "safer" and less intimidating way of sharing their opinions.  As a result, responses to questions are essentially non-biased.  These responses are immediately tabulated into a graph for the class to analyze and discuss.  

No matter the size of the class, be it 15 or 50, lecture classes tend to create a void between student and teacher.  For the shy, and even the fidgety student, clicker technology can turn a boring lecture into a comfortable and interactive conversation.  Students are more likely to get involved and pay attention.  Professors save time on grading and are able to focus their lectures on the specific needs of each class.

Written by Krislyn McCandless

June 11, 2007