Emily Balcetis

How do you use clickers in your classroom?

I use clickers to enhance students' educational experience and keep them actively engaged in the learning process. I use them to assist students in reviewing material from previous days, particularly those lectures that were dense or difficult for them to grasp. For instance, I begin class with around 5 multiple choice questions that review the previous day's material. Students are encouraged to use their notes or consult a neighbor before responding with their answer via the iClicker system. By displaying the graphs that demarcate their responses, students have a chance to measure their performance against the performance of others in an anonymous manner. In addition, I gain insight into students' retention of the material. Students are also encouraged to write down the questions and answers I use to review later on. As an additional use of the iClickers, I demonstrate various psychological phenomena by having students imagine a particular experience then respond using the system so that students have the opportunity to see theories played out before their very eyes.

What results/benefits do you observe in using clickers?

Students have reported enjoying the opportunity to engage themselves in the material. Given that my class size hovers around 400, such opportunities are otherwise rare. 

What advice do you have about using clickers?

I have not experienced problems using the clickers in the ways that I do.