Teaching with Clickers : Students’ Attitudes

What Are Student and Instructor Attitudes towards Using Clickers in the Classroom?

Over the past twenty years, studies examining the usefulness and weakness of clickers in various instructional settings have revealed both promise and problems.  In Fall 2006 and Winter 2007, surveys were conducted of students taking Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A) classes that used clickers.  The surveys asked students whether clickers were helpful for improving teaching and student learning. The findings were consistent with those from studies in institutions across the country, revealing both strengths and drawbacks of this technology.

Positive feedback

The research on student and faculty attitudes indicates that most students enjoy using clickers in class because it makes lecture more fun and interesting (Beekes, 2006; Conoley, Moore, Croom, & Flowers, 2006; Duncan, 2006; Stuart, Brown, & Draper, 2004). Students also welcome the use of clickers to check their prior knowledge or understanding of the content during lecture (Abrahamson, 1999; Cue, 1998; Dufresne, Gerace, Leonard, Mestre, & Wenk, 1996; Shapiro, 1997). Students reported that they were able to improve their own understanding of the content and better understand the instructor’s expectations (Tomorrow’s professor, 2006). Clicker questions helpstudents learn because they are more likely to respond to questions and participate in the class discussion when clickers are used (Greer & Heaney, 2004; Hoffman & Goodwin, 2006).  Clickers have also been shown to help facilitate and enhance learning (Conoley et al.; Uhari, Renko, & Soini, 2003).

Feedback from students at the University of Michigan about using clickers in teaching shows similar trends. Surveys of large LS&A classes that used clickers in the Fall 2006 and Winter 2007 semesters showed that most students (54%) liked using clickers in class.  Over 55% of students thought more about the material during lecture when clicker questions were asked (Zhu et al., 2006, 2007).  Similarly, most students (57%) either strongly agreed or agreed that clicker questions helped them clarify whether they comprehended the lecture material (Zhu et al., 2006). Furthermore, about half of the students surveyed either strongly agreed or agreed that the use of clickers forced them to come prepared for class by doing the assigned readings and also made them pay more attention in lecture (Zhu et al., 2006).  While clicker use improved student class attendance in large lecture courses, over 68% of students strongly agreed or agreed that clickers are better used for getting them to interact and receive feedback on their understanding (Zhu et al., 2007).

Negative attitude

Amidst all the positive feedback, a few negative comments about clickers have been reported.  One of the most common complaints is the additional cost of purchasing a clicker (Greer & Heaney, 2004; Zhu et al., 2006, 2007). For both students and faculty, encountering technical difficulties during class engenders some negative attitudes toward the use of clickers (Hall, Collier, Thomas, & Hilgers, 2005; Silliman & McWilliams, 2004; Zhu et al., 2006, 2007).  In some cases, students disliked using clickers in class because they did not add much to the classroom experience and ruined the flow of a lecture (Knight & Wood, 2005; Zhu et al., 2006, 2007).  In addition, U-M surveys showed that students do not like very basic clicker questions that only record their answers and take attendance.  Inconsistent use of clickers and the absence of faculty feedback on student responses after a clicker question were also viewed unfavorably.

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