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Tips for Successful Clicker Use

Mercury Autumn 2011 Table of Contents

by Douglas Duncan

More than one million clickers are in use nationwide, and more than 17,000 of them are at Colorado University. Data gathered during the past few years makes clear which uses of clickers lead to success, and which lead to failure. "Success" means both the faculty member and students report
being satisfied with the results of using clickers. Clickers have many possible uses:

• find out if students have done assigned reading before class;
• measure what students know before you start to teach them and after you think you've taught them;
• measure attitudes and opinions, with more honest answers if the topic is personal or embarrassing;
• get students to confront common misconceptions;
• facilitate discussion and peer teaching;
• increase student's retention of what you teach;
• transform the way you do demonstrations; and
• increase class attendance; improve student attitudes.

Of course, none of these outcomes are magically achieved by the clicker itself. They are achieved — or not — entirely by how you implement their use.

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