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Thriving in Academe
Issues To Consider

Questions about Teaching with Clickers

New instructional technologies can pose challenges to instructors.

How can I cover the same amount of material when using clickers?
Using clickers in ways that promote active learning takes class time. This can make it difficult to “cover” the same amount of material you would otherwise. However, many teachers feel that their students understand and retain material better when they engage with it actively during class. Furthermore, if student misconceptions are not uncovered and dealt with via some active learning technique, students may not get much out of class time anyway.

How do I write effective clicker questions?
Some question banks are available online or as textbook supplements. You can also use student responses to free-response quiz questions to create answer choices for later in-class clicker questions. Vanderbilt University professor Francisco Estrada-Belli poses the question, “What is a civilization?” on the first day of his introductory anthropology course and has student volunteers generate possible definitions. He uses clickers to start a discussion about this central question that will last throughout the course.

How do I lead a class-wide discussion after a clicker question?
Do not reveal the correct answer to a clicker question immediately. Instead, ask for student volunteers to explain their answers. If no one will defend a particular choice, ask for a volunteer to conjecture why someone might make that choice. Play the devil’s advocate, if necessary, to keep the discussion moving. Be sensitive to minority opinions since students in the minority may be less inclined to speak up.

What if the technology does not work or the students forget their clickers?
Practice with the technology before class to try to prevent technical difficulties. If necessary, use a low-tech substitute such as having students hold fingers in front of their chests (one finger for choice A, two for choice B, etc.). This method provides much the same anonymity of student responses that clickers do, while still giving you a rough sense of how your students respond to a given question. For graded clicker questions, have students write their answers on scrap paper and turn them in if they forget their clickers.

How do I get started?
Find a colleague who is already using clickers and ask for advice. You also should contact your campus teaching center or instructional technology office. Your publisher’s sales representative is another potential contact. Some departments purchase sets of clickers for faculty and students to use, so consider requesting funding for such a set. The campus bookstore may also provide assistance.

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