Created by: Ryan Los, Graduate Associate and
Katie Barnett, Tech Fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning
In small
classrooms and high schools it is acceptable to have students raise their hand
when asked a question. But in large college lectures this can be a hassle due
to the greater number of students in the classroom. Thanks to new technology,
there are now many avenues that can be utilized to allow students to voice
their opinions quickly and easily. Polling technology assists in getting
students talking, thinking, and participating in the classroom in a matter of
seconds. In addition, it gives professors instant feedback to see if their
students are following along and understanding the content of the lecture. Some
examples of polling systems include TurningPoint, PollDaddy, SurveyTool, and
Poll Everywhere.
While you may want to look through the polling
systems listed above, USD supports the TurningPoint software. TuringPoint
offers instant management of polling participants, content, sessions and
reports. The basic features and advantages of TurningPoint include: polling
from any environment and application; the ability to manage polling, participants,
content, sessions, and reports. TurningPoint also supports pictures, characters,
and question lists.
It is
important that you ensure the students understand how they will be evaluated
via using clickers. This should be explained during the first class and certainly
laid out in the syllabus for the course. For example, you may use clickers at
the beginning of every class and ask the students 5 questions based on the
prior class and/or assigned readings that will be worth 20% of the course grade
for both attendance and keeping up with course content. Upon completion of the
course, all of the responses can be tabulated and if there are 20 classes, each
classes’ clicker question will be worth .2% of the final overall grade to equal
1% per day x 20 classes = 20 % of the final course grade.
Tips for
utilizing polling in the classroom:
1.
Plan in advance for how to deal
with students whose clickers are forgotten, need batteries, or are broken.
2.
Attendance, if you want to
increase attendance, use clickers daily and link clicker usage to the D2L grade
book. This will encourage students to show up to class, listen to the lecture,
and participate in the questions being asked during class.
3.
Communication with the students - explain
to students why you are using the system and what you want them to gain from
the experience. Also let students learn from their right and wrong answers by displaying
the correct answer and discussing it. It is also wise to use a combination of
simple and more complex questions, as this will challenge students and help
generate discussion.
4.
Prevent wasted time and frustration
- spend some time in class showing students how to use the technology and offer
them a tutorial that explains the process.
The DON’Ts
of using clickers in the classroom:
1.
Fail to explain why you are using
clickers.
2.
Use them primarily for attendance.
3.
Don’t have students talk with each
other.
4.
Use only factual recall questions.
5.
Don’t make use of the student
response information.
6.
Fail to discuss what learning means
or the depth of participation and learning you expect in your class.
7.
Think of clickers as a testing
device, rather than a device to inform learning.
Polling
technology is a great way to get students involved in the classroom. It not
only promotes discussion and challenges students with questions, but allows the
students to see what areas they need to work on, and offers the professor
instant feedback on their students’ progress. By following the strategies and
tips listed above, it is quite simple to improve student involvement in classroom
discussions and to create an enhanced learning environment.
Note: Polling can be used at USD through
clickers and the TurningPoint software. For more information on setting up
polling in your classroom or if you have any questions, please contact the CTL at 5411.
References:
Caldwell, J. E. (2007). Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips. CBE - Life Sciences Education, 6(1), 9-20.
Carl Wieman Science Education Initiative. (2013). Clicker Resources. Retrieved from http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/clickers.htm
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