New clickers a hit among students in the classroom
By Sarah Stoolman, TLT Communications Intern
Penn State classrooms are utilizing new clickers and enhancing the learning experience of its students. The clickers are being used to measure students’ knowledge of course material and also to improve their classroom grade. The students seem to be reacting favorably to the use of clickers in their courses.
Matthew Naedel a second semester, post-baccalaureate pre-medicine major, uses clickers in his Biology 230W class with Dr. Jenelle Malcos. “In a general sense, clicker questions in BIOL 230W are used to build on concepts recently presented in lecture. Essentially, you are taught a chunk of information and your ability to not only understand, but be able to apply your understanding of a topic is gauged through a series of questions,” stated Naedel.
Clickers are used in a similar way in Dr. Carla Hass’s Biology 100 class. “The clickers are used in many ways. They are definitely used to keep students engaged in the learning process. In my personal opinion, the clickers are helpful in that they test my knowledge of the topic without the stress of an exam,” stated Brooke Littlefield, freshman, biology major. “Since attendance is not taken in my lecture class, clicker questions also allow your professor to know if you have attended. In return for attending you have the opportunity to earn twenty points per exam block for getting questions right,” added Littlefield.
Silvia Hildesheim, a freshman, biology major, stated, “clickers are used to measure student's grasp on knowledge. If a majority of students get the question wrong, Dr. Hass will spend a few minutes reviewing the concept. The questions are also good review as they are very similar to questions seen on the exam.” The use of the clickers helps the students obtain a firm grasp on the subject matter.
When asked if the students enjoyed his or her experience with the clickers, all seemed to have a positive reaction towards them. It seems as if the classroom technology allows the students to better understand their course material, and thus, perform better on examinations. “Yes I do enjoy the clickers. They give me an opportunity to quiz myself about the material and they also add extra support to my grade,” stated Allison Cherry, a junior nutrition and pre-medicine major. Dr. Malcos uses the clickers to calculate participation points and as a way for her students to understand the material.
“This was my first experience with them and, admittedly, I was hesitant. Dr. Malcos encourages group interaction when answering questions, which leads to student-student discussion about the topic and generally results in a better understanding of the material amongst group members. Additionally, it tends to break up the monotony of a common lecture scenario,” stated Naedel.
Between Dr. Malcos and Dr. Hass’s classes, the students seem to agree on the use of clickers in their courses. The students could not think of a way to use the clickers that their professors weren’t already utilizing. “I think that the way clickers are being used now is the best way to maximize how useful they are. They provide that little extra boost in a student’s grade and they are an extremely helpful method of practicing the material,” stated Cherry.
The clicker seems to not only benefit the student, but also the instructors because of how the device measures the classroom’s understanding of course content. “I see a large benefit in educators being able to gauge their own abilities to communicate concepts by analyzing student responses. Anytime an educator improves their skills, we as students benefit tremendously,” noted Naedel.
To learn more about clickers, please go to http://clc.its.psu.edu/Classrooms/resources/clickers or visit the Clickers pilot page: http://blogs.tlt.psu.edu/projects/clickers/.
