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Services

Clicker Student Support Info

Written by Administrator

Friday, 31 August 2007

When can I check out a clicker?

Yale college students enrolled in classes using clickers may checked them out from the Bass Library circulation desk. The circulation desk is open Mon-Thurs 8:30 am - 11:45 pm, Friday 8:30 am - 9:45 pm, Saturday 10 am - 6:45 pm, Sun Noon - 11:45 pm.

Where do I return my clicker?

Clickers should only be returned to the circulation desk in the Bass Library (formerly CCL). Please do NOT return clickers in library drop boxes or at other libraries as this may result in damage or loss. If your clicker is lost or damaged you will be responsible for the full recovery fee.

I'm taking two classes that use clickers. Do I need more than one clicker?

You only need one clicker. Your clicker will work in all of the Yale College classes that use clickers.

I don't think my clicker is working

If no lights flash when you push buttons on the clicker, the battery might be dead. Return the clicker to the CCL staff in the Library and they will exchange it for a new one.

If green or red lights flash consistently, but you still think your responses aren't being registered, your clicker may not be set to the right channel (Channel 41). To reset the channel click the Go button, press 4 then 1, and then press Go again. Your clicker will flash green if the channel has been reset.

What if I lose my clicker?

Visit the CCL staff in the Library. They will issue you a new clicker when you have paid the replacement fee.

How do I register my clicker number?

Your professor will provide you with a link to an online form where you enter the six-character number found on the back of your clicker. NOTE: Not every class using clickers requires this and you only need to do this if directed by your professor.

Clicker Faculty Support Info

Written by Administrator

Friday, 31 August 2007

What are clickers?

Clickers are more formally referred to as Classroom or Personal Response Systems.

The system enables lecturers to create special PowerPoint slides with multiple choice questions. The students answer the questions using wireless handheld keypads. The answers are recorded by a small USB receiver plugged into the lecturer's computer and displayed on the next slide.

What are other faculty doing with clickers?

Faculty most commonly use the clickers to gauge students' comprehension of topics during lectures and to introduce interactivity to large lecture sections. Here are some more specific examples:

Margaret Clark and Marvin Chun in Psychology use the system to have students anonymously respond to questions about relationships and other concepts. The students make predictions and test psychological theories based on the responses.
Jeff Kenney in Astronomy asks challenging clicker questions requiring students to exercise quantitative reasoning during the lecture session. He also writes clicker questions focused on problem areas identified in the students' homework quizzes to make sure those areas get proper attention in class.
Allyson Polsky-McCabe in English asks provocative questions which the students answer anonymously to stimulate class discussion in her introductory writing class.
John Concato in Epidemiology and Biostatistics has groups of his students in his large lecture section stage debates on public health issues. The students who aren't participating in the debate use the clickers to vote for the group they believe had the most compelling argument.

How much time and effort is required?

Out of Class

If you know how to use PowerPoint, then you more or less know how to use the software already.

What takes the most effort is writing good questions. A sign of a high quality multiple choice question is that it will have a pretty good distribution of responses across your answer options the first time students see the question. This means that the correct answer isn't obvious and all (or most) of the distractors are plausible. If you've ever written a multiple choice exam, you know how difficult this is.

In Class

Most faculty who use the clickers ask 3-5 questions per lecture. Depending on if you encourage your students to discuss the questions before or after polling or if there is protracted computation or reasoning required to answer the questions, each question takes anywhere from 1-5 minutes of class time. Some professors have introduced online materials or activities to make up for the lost class time.

I'm interested. How do I get started?

Contact Ken Panko in the Instructional Technology Group by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone on 432-4585.

You can download the software for free by going to:
http://www.turningtechnologies.com/groupresponsesystemsupport/downloads.cfm