Clicking Away: Using Student Response Systems to
Encourage Student Involvement
By: Alison McBride and Jillian Derr
http://regisdtclab.wikispaces.com/Student+Response+System+Tips
What are Student Response Systems?
‘Clicker’ is the nickname that has been given to the innovative technology more formally known as Student Response Systems (SRS), or handheld electronic devices that transmit student responses to a controlling receiver that effectively records inputs and outputs. This technology was first introduced into the classroom as a way to increase student participation and has evolved into an integral assessment and participation tool. Through the use of radio frequency technology, student’s submissions are chosen and clicked on their individual Student Response System and are then transmitted to the main system console (usually located at the front of the classroom or hung from the ceiling or wall). Some clickers have only number or letter options for responses, while others are adorned with a full keyboard and number pad. Certain brands of Clickers may have a simple design (figure A below) or may have a screen which can display information provided by the instructor (figure B below). Due to the variation of models and types of Student Response Systems available, each separate brand of Clicker may look different than the next but they will still achieve the same goal: encourage student involvement in the classroom and become a resourceful, technological tool.
Figure A: Figure B:
Why should Student Response Systems be incorporated into the classroom?
The question that is posed in this section should really be why instructors would choose not to use Student Response Systems in their classroom because their educational applications are seemingly endless. Students are given an opportunity to actively participate in the classroom through the use of the handheld clickers and their provided responses are presented in real time in order to provide immediate feedback. Instructors can choose to have a graph or histogram appear after each question to show which answers were chosen by how many students or at the end of the session to show overall scores (which are still kept anonymous). This allows students to self-assess their learning and reflect on their metacognition regarding concepts presented in their classes. Providing a visual checkpoint for the student’s progress is vital to their success and through use of this technology they can quickly see at which level of proficiency they are preforming.
Applications for using Student Response Systems in Secondary Mathematics Courses:
Like all technology there are multiple ways student response systems can be applied in a classroom. We have decided that the four most advantageous ways to apply clickers in a classroom are for: active learning, review, quizzes or exams, and student feedback. The more clickers are used in a classroom, the more they will benefit students and the learning that takes place in a classroom.
*ACTIVE LEARNING:
Using student response systems or any technology engages students’ interests and engages them to participate. In multiple classrooms student response systems has been shown to increase student participation and students’ retention of information. During a lesson, clickers allow all students to participate with the benefit of answering anonymously. While presenting a lesson, a concept check question could be presented to which the students would respond giving the teacher an opportunity to see how many students are understanding. This allows the teacher to immediately know if one or two students is having difficulty and can backtrack to the concept instead of finding out on the test that multiple students don’t understand. In addition, the teacher may allow the feedback of the question to be projected to the students so that they may also see how many students understand and where they fall.
Which of the following is not a true triangle congruency?
a.) SAS b.) SSA c.) ASA d.) AAS
An example of a student feedback graph:
*REVIEW:
Reviewing before a quiz or exam is very important in order for students to remember all the comprehensive information and for a last minute concept check. As seen in many classrooms, a variation of a Jeopardy game is very popular for a reviewing session. There are multiple ways this can be accomplished based on accessibility to technology; however, using student response systems provide a quick and easy way to play Jeopardy. The ideal way would be to have a Promethean board and ActivExpression 2 student response systems. This will allow the PowerPoint on the Promethean board to be synced with the student clickers. A student would then choose a question and each student would respond using their individual clickers. After a given amount of time the immediate feedback would appear displaying the correct answer and the percentage of students who chose each answer. If multiple students chose the same incorrect answer, this would allow the teacher to address the issue and allow students to ask questions and clarify where they went wrong.
- Example Jeopardy question:
Given these two points, (2,3) and (6, -1), what is the slope of the line?:
a.) (-3, 4) b.) (3, -3) c.) (4, -4) d.) (-1, 7)
*QUIZZES/EXAMS:
Assessments are one of the most important parts of learning, as it gives both the students and the teacher feedback of how the students are learning. To deviate from the normal paper and pencil test, using student response systems gives a fresh look to assessments. Not only is this an ecofriendly alternative, but it allows students to use what they know best, technology, to express their learning on a quiz or exam. The questions to the assessment can be displayed on the board or the students could receive the questions on a piece of paper, and then at their own pace students would answer the questions using the clickers. The student answers would then be recorded in the teacher’s computer as a grade.
Solve for x, 3x+7=12
a.) x= 5/3 b.) x=12 c.) x= 5 d.) x=3
*STUDENT FEEDBACK:
The last application we will address of using student response systems in the classroom is student feedback. This is a quick and easy way to survey the students about their opinions. Through student feedback students can express their feelings, ideas, and opinions about what is going on in the classroom. These surveys could be multiple questions or simply the teacher could ask a question at the end of a class period. Communication between student and teacher is very vital to successful learning and a successful classroom.
Did you enjoy completing the project as a group?
a.) Yes I did b.) No I did not c.) Yes, but I prefer to work alone d.) No, but maybe with a different group
Web Links that Provide Further Information and Innovative Ideas for Including Student Response Systems in the Classroom:
http://its.uiowa.edu/support/srs/teaching.shtml
This website is full of resources and tips for using clickers in the classroom.
http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=155
This website lists various reasons why teachers should use clickers in their classroom and how they can help students.
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7002.pdf
This article states the 7 most important things that should be known about clickers.
http://www.cidde.pitt.edu/clickers
A wealth of information concerning clickers, resources available to teachers and activities that could be used in the classroom.
http://irespond.com/products/?gclid=CNvdgqiXma8CFWuHtgodnFILzQ
This article discusses the different types of clickers that are readily available to teachers and instructors and tips on how to know which clicker is right to use in different classroom settings.
Additional Sources we used to complete this Assignment:
http://www.classroom.uci.edu/ars/
http://www.prometheanworld.com/en-us/education/products/learner-response-systems/activexpression2
http://online.rit.edu/faculty/support/clickers/documentation/index.cfm
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.