Are clickers any better than simpler technologies such as students raising hands or coloured cards to answer question?
Andrea Bair and colleagues of the CU-SEI conducted a study comparing use of identical questions in two sections of the same course, but using clickers in one and raising hands in the other. She found substantial differences, all favouring use of clickers.3 We have also observed a number of courses where coloured cards were used and then the same instructor switched to using clickers. Although there were very clear benefits to using questions posed to the class and requiring students to respond using their coloured cards, attendance and student engagement was significantly higher when clickers were used. Research has also shown that when points (marks) were attached to active learning practices, student learning improved. In interviews and surveys, students make it very clear that they see clickers as providing a more useful and legitimate way of determining student understanding, and hence more valuable than using cards. The combination of anonymity and accountability is a major virtue
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