In-Class Polling ITG

Agenda Polling Tools (Clickers, Polls Everywhere) Implications in teaching & learning Emerson faculty experiences Tips for an effective polling session

Polling Tools Clickers (Handheld) Polls Everywhere (Web Based)

Clickers (Handheld) A clicker is a 'personal response system', a device that allows faculty to poll students for feedback in real time during a class session. Clickers help an instructor quiz students. Responses are instantly tabulated and displayed visually to the class through a projected computer screen (e.g., PowerPoint) or can be displayed privately to the instructor

Polls Everywhere (Web-based) No hardware or software required. For thirty users, it is free. Vote via cell phone or web. Clean Interface Easy automatic question creation in Powerpoint

Teaching & Learning Student Engagement and Interaction – Live student responses. – Anonymous Voting. – Gather responses from shy students. Trigger Discussion in a classroom – Foster Follow-up Discussion or Debate – Ice Breakers Evaluate & Assessment – Test student knowledge of subject matter. – Pre test & Post test – Gauge student opinions on controversial or sensitive issues. – Redesign course materials and/or teaching methods.

Carole Simpson - Refresher Grammar Seminar - Reporting on Social Issues She used a pretest to assess grammar knowledge and asked students to respond via clickers. From the bar graph results on the screen, Simpson could instantly view student responses, identify problematic areas, and further explain the grammatical rules that needed reinforcing.

Carole Simpson Refresher Grammar Seminar “The clicker technology helped give me what I wanted, an evaluation, and made my ‘grammar slammer’ course more interesting and instructional to the students. No matter how badly they performed, they were unanimous in their approval of the clickers. Summing up, it was overall a ‘fun’ activity for students.”

Carole Simpson Reporting on Social Issues “They were extremely effective. I could assess levels of bias because the students’ answers were anonymous allowing them to express their views more honestly. (They love to click.)”

Fredericka King Listening to Music Review quiz entailed listening to actual music segments and then identifying the composer or period. Provided instant visual feedback of understanding of the subject matter. Students were engaged and more receptive to this paperless quiz than verbal and written quizzes. This quiz prepared students for their final examination. The anonymity aspect encouraged students to freely participate. Plans on using Graded quiz, Pre and Post tests. Powerpoint helped instructor to organize thoughts, design and keep questions “streamlined and quick to read.”

Fredericka King Student Responses The clickers were interesting. I enjoyed the change from the normal paper-and pencil test style and overall felt that the novelty of the technology alleviated some of the test anxiety. It was easy and interesting to see what the rest of the class thought as well. I definitely think that clicker devices should be used in activities and tests because it is so well organized and more fun than regular question. I really liked the clicker. They were fast, accurate, and the graphic display helped me to see how well I was doing in comparison with my class mates. I think before a test these would come in handy for reviewing.

Wyatt Oswald Ecology, Earth Sciences Used clicker questions to foster interaction and discussions. Engage the students in course materials and help them learn. Provided instructor with instant feedback. Clickers would work best in relatively large classes, as well in situations where students may be hesitant to share their opinions on the subject matter.

Michelle Johnson Images of News She used photos, graphics, news clips to gather opinions on socially sensitive topics (poverty, race). After the poll the class discussed the results, which appeared on a screen for the students to analyze. "We often have spirited discussions and the clickers added an extra layer of information to the mix.“ Johnson liked the anonymity aspect. “It gave students who didn't normally speak up in class a way to participate."

Michelle Johnson Student Responses: Images of News We could respond to questions like whether or not we'd run a particular photo and then see what percentage of the class would or wouldn't. I think it stimulated conversation about the course subjects. Examining news images may require several responses. The clickers can poll the class quicker.

Paula Childs Newsgathering Course Gauge student opinions on Presidential Candidates (Hillary, Obama). Used clickers to illustrate to her students "how questions can be framed to push people toward a specific answer."

Spring '08 & Fall ’08 semesters Clicker Test Results Wyatt Oswald, Michele Johnson, Fredericka King, Carole Simpson, Paula Childs 90% of students indicated that clickers increased their level of engagement in class % students thought clickers increased their engagement with the course subject % students expressed that they would like to see clickers used in other Emerson courses.

Tips for a Effective Polling Session Well designed questions –Keep the questions simple and direct. –Design a question with a objective in mind. Open up discussion topics Gauge knowledge Conduct a pre/post test Collect feedback on sensitive topics Have a practice session prior to beginning an actual polling session.