Canadian Journal of Action Research Volume 14, Issue 1, 2013, pages 21-37 THE IMPACT OF USING CLICKERS TECHNOLOGY ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION: STUDENTS AND TEACHERS PERSPECTIVES Cora Roush and Liyan Song Towson University ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to report a study that examined the impact of using Clickers technology on classroom instruction from both the students and the teachers perspectives. The students in this study came from six high school Spanish classes, and the teachers were from six different subject areas in the high school and two elementary schools of the same school district. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected using survey and interview methods. The findings from the study suggested that the use of Clickers seemed to be able to improve student interest and engagement in class activities as well as students scores on assessments. Keywords: Clickers, Personal Response Systems, Audience Response Systems, Electronic Response Systems, Student-Centered Learning INTRODUCTION Student Response Systems, also known as Classroom Response Systems, Pupil Response Systems, Personal Response Systems, and Audience Response Technology, refer to clicker type of tools that have numbered and lettered buttons that students can push to enter their answers to a question (Herreid, 2006), and therefore, they are often called Clickers. The questions are usually displayed on the classroom overhead screen within a PowerPoint presentation (Ribbens, 2007). The results can be displayed immediately in the form of a chart on the computer screen and then projected for the class, and the data can be stored and retrieved later.
22 Although they vary in form and number of buttons that enable students to enter yes-no or true-false responses or enter answers to multiple choice questions, all Clickers share the essential feature of immediate, anonymous display of the distribution of a set of student responses for class review and discussion (Trees & Jackson, 2007, p. 24). Clickers are used in various disciplines ranging from physics to economics and political sciences (Trees & Jackson, 2007). They are often used to gather information about the students backgrounds and level of knowledge, share students knowledge and experiences, poll students opinions, test comprehension of course material, and review. There has been an increase in the use of Clickers in the past few years (e.g., Castleberry & Evers, 2010; Gauci, Dantas, Williams, & Kemm, 2009; Morling, McAuliffe, Cohen, & DiLorenzo, 2008; Trees & Jackson, 2007). This type of technology was initially used in large, lecture-style, college-level classes because it provides opportunities for all students to participate in classroom activities (Herreid, 2006; Ribbens, 2007; Stowell & Nelson, 2007). Recently, Clickers have become popular in K-12 classrooms, too. With the increasing use of Clickers in classroom instruction, more and more research has been conducted to examine the impact of using Clickers on students learning experiences. However, most studies in this area were conducted in the context of higher education, or post-secondary education, and most studies examined the impact of Clickers on students learning only. There is a need to study the impact of using Clickers on students learning and/or teachers instruction in the K-12, or primary and secondary, environment. In addition, a more systematic and multi-dimensional assessment of classroom response systems is needed in order to understand the overall effect of this type of technology on student learning experience (MacGeorge, Homan, Dunning, Elmore, Bodie, & Evans, 2008). LITERATURE REVIEW Many studies on the use of Clickers have examined how Clickers impacted students participation in college and university classroom activities, and findings from those studies all seemed to suggest that students tend to participate more in Clickers-integrated classroom activities (e.g., Herreid, 2006; Ribbens, 2007; Stowell & Nelson, 2007). For example, Stowell and Nelson (2007) found that Clickers increased participation, enjoyment, and honesty of student feedback. In their study, Stowell and Nelson compared the use of Clickers to standard lecture, hand-raising, and response card methods of student feedback in their introductory psychology classes with enrollment of 140 students. They examined Clickers impact on student participation and academic performance. They also investigated the effect of Clickers on academic emotions that are linked directly to academic learning, classroom instruction, and achievement. They assigned these students to one of the following groups: (a) standard lecture with hand raising to respond to spontaneously-posed, open-ended questions (n = 34); (b) review questions with hand raising to respond to both informal questions (like those in group a) and formal questions, posed in a multiple-choice format, when they were asked how many thought each option was correct (n = 35); (c) review questions with response cards to indicate their answer to formal review questions (n = 36); or (d) review questions with Clickers to indicate their answers to formal review questions (n=35). The findings of the study did not show
23 significant differences between groups regarding their age, sex, race, enrollment in a particular section, or GPA, but indicated a significant effect of group on formal participation rates. The Clicker group had the highest formal participation followed by the response-card group, both of which were significantly higher than the hand-raising group. The study also found significant increased enjoyment and pride in the Clicker group than the standard lecture group. The Clickers group s performance on the formal review questions was closer to their performance on the post-lecture quiz than the other groups, suggesting their answers to the review questions were a more honest (accurate) reflection of their actual learning (p. 255). Herreid (2006) found that the use of Clickers helped improve students attendance, motivate students to participate in question-answer activities, and increase students attention in class. Herreid (2006), a Biological Science professor at the University of Buffalo in New York, understood that his students are bored to death due to the impersonal nature of the lectures, their lack of real-world application, and their prioritization of facts and memorization over critical analysis, synthesis, and discussion (p. 43). In an attempt to offset these problems, he attempted using Clickers to transform the lecture into an interactive experience for the students. Using as a guide The 11 Ways Faculty Use Clickers list provided by Duncan (2005) in his book Clickers in the Classroom: How to Enhance Science Teaching Using Classroom Response Systems, Herreid completed preassessment activities to measure what students knew prior to his instruction; measured students attitudes; found out if students had done the assigned readings; got his students to confront misconceptions; transformed the way he did demonstrations; and tested his students understanding. He found through this experience that the use of Clickers was linked to student s increased attention, and the instant and direct feedback provided by the Clickers improved student motivation to participate in classroom activities. Herreid (2006) also found that the students enthusiasm for the use of Clickers was high; they enjoyed using Clickers and believed the Clickers could help them understand course content and prepare for exams. Because active learning strategies are important and interactive feedback is the key, Herreid (2006) claimed that the courses with active learning strategies were far superior in producing learning gains than traditional lectures (p. 43). In addition to the studies on how the use of Clickers could increase students participation in university- and college-level classroom activities, a few studies attempted to study if the use of Clickers could help improve other aspects of classroom instruction. For example, Morling, McAuliffe, Cohen, and DiLorenzo (2008) discovered that group discussion was an excellent tool to combine with Clickers; students could enter their answers to a question both before and after small-group discussion. This increased student interactivity and active learning and, therefore, motivated, engaged, and interested students even more. Morling et al., (2008) conducted a study with their four sections of introductory psychology (N = 1,290). Two of the sections were taught with the use of Clickers and the other two sections were taught without Clickers. Four multiple-choice exams were given throughout the semester. The researchers analyzed the percentage of questions answered correctly by conducting a 2 x 2 x 4 mixed MANOVA with instructor, Clicker use, and the exams as the independent variables. They found that exam scores were higher for Clicker sections than
24 for traditional sections. Students completed anonymous, online evaluations at the end of the semester. In addition to the standard questions used for all courses, the professors wrote five questions to measure engagement specifically. The professors did independentgroup t tests for the five self-report items which revealed that, due to the use of Clickers, class attendance and completing reading assignments before class increased. After investigating whether an active learning approach facilitated by Clickers would lead to improved student engagement and learning outcomes, Gauci, Dantas, Williams, and Kemm (2009) discovered that problem-solving, critical thinking, and analytical skills were also improved with their use, and students tended to appreciate and want more think-pairshare questions because they valued peer interaction in lectures. In their study, Gauci et al., (2009), professors at the University of Melbourne in Australia, modified their traditional lecture format by inserting Clicker questions that were posed before a topic to establish students prior knowledge and draw students attention and after a topic was covered to check students understanding. Students were allowed to discuss the answers with their peers prior to responding individually. Using the answers, which were displayed as a histogram of selected responses immediately after each question, the professors discussed the misconceptions indicated by the incorrect answers selected with the students. After twelve weeks of meeting three times per week for fifty-minute lectures and ten two-hour computer-assisted learning (CAL) sessions, an evaluation questionnaire was distributed to the students to evaluate positive and negative impacts of Clickers. Student questionnaire responses showed that students, through the use of Clickers in lectures, felt more engaged (83%), intellectually stimulated (85%), and motivated to think (89%). The majority (82%) did not agree that the use of Clickers was a waste of time and most perceived it to be enjoyable and to improve understanding. In the written response to open-ended questions, a strong perception that the use of Clickers assisted in the understanding of lecture material, reinforced or consolidated lecture material, provided feedback, and highlighted key course areas was indicated (Gauci et al., 2009, p. 64). Responses to the individual student interviews (n = 9) implied that the use of Clickers had a positive impact on students, making them think and actively learn, assisting them in understanding lectures, reinforcing lecture material, providing feedback, and highlighting key course areas. Six students indicated that the use of Clickers encouraged them to study after the lectures. Stowell & Nelson (2007), Herreid (2006), Morling et al., (2008), and Gauci et al., (2009) discovered many positive benefits of the use of Clickers; however their research was conducted in the context of higher education. There has been limited research published that examined this new technology, and there is a need to study the impact of using Clickers on students learning and/or teachers instruction in the K-12, or primary and secondary, environment. In addition, a more systematic and multi-dimensional assessment of classroom response systems is needed in order to understand the overall effect of this type of technology on student learning experience (MacGeorge, Homan, Dunning, Elmore, Bodie, & Evans, 2008).
25 THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to understand both students and teachers perspectives on using Clickers in classroom instruction. Students from six high school Spanish classes were surveyed on their perceptions of how using Clickers in classroom instruction influenced their learning experience. Teachers of six different subject areas from one high school and two elementary schools were surveyed on their perception of how using Clickers in classroom instruction influenced their students learning experience. A follow-up interview was conducted with both the students and the teachers to further understand their perceptions on using Clickers. Specifically, the research investigated the following research questions: How does the use of Clickers impact students preparation for class? How does the use of Clickers impact teachers preparation for class? How does the use of Clickers impact students learning? How does the use of Clickers impact students participation in class? How do students and teachers perceive the ease and enjoyment of using Clickers in class? RESEARCH CONTEXT The participating teachers of Learning Support, Foreign Language, Science, English, and Physical Education used Clickers in similar ways. Most frequently, Clickers were used to review and prepare for upcoming quizzes or tests. Target vocabulary, for example, would be reviewed with a picture and four possible definitions from which the students could select one. Other content that the students were required to know for the upcoming assessment would be reviewed in a similar multiple-choice format. This enabled the teachers to further explain any material with which the students were struggling and enabled the students to become aware of the content with which they were comfortable and uncomfortable. Also quite often, Clickers were used to change the pace of a lesson and check student understanding and/or promote classroom discussion. For example, after presenting a new topic, teachers would post multiple-choice, comprehension questions to check their students understanding. The immediate responses to these questions would enable the teacher to further explain things when necessary and ask students more indepth questions, about which they would discuss their answers with their peers. Some teachers used Clickers to quickly and anonymously obtain student feedback. For example, they would ask a survey-like question and obtain their students opinions about a topic. This, several felt, significantly enhanced student participation and classroom discussion. Data Collection To help answer the research questions, the study adopted a mixed research design using survey and interview as data collection methods. The survey instrument was originally developed and validated by MacGeorge et al. (2008) to collect information about students perceptions of using Clickers on several categories: 1) exam preview; 2) self-appraisal; 3) learning; 4) negative grade; 5) attendance; 6) fun; 7) enjoyment; 8) future use; 9)
26 preparation; 10) motivation; 11) ease of use; 12) participation; 13) class time; 14) privacy; and 15) attention. The researchers modified the survey in a few ways. The original instrument used CPS (Classroom Performance System) for the survey questions. The researchers changed it to Clickers because that was what the participants in the study used in their classes. The researchers also modified the categories and regrouped them into the following four categories: preparation, participation, learning, and ease of use (see Appendices A & B). The survey questions were Likert scale questions. Participants responded to items in the survey instrument using the following Likert-type scale: Strongly agree; Agree; Neutral; Disagree; and Strongly Disagree. Participants were also given the option N/A (Not Applicable) for questions that did not apply to their experience using Clickers in their classes. The researchers used the modified survey for both the students and teachers in the study to understand both students and teachers perspectives on the impact of using Clickers on students learning experience. A total of 99 students completed the survey. About 64% of the participants were female and 92% of them were Caucasian. Other ethnicities represented were Hispanic (3%), African American (4%), and Asian (1%). Forty-one percent (41%) of them were freshmen (9 th grade; average age 14.5), 17% were sophomores (10 th grade; average age 15.5), 18% were juniors (11 th ; average age 16.5), and 24% were seniors (12 th grade; average age 17.5). A total of 17 teachers completed the survey. About 75% of the participants were female and 94% of them were Caucasian. Another ethnicity represented was Asian (6%). Fortyfour percent (44%) taught at the high school level and 56% taught at the elementary level. Classes taught included Elementary Curriculum (37.5%), Learning Support (25%), Foreign Languages (18.8%), Science (6.3%), English (6.3%), and Physical Education (6.3%). Upon completion of the survey, students and teachers were asked to voluntarily participate in a follow-up interview conducted online through a password-protected blog. A total of 43 students and 15 teachers participated. The students interview questions asked them to report how using Clickers influenced their learning about the content, their preparation for exams and assignments, their motivation to learn, and the ease of use of Clickers. The teachers interview questions asked them to report how using Clickers influenced how they teach, their preparation time, their students learning, participation, and progress, and the ease of use of Clickers (see Appendix C for the interview questions). Data Analysis In-depth analyses were conducted on both the quantitative and qualitative data to generate comprehensive findings. Descriptive and cross tabulation analyses, which are discussed more in depth in the Findings section of this paper, were conducted on the quantitative data collected through the surveys. Content analysis was conducted on the interview data.
27 FINDINGS How Does the Use of Clickers Impact Students Preparation? The results indicated that the use of Clickers did not seem to help motivate students to prepare more before class (see Table 1). When asked in the survey if the use of Clickers helped them prepare more prior to class, most students (61%) rated neutral (42%) or disagree (19%). Only fourteen percent (14%) of the student participants strongly agreed that using Clickers made them more likely to review their notes prior to class as compared to the five percent (5%) who strongly disagreed with this statement. When asked to rate a similar statement in the survey, Using clickers encouraged me to do readings prior to class, the responses from the participants were similar to the previous statement. More participants disagreed (26%) than agreed (18%) while the majority was neutral (44%). In the interview, one student said, The clickers did not motivate me to study for the class any more than I have been. For me, it was simply a check on if I am keeping up with my studies or not. Another said, I think Clickers helped me learn more in class, but I didn t have any more motivation to study outside of class than I already do. Similarly, only a small percentage of teachers (25%) agreed that using Clickers would make students more likely to prepare for class. Table 1: The Use of Clickers Impact on Students Preparation How Does the Use of Clickers Impact Teachers Preparation? The results indicated that the use of Clickers did require teachers to spend more time to prepare for class (e.g., making the Clickers presentations with PowerPoint). However, teachers perceived this to be a one-time effort because they could use the same presentations in the future. One teacher represented the majority of the responses well when responding in the interview, The initial set up for the Clickers (making and linking the PowerPoint) was time consuming. If I use them next year, however, it would not require more time because those would be set up. Another teacher stated quite similarly, The up-front aspect of inputting questions and answer responses has increased, but should decrease next year when I can re-use.
28 How Does the Use of Clickers Impact Students Learning? The analysis from the student surveys indicated that most students agreed or strongly agreed that the use of Clickers helped improve their knowledge of class materials (73%), helped them understand more in the class (70%), and learned class material better (76%). The majority (91%) of the participants agreed (41%) or strongly agreed (50%) that the use of Clickers made it easier for them to tell whether they were mastering class material, but not necessarily motivated them to study more. The ratings were consistent on similar questions such as Because of Clickers, I am more certain about how I am performing in the class (84%) and Using Clickers helps me more easily determine how well I am doing in the class (85%). The data from the interviews showed that students generally perceived that the use of Clickers helped them become aware of whether they understood the class materials well and areas where they needed to work more. For example, one student said in the interview, It gave me a good idea of whether or not I knew the material and let me know what I needed to study and practice more. When asked about the use of Clickers improving students learning, most teachers (56%) strongly agreed or agreed that students knowledge of class material was improved because of using Clickers. The majority (82%) agreed or strongly agreed that using Clickers helped them more easily determine how well their students were doing in the class and how well they were mastering the material. Teachers found that Clickers provided a new approach for students to learn and increased student engagement. Teachers believed that Clickers were great tools for reviewing content and preparing for assessments, Clickers allowed teachers to identify struggling students in a timely manner, and, due to the ability to generate individual student results, students accountability increased with Clickers. In the interview, one teacher said, Clickers enabled me to highlight the key components of a lesson, a unit, or a chapter. They helped me realize the areas in which my students were struggling and to then provide extra help or explanations for them. How Does the Use of Clickers Impact Students Participation? When asked if the use of Clickers helped increase their motivation to attend class, most students (37%) rated neutral. More students rated strongly disagree (15%) than strongly agree (8%). This seems to indicate that the use of Clickers did not have a strong positive impact on students attendance in class. However, when asked if the use of Clickers helped them engage more in class, most students agreed or strongly agreed. Seventy-two percent (72%) of the participants agreed (48%) or strongly agreed (24%) that using Clickers made them more attentive during lecture or other class activities. Eighty-three (83%) of participants agreed (50%) or strongly agreed (33%) that using Clickers helped them focus on the subject matter during class. When asked in the interview if their students participated more in class because of the use of Clickers, some teachers claimed that there was no difference. One said, The students
29 who usually don t participate, still don t. However, other teachers found that having a Clicker in their hands makes students feel like they have to pay more attention and to participate, the new technology heightened their interest and participation, and students participate more because they know others won t know if they answer incorrectly. The majority of the teachers (94%) agreed (63%) or strongly agreed (31%) that their students were more engaged, interested, and had a greater sense of participation during class when Clickers were used. How do Students and Teachers Perceive the Ease and Enjoyment of Using Clickers? When asked about their use of Clickers to answer questions in class, students did not seem to be concerned about whether their classmates would know how they answered questions using Clickers. For example, only 2% agreed to the statement, I have thought about not answering or actually did not answer a Clickers question because I was afraid someone near me would see how I answered. For the statement, As I use Clickers, I am concerned about other students seeing how I answer, only 2% rated strongly agree and only 5% rated agree to this question. The majority (93%) agreed (24%) or strongly agreed (69%) that Clickers are easy to use. When asked about the enjoyment of using Clickers, 56% strongly agreed and 36% agreed that Using the Clickers is fun, while 47% strongly agreed and 31% agreed that It is exciting to answer questions using Clickers technology. The majority (94%) of teachers agreed (75%) or strongly agreed (19%) that time spent using Clickers is time well spent. Fifty-six percent (56%) agreed (25%) or strongly agreed (31%) with the statement Using the Clickers technology is easy for me. The majority (82%) agreed (69%) or strongly agreed (13%) that using the Clickers technology is easy for their students. When asked if the use of Clickers is fun for them, 81% of the teachers agreed (56%) or strongly agreed (25%), and when asked if it is fun for their students 94% agreed (63%) or strongly agreed (31%). ANALYSES Cross Tabulation Analyses Because 61% of the students in this study had prior experience with Clickers, cross tabulation analyses were completed to compare the answers of students who had been using the Clickers for at least two school years (61%) compared to those who had only been using them for the current school year (39%) (see Table 2). This enabled the researchers to determine if the effects measured were lasting and, in each of the four categories, they were found to be. There was a 3% increase in the amount of experienced students who strongly agreed or agreed that the use of Clickers helps them prepare better for assessments and a 7% increase in the amount of experienced students who strongly agreed or agreed that using Clickers helps them pay attention and be more focused. There was a 7% decrease in the amount of experienced students who strongly agreed or agreed that using Clickers helps them understand class material better and a 7% decrease in the amount of experienced
30 students who strongly agreed or agreed that time spent using Clickers is time well spent. Because these increases and decreases were minimal, the researchers predict that the proven outcomes of the use of Clickers are maintained over time; even after using Clickers for at least two school years, students still find them useful for assessment preparation, keeping attention and focus during class, and understanding class material, and students still find using them enjoyable. Category Subcategory Students with prior experience Class preparation: Using 42% neutral Clickers makes me prepare 18% agreed Preparation for class more than I would 18% disagreed otherwise (readings, notes). Learning Participation Use Clickers of Exam preview: Because of Clickers, I have a better idea of what to expect on exams. Self-appraisal: Using Clickers helps me determine how well I am doing in class. Learning: Clickers helps me learn and understand class material better. Motivation: Using Clickers makes me more motivated to learn in class. Time: Time spent using Clickers is time well spent Attention: Using Clickers helps me focus and be more attentive. Enjoyment & Fun: I enjoy using Clickers and using them is fun. Ease of Use: Using the Clickers technology is easy. 90% strongly agreed (63%) or agreed (27%) 85% strongly agreed (40%) or agreed (45%) 75% strongly agreed (27%) or agreed (48%) 56% strongly agreed (23%) or agreed (33%) 82% strongly agreed (35%) or agreed (47%) 86% strongly agreed (33%) or agreed (53%) 91% strongly agreed (53%) or agreed (38%) 94% strongly agreed (72%) or agreed (22%) Students without prior experience 41% neutral 21% agreed 21% disagreed 87% strongly agreed (51%) or agreed (36%) 88% strongly agreed (44%) or agreed (44%) 82% strongly agreed (28%) or agreed (54%) 59% strongly agreed (23%) or agreed (36%) 89% strongly agreed (33%) or agreed (56%) 79% strongly agreed (33%) or agreed (46%) 95% strongly agreed (62%) or agreed (33%) 95% strongly agreed (67%) or agreed (28%) Table 2: Cross tabulation analyses Comparative Analysis Similar to the results of the studies on the use of Clickers at the college and university levels (Stowell and Nelson, 2007; Herreid, 2006; Morling et al., 2008; Gauci et al., 2009), the results of this study indicated that the use of Clickers increased students participation,
31 engagement, attention, and enjoyment. It also increased students interest, understanding, and knowledge of class material. Unlike the results to the higher education studies, the results of this study did not indicate that the use of Clickers improves students attendance or motivates students to study or prepare more outside of class. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study indicated that the use of Clickers helped students become more engaged in the class and helped increase students interest in class materials. Both students and teachers found Clickers easy to use and enjoyed using them in classes. It seems that student response technology such as Clickers is helpful in increasing students participation in classroom activities and that these effects generally last over time. Because teachers also found that the use of Clickers provided review opportunities which, in turn, helped improve students scores on assessments, they will continue to use them and discover new uses of them in their instructional practices. Further research is now needed on the lasting effect of the measures of teachers perspectives on the impact of using Clickers technology on classroom instruction. In addition, further research that investigates how the use of Clickers could help students prepare for class and motivate them to learn in class would be helpful since this research did not generate very positive responses from the students regarding these two areas. REFERENCES Castleberry, G. T. & Evers, R. B. (2010). Incorporate technology into the modern language classroom. Intervention in School and Clinic, 45, 201-205. doi: 10.1177/1053451209349535 Cleary, A. M. (2008). Using wireless response systems to replicate behavioral research findings in the classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 35(1), 42-44. doi: 10.1080/00986280701826642 Duncan, D. (2005). Clickers in the classroom: How to enhance Science teaching using classroom response systems. Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley Gauci, S., Dantas, A., Williams, D., & Kemm, R. (2009). Promoting student-centered active learning in lectures with personal response system. Advances in Physiological Education. 33, 60-71. doi: 10.1152/advan.00109.2007 Herreid, C. F. (2006). Clicker cases: Introducing case study teaching into large classrooms. Journal of College Science Teaching, 36(2), 43-47. MacGeorge, E. L., Homan, S. R., Dunning, J.B, Elmore, D., Bodie, G.D., Evans, E., et.al, (2008). Student evaluation of audience response technology in large lecture classes. Education Technology Research Development, 56(2), 125-145. doi: 10.1007/s11423007-9053-6
32 Morling, B., McAuliffe, M., Cohen, L., & DiLorenzo T. M., (2008). Efficacy of personal response systems ( clickers ) in large, introductory psychology classes. Teaching of Psychology, 35(1), 45-50. doi: 10.1080/00986280701818516 Ribbens, E. (2007). Why I like clicker personal response systems. Journal of College Science Teaching, 37(2), 60-62. Stowell J. R., & Nelson, J. M. (2007). Benefits of electronic audience response systems on student participation, learning, and emotion. Teaching of Psychology, 34(4), 253-258. Trees, A. R., & Jackson, M. H. (2007). The learning environment in clicker classrooms: student processes of learning and involvement in large university-level courses using student response systems. Learning, Media and Technology, 32(1), 21-40. doi: 10.1080/17439880601141179
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A Impact of Clickers Technology 33 Appendix A: Student Questionnaire on the Use of Clickers Instructions: Please provide the information below by circling the correct response and checking (with an X ) the blanks with the information about your class. N/A can be used if the statement is not applicable to your experience. Gender: Male Female Grade: 9 th 10 th 11 th 12 th Demographic Information Class: Pd. 2 Pd. 3 Pd. 7/8 Pd. 9/10 Pd. 11 Pd. 12 Ethnicity: Hispanic African American Asian Caucasian Other Prior Experience with Clickers: Yes No Questions (adapted from MacGeorge et al., 2008) I feel more engaged during class because we use Clickers. Because we use Clickers, I have a greater sense of participation in the class. Using Clickers heightens y interest in whatever else we do during class. I wish we spent less time using Clickers. Time spent using Clickers is time well spent. I have thought about not answering or actually did not answer a Clickers question because I was afraid someone near me would see how I answered. As I use the Clickers, I am concerned about other students seeing how I answer. Using Clickers makes me more attentive during lecture or other class activities. Using Clickers helps me focus on the subject matter during class. Using the Clickers technology is easy. I have no problems using the Clickers technology. Using the Clickers technology is pretty hard. Using Clickers boosts my enthusiasm for studying the material we learn in this class.
34 Using Clickers makes me more motivated to learn in this class. If we didn t use Clickers, I would be less interested in the topics we cover in this class. Using Clickers makes me more likely to review my notes prior to class. Using Clickers encourages me to do readings prior to class. Because we use Clickers, I prepare for class more than I would otherwise. Using the Clickers is fun. It is exciting to answer questions using Clickers technology. I enjoy using the Clickers technology. I do not like using Clickers. I have had a good experience with Clickers. Because Clickers is used, I attend class more regularly than I would otherwise. Using Clickers increases my likelihood of attending class. Using Clickers motivates me to attend class. Because of Clickers, I have a better idea of what to expect on exams, quizzes, or assignments. I believe that I know more about what will be emphasized on exams, quizzes, or assignments because of Clickers. Using Clickers gives me a preview of what I will need to know for exams, quizzes, or assignments. Because of Clickers, it is easier for me to tell whether I am mastering class materials. Because of Clickers, I am more certain about how I am performing in the class. Using Clickers helps me more easily determine how well I am doing in the class. My knowledge of class material is improved by using Clickers. I understand more in this class because we use Clickers. Clickers help me learn class material better. Clickers technology is interfering with my getting a good grade. Because we are using Clickers, I expect to get a lower grade than I would otherwise. Using Clickers is negatively impacting my grade.
Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree N/A Impact of Clickers Technology 35 Appendix B: Teacher Questionnaire on the Use of Clickers Instructions: Please provide the information below by circling the correct response and checking (with an X ) the blanks with the information about your class. N/A can be used if the statement is not applicable to your experience. Demographic Information Gender: Male Female Grade(s) you teach: Class(es) you teach: Ethnicity: Hispanic African American Asia Caucasian Other Have you used Clickers in your classes prior to this school year? Yes No Questions (adapted from MacGeorge et al., 2008) My students are more engaged, interested, and have a greater sense of participation during class when we use Clickers. I wish I spent more time using Clickers. Time spent using Clickers is time well spent. Using Clickers makes my students more attentive and helps them focus during lecture or other class activities. Using the Clickers technology is easy for me. Using the Clickers technology is easy for my students. Using Clickers boosts my students enthusiasm and motivation for learning the material in my class. Using Clickers makes my students more likely to prepare (review their notes, do their readings) prior to class. Using the Clickers is fun for me. Using the Clickers is fun for my students. Using Clickers increases my students likelihood of attending class. Because of Clickers, my students have a better idea of what to expect on exams, quizzes, or assignments. Using Clickers helps me more easily determine how well my students are doing in the class and how well they are mastering class materials. My students knowledge of class material is improved by using Clickers.
36 Appendix C: Interview Questions Student Interview Questions What uses of Clickers in the classroom did you find helpful? Do you feel that using Clickers in class helped you understand class material? Please explain. Do you feel using Clickers in class helped you succeed in class? Please explain. Do you feel using Clickers in class helped you better prepare for exams, quizzes, or assignments? Please explain. Do you feel that you did more preparation prior to class because of the use of Clickers? Please explain. Do you feel that using Clickers in class helped motivate you to study for the class? Please explain. Teacher Interview Questions Do you think using Clickers changed the way you normally would teach? Please explain. Do you think using Clickers required you to spend more time for class preparation? Please explain. Do you think using Clickers helped improve students learning? Please explain. Do you think students participated more in class because of the use of Clickers? Please explain. Do you think students do better in class because of the use of Clickers? Please explain. Do you think it was easy to use Clickers? Do you feel the time spent on Clickers in class was well spent? Please explain. Do you feel that it was easy to use Clickers?
37 BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE: Cora Roush, M. Ed. is a Spanish teacher at Spring Grove Area High School. She is currently working on obtaining her Doctor of Education degree in Instructional Technology. Her research interests include technology integration in education and the use of personal response systems. Dr. Liyan Song is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Technology and Literacy at Towson University. Her research interests include technology integration in education, conceptual change learning experiences, distance education, and action research.