The Daily Pop Quiz: Teaching and Learning with Clickers

18 Pages Posted: 20 Oct 2012

See all articles by Craig Leonard Brians

Craig Leonard Brians

Virginia Tech

Victoria Dounoucos

Virginia Tech - Department of Political Science

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 18, 2012

Abstract

In recent years, technology has gained a firm foothold in higher education classrooms. Student response systems (AKA clickers) are among the most common teaching technologies incorporated into classrooms today (Immerwahr 2009; Winograd & Cheesman 2007).

Theory: Nearly every study identifies benefits gained by incorporating clickers into the classroom. However, evidence about the nature of the causal link between “clicking” and these claimed benefits is typically absent. To fill this void, we theorize that students benefit from using clickers in class, because: clicker quiz questions connect each day’s material to exams (and thus to students’ grades), and clicker quizzes may improve student attendance and engagement.

Data: Studying this relationship in a large class (i.e., nearly 300 students), we test competing explanations using opinion surveys as well as behavioral data.

Findings: We find that clickers may enhance students’ performance through a number of mechanisms: (1) more consistent class attendance, (2) “on the fly” formative assessment of student knowledge, (3) signaling high-priority course content, and (4) increased classroom participation and attention. These processes appear to operate simultaneously, although perhaps in different intensities for different students.

Suggested Citation

Brians, Craig Leonard and Dounoucos, Victoria, The Daily Pop Quiz: Teaching and Learning with Clickers (October 18, 2012). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2164476 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2164476

Craig Leonard Brians (Contact Author)

Virginia Tech ( email )

531 Major Williams Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
United States

HOME PAGE: http://www.psci.vt.edu/brians/

Victoria Dounoucos

Virginia Tech - Department of Political Science ( email )

VA
United States

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