Faculty Resources: Clickers

Pre-Class Setup

Set up clickers:

1. Download the software:

Faculty and the grading TA should download the most recent version of the software from iClicker.com. Before class begins, read over the quick start guide and create your classes. Do this the day BEFORE you walk into your first class.

 

2. Meet with your TA:

If you are using a TA to do the grading, send them these instructions for grading clicker participation. Talk to your TA about how you will send them the clicker files at the end of EVERY lecture day. The files are easy to zip and send by email, but faculty often forget to do this sending.

 

3. Add clickers to your syllabus:

Decide how many points you will award students for clicker participation. We normally give about 1-2% of class points for this part of our active learning – 1 point for successful registration, 2 points for successful participation on most days.

• Call clickers “participation,” never “attendance.”
• Give students a small incentive (1 point) to register at iclicker.com by the end of Week 2. There are too many adds and drops to finalize registration before this date.
• We tell students they have only fully participated if they click in to at least half of the day’s questions. This encourages them to come on time and not leave early.
• We give full total credit if they click in 75% of the total days. This prevents drama (and emails) from students who forgot their clicker at home one one day.
• Include a warning in the syllabus that clicking in for others is academic dishonesty.
• Do not allow students to get credit if they attend another lecture. Much too big of a headache.

 

4. Create a clicker gradebook:

Regardless of how you decide to score clicker use, you will have some unit of successful participation (days clicked in) that does not equal actual points. So create a clicker gradebook (separate from the “real” gradebook) to track “days clicked in.” The students who have a hard time with clickers (always 5%) will be able to see their problems and get them resolved.

 

5. Plan student contact:

Plan on releasing clicker points and sending an email at these times during the term:

• End of Week 2 (students will discover they did not successfully register)
• End of Week 3 (students can make sure they are successfully clicking in and getting credit)
• End of Week 6 (students are reminded of the value you place on participating)
• End of Term

 

Download our clicker white paper here (pdf)

Read about their use at the UCI Medical School here (pdf)