Hearing the Silent StudentHearing the Silent Student

• at any time during a class you could poll all of your students?

• you could test their comprehension immediately?

• you could always tell if you and your students were “on the same page”?

Wouldn’t it be nice if …

Clickers (or Classroom Response Systems)

Students respond to questions using simple devices like TV remotes.

A solution …

Students learn best when …

A. they have a test coming upB. they are engaged in classC. they memorize factsD. they can hide in classE. they read the book instead

of coming to class

You know your class is bestengaged when …

A. no-one asks any questionsB. no-one answers your questionsC. students wait until the test to answer

questionsD. you don’t ask them any questionsE. everyone answers your questions

If you assign homework reading material, it is best to …

A. assume everyone has donethe reading

B. assume no-one has done the reading

C. use the first 5 minutes of class to ask everyone a few questions to assess their comprehension of the material

D. lecture on the material

When introducing a new topic, it is best to …

A. ask a question at the start of class to assess their (prior) knowledge of the material

B. ask a question at the end of the class to test their comprehension

C. both of the aboveD. none of the above

Simple Probability

A.

B.

C.

D.

If you are dealt a single card from a shuffled deck of playing cards, what is the probability that your card is a Jack or a Heart?

5216

5217

41

5215

Classical ProbabilityAssume that a given experiment has n different simple events (outcomes), each of which has an equal chance of occurring.If an event A can occur in s of these n ways, then the probability of A occurring is given by

nsAAP

events simpledifferent ofnumber occurcan waysofnumber )(

Classical ProbabilityWhen you deal a single card from a well-shuffled deck of 52 cards, each card has an equal chance of being dealt. So,

524

deck in the cards ofnumber deck in the Jacks ofnumber )( JP

5213

deck in the cards ofnumber deck in the Hearts ofnumber )( HP

Classical ProbabilityTo find the probability of a Jack or a Heart, we have to be careful not to count the Jack of Hearts twice.

5216

521134

deck in the cards ofnumber deck in the Hearts and Jacks ofnumber )(

HorJP

4 (Jacks) + 13 (Hearts) – 1 (Jack of Hearts)

Simple Probability – Revisited

A.

B.

C.

D.

If you are dealt a single card from a shuffled deck of playing cards, what is the probability that your card is an Ace or a red card?

5227

5228

5224

5226

Considerations & Best Practices

1. Before using clickers for the first time, find some way to practice.

Observe a peer’s class where clickers are being used.

Make your first clicker class a simple practice session.

Considerations & Best Practices

2. Before using clickers for the first time, explain to the students why you are using them and what you hope to achieve.

Remember, it’s all for the students’ benefit.

Considerations & Best Practices

3. Be prepared to spend extra time developing good multiple choice questions.

Test for concepts rather than facts.

Considerations & Best Practices

4. Be prepared for things that can go wrong: students forgot their clickers; batteries are dead; receiver doesn’t work.

Loaners on hand; spare batteries; patience.

Considerations & Best Practices

5. Plan on having some small group discussion time to respond/react to clicker answers.

Be ready to apply some Just-In-Time teaching if too many students get the wrong answer.

Considerations & Best Practices

6. When using clickers to engage the students, make sure credit is given to those who use their clickers.

You can even give a little bit extra for getting the right answer.

Considerations & Best Practices

7. Use clickers for short quizzes but never for actual tests.

… for a variety of reasons.

Considerations & Best Practices

8. Never use clickers only to track attendance.

Is this a good use of such an investment?

Considerations & Best Practices

9. Be prepared to ask questions “on the fly”.

You can’t think of everything beforehand. An unexpected topic may crop up in class. Be ready to ask questions about it.