9/23/2014
CREATING ACTIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
WITH CLICKERS IN THE CLASSROOM
Presented by:
Heidi Ash
Instructional Consultant
Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign
ACTIVE LEARNING
“Active learning is any activity that allows students to engage the
course materials during instruction so that the teacher and the
student can ascertain the students' mastery of the materials and
adjust the instruction to facilitate further learning.”
(Duquesne University, Center for Teaching Excellence, 2014)
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OPTIONS
 F2F
 TurningPoint
 Variety of device based tools
 Online
 Self-paced polling
 GoTo Training Surveys
PLANNING FOR USE
 Mandatory vs. voluntary
 TurningPoint deadline
 Grading
 Low-stakes vs. high-stakes
 Participation
 No grading
 Communication
 Training
 Adaptability
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PLANNING FOR INTEGRATION
 Spacing
 Lecture problem points
 Timing
 Purpose
 JITT
 Metacognitive
 Community building
 Practice
TYPES OF RESPONSE SETTINGS
 Individual responses
 One response
 Initial response > further instruction > secondary response
 Small group responses
 Group discussion > one response
 Group discussion > one response > group discussion > secondary response
 Combinations
 Individual response > peer instruction > secondary response
 Individual response > peer instruction > group response
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TYPE 1: CONTENT QUESTIONS
 Typically have a right answer
 Help to assess student understanding of the content
 Types
 Recall
 Conceptual understanding
 Application
RECALL
In the short story, “Sonny’s Blues”, the narrator’s brother
a.
returns from war
b.
is released from prison
c.
has been on a long trip overseas
Answer: b
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CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING
At (0, 0) the graph of f(x) = |x|
a.
has a tangent line at y = 0
b.
has infinitely many tangent lines
c.
has no tangent line
d.
has two tangent lines y = −x and y = x
Answer: c
From the Cornell Good Questions Project (Cornell University, Department of Mathematics, 2014).
CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING/APPLICATION
You are driving 25 mph and you notice a car identical to yours coming straight toward
you at 25 mph.You have only two options: hitting the other car head on or swerving
into a massive concrete wall, also head on. Based on what will cause the greater impact
(not human damage), your best decision would be to
a.
hit the other car
b.
hit the wall
c.
hit either one – it makes no difference
Answer: c
Based on Eric Mazur’s somewhat famous question (Mazur, 2007).
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APPLICATION
A female patient is diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis. Which nursing diagnosis
should receive the highest priority at this time?
a.
Impaired gas exchange related to increased blood flow
b.
Fluid volume excess related to peripheral vascular disease
c.
Risk for injury related to edema
d.
Altered peripheral tissue perfusion related to venous congestion
Answer: d
From sample Nursing questions (Cram, 2014).
TYPE 2: CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS
 May have “one best answer” intead of a “correct” answer
 Allow possibilities for promoting deep thinking through
 engagement with content and concepts
 debate and discussion with peers
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CRITICAL THINKING
“1st RULE:You do not talk about FIGHT CLUB.
2nd RULE:You DO NOT talk about FIGHT CLUB.”
The first two rules of Fight Club suggest that the author wants to communicate the
secrecy of Fight Club. What is the best reason for this?
a.
Because the club is illegal and doesn’t need attention from the authorities
b.
Because the purposes of the club are private and its members benefit from anonymity.
c.
Because membership in the club implies acceptance of a code, or a different way of life, which
requires adherence to a set of rules.
CRITICAL THINKING
Which best describes your view of Schrödinger’s thought experiment (“Schrödinger’s
cat”)?
a. An interesting thought experiment that explores the idea of “potentiality”.
b. A way of discussing quantum entanglement and quantum states.
c. An example of paradox.
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CRITICAL THINKING
Thor’s hammer bears this inscription on the side: "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he
be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor.“ Which of these best fits your
interpretation of what this means?
a. Thor’s hammer is magical and can decide who is best fit to wield it.
b. The hammer is so heavy that only someone with the strength and of a god may wield it.
c. Anyone who can contrive to pick up the hammer would be able to wield it, because they would
basically have passed some kind of test by simply managing the feat of picking it up.
Inspired by an episode of The Big Bang Theory (The Big Bang Theory, 2014).
TYPE 3: PROCESS QUESTIONS
 Mainly a way of gathering information from students
 Help determine student opinions and experiences
 Types
 Polling
 Confidence Level
 Monitoring
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REFERENCES
Cornell University, Department of Mathematics. (2014, September 18). GoodQuestions Project. Retrieved from
http://www.math.cornell.edu/~GoodQuestions/
Cram. (2014, September 18). Nursing process/diagnoses practice test (Nclex style) 15 multiple choice. Retrieved from
http://www.cram.com/flashcards/nursing-processdiagnoses-practice-test-nclex-style-15-multiple-choice-1269961
Duquesne University, Center for Teaching Excellence. (2014, September 18). Active learning. Retrieved from
http://www.duq.edu/about/centers-and-institutes/center-for-teaching-excellence/teaching-and-learning/activelearning
Mazur, E. (2007). Confessions of a converted lecturer. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/kdsjsqk
The Big Bang Theory. (2014, September 18). Arguing about Thor and his hammer. [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teRMsxMLVkY
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